Our Favorite Microwave
In a house of eight, the microwave runs from breakfast oatmeal to the last reheated plate at night. The microwave we chose is the Farberware 1.1 Cu. Ft.: it's roomy enough for a full dinner plate, the buttons are simple enough for a 7-year-old, and it holds up to being used a dozen times a day. Here's the one we chose, plus a few others we seriously considered.
Farberware 1.1 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave Oven
This is the microwave we actually run. It's roomy enough for a big dinner plate, simple enough that even our 7-year-old can heat up his own snack, and it holds up to being used a dozen times a day in a busy house.
Check price on AmazonBefore you buy, check four things: Interior size, because a 0.7 cubic foot model is fine for popcorn but may not fit a full dinner plate or a casserole dish, so measure your biggest plate. Wattage, since higher wattage heats faster and more evenly, and most package directions assume a full-power microwave. Simple controls and a child lock, because kids will use it, and a lock keeps little ones from running it empty. Footprint and clearance, since countertop microwaves need some air space around them and eat more counter than you’d expect.
For a family kitchen, a 1.1 to 1.2 cubic foot model is the sweet spot. The compact 0.7 models make more sense in a dorm, office, or playroom.
The Farberware 1.1 Cu. Ft. at the top is the one we chose. Below it are the others we considered: the Toshiba 1.2 Cu. Ft. if you want sensor cooking, the BLACK+DECKER 5-in-1 if you want an air fryer built in, and the compact Chefman and COMFEE’ models for small spaces.
What else we considered
Also considered
Chefman Countertop Microwave Oven 0.7 Cu. Ft.
A compact 0.7 cubic foot microwave for a dorm, office, or small kitchen. Fine for popcorn and leftovers, though a big dinner plate is a tight fit.
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Also considered
TOSHIBA EM131A5C-BS Countertop Microwave Ovens 1.2 Cu Ft
A bigger 1.2 cubic foot Toshiba with sensor cooking that adjusts the time for you. A good choice for families who reheat a lot of full plates.
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Also considered
Farberware 0.7 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave Oven
The smaller sibling to the one we chose. Good for a dorm room or a spot where counter space is tight.
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Also considered
COMFEE' EM720CPL-PMB Countertop Microwave Oven with Sound
A compact microwave with an option to turn the beeps off, so late-night snacks don't wake the whole house.
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Also considered
KOMUEE 10 Packs 30 oz Glass Meal Prep Containers
Not a microwave, but glass containers that go straight into one. Good for packed lunches and leftovers without reheating in plastic.
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Also considered
BLACK+DECKER 5-in-1 Microwave Oven with Air Fry
A microwave that also air fries and bakes. Worth it if you want one appliance to replace two on a crowded counter.
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Also considered
BLACK+DECKER EM720CB7 Digital Microwave Oven with Turntable
A simple compact digital microwave with a turntable and quick-start buttons. A dependable budget pick for a dorm or office.
Check priceWhy we chose it
Our microwave gets used more than almost anything in the kitchen, and rarely for anything glamorous. It is reheating a bottle at 6 a.m., warming leftovers for whoever wandered in late from practice, softening butter, and thawing the thing Mom forgot to take out of the freezer. In a house of eight, that little box runs practically nonstop, and the old one finally gave out mid-popcorn during a family movie night.
We replaced it with the Farberware 1.1 cubic foot countertop microwave, and it has been a genuinely easy pick. It is one of those best-selling, no-drama appliances that just does the job—roomy enough on the inside to fit a real dinner plate without spinning it into the wall, with straightforward controls that even our 8-year-old can manage for a bowl of oatmeal. At around a hundred and twenty dollars, it did not ask us to overthink it.
We glanced at a few pricier models with convection modes and sensor cooking, but honestly, for how hard this thing gets used and by how many small hands, we did not want to pour money into features that would just be one more thing to break or confuse. The Farberware won on the boring virtues that actually matter to us: enough capacity for family-size portions, buttons simple enough for the whole crew, and a price that made it painless to replace if a rogue fork ever meets its end inside. It has been humming along reliably ever since, which is exactly all we ever wanted from it.
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