6 Best Countertop Microwaves of 2026, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
Our tests help you find a reliable, top-performing microwave for your kitchen counter
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You can spend less than $100 on a countertop microwave—or several times that on a larger model with a variety of advanced features. Spending more typically gets you more power as well.
But according to Consumer Reports’ microwave oven ratings, the best countertop microwaves don’t necessarily come with higher prices when you’re comparing models of the same size.
CR members can read on for highlights of the best countertop microwaves available now, grouped by size and listed alphabetically. Wondering which brand’s microwaves stand the test of time? Check out the most and least reliable microwaves, based on our CR member surveys. For shopping tips, look at our comprehensive microwave buying guide. CR members can also explore our full ratings of 60 countertop microwaves.
Best Small Countertop Microwaves
If you’re short on counter space or funds, a small microwave (averaging 0.7 cubic feet of internal space) may be a good choice. Small microwaves aren’t very powerful, but they fit most moderate-sized plates, and the best models heat your food well, albeit a little slower than bigger ones.
Small microwaves like the countertop Commercial Chef CHM770B may be all you need for a college dorm or office. This one is a champ at heating evenness, acing our mashed potato test, in which we use thermocouples to measure temperatures throughout. But it’s a slowpoke when it comes to heating a simple bowl of water. It’s adequate at defrosting and pretty quiet. For the price, it’s worth a look. Commercial Chef earns the strongest predicted reliability score of all countertop microwaves we test, but the brand garners a dismal owner satisfaction rating.
Of the 10 small countertop microwaves in our ratings, the Danby DDMW007501G1 is the only one to get above the lowest rating on our speed-of-heating test. Its heating and defrosting evenness are very good, and this Danby is pretty quiet even when running on the highest setting. But like most microwaves of this size and price, it doesn’t have any fancy features such as a sensor to indicate doneness. In our member surveys, Danby countertop microwaves earn a very good score for predicted reliability but a poor score for owner satisfaction.
Best Midsized Countertop Microwaves
Midsized countertop microwaves (with about 1 to 1.3 cubic feet of usable space) offer a better bang for your buck than small microwaves, though price isn’t necessarily an indicator of performance. Here are the two best from Consumer Reports’ tests.
The midsized Commercial Chef CHM990B earns very good scores across the board for heating evenness, defrosting, ease of use, and noise. This low-priced countertop microwave’s heating speed is only passable, but the model offers a standard assortment of convenience features, plus an auto-defrost that you can set based on food weight or speed, and even a child-safe door lock.
The Panasonic NN-SD47QS is a very good microwave for its midrange price, but only if you’re not in a rush to eat. While it garners our highest scores for noise, heating evenness, and defrosting evenness, its speed of heating is below par. It has a modern stainless steel design, however, with a dial that makes it easy to lock in the perfect settings. Panasonic’s countertop microwaves earn a respectable predicted reliability score in CR member surveys, but owner satisfaction is just middling.
Best Large Countertop Microwaves
Large countertop microwaves (ranging from 1.4 to 2.2 cubic feet of internal space) tend to have more power, resulting in faster average heating speeds. High-end models can also include more features, such as temperature sensors and advanced cooking modes. The two models below are also among the best countertop microwaves we’ve tested, period.
The sleek LG NeoChef MSER1590S microwave earns excellent ratings across many of our lab tests, including heating and defrosting evenness, heating speed, and microwaving noise. It’s also fairly easy to use, with touchpad controls and a microwave sensor that takes the guesswork out of cooking. In our member surveys, LG countertop microwaves receive midrange owner satisfaction and predicted reliability scores.
The Panasonic NN-SD77PS tops the list of large countertop microwaves in our ratings, earning our highest scores for heating evenness, speed of heating, and noise. Its performance on defrosting evenness is strong, and it’s also easy to use. You’re getting a tad more space and a bit more power overall compared with the runner-up LG NeoChef MSER1590S above, but you’ll pay substantially more. It also sports a stainless steel finish with buttons and a central dial for setting control.
You can also consider the similarly rated Panasonic NN-SN74PB for a less expensive option with even better defrosting evenness, but it’s not as easy to use and doesn’t look quite as elegant.
How CR Tests Countertop Microwaves
To test heating evenness, we heat a bowl of cold mashed potatoes for 10 minutes, then take the internal temperature in 20 spots. Models that do well will heat your leftovers through and through.
To test speed, we measure how fast the microwave heats a liter of room-temperature water. Our testers also rate how evenly a microwave defrosts frozen food, how noisy it is, and how easy it is to operate without checking the owner’s manual (because most people don’t).
We also incorporate ratings for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction for each brand, based on survey responses from CR members who purchased 37,845 countertop microwaves between 2015 and 2025.
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