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The microwave started its journey into our kitchen when Raytheon engineer Percy Spencer accidentally melted a candy bar in his pocket while working on the production of magnetrons for the military during World War II.
Raytheon patent pending Shortly thereafter and in just a few years, households around the world introduced this countertop cooker to get everything done quickly, from popcorn to lasagna dinner.
Nowadays you have many options for size, power, color and function when it comes to microwaves. they also have smart options as AmazonBasics microwave and GE Smart Countertop Microwave that works with Alexa for voice commands. We tested nine models to find the best models for sale today.
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In all of our tests, this 1.100 watt, 1.6 cubic foot Farberware model performed best. I was able to boil water in less than three minutes, and in popcorn mode, on average, only 26 popcorn kernels remained open. Our tests were carried out without any problems.
At 1.6 cubic feet, it’s big enough for just about anything you want to put in the microwave and powerful enough. It has sensor cooking technology so that not every dish is put in the microwave for a flat time, but rather it records when something is done.
Special functions also include popcorn, sensor warm-up, frozen pizza, meat, fish, frozen vegetables, fresh vegetables, frozen main course and weight defrost. Frozen dinners and personal pizzas were well cooked in each of our tests. Potatoes 11.76 ounces in size also came out fully cooked. The only disadvantage of this model is the lack of a special beverage function for reheating coffee or for heating water for tea.
At $ 148, it’s certainly not the cheapest microwave on our list (see below for our budget choices), but this Farberware model is a great option for a large, powerful, and smart microwave.
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If you are looking for an inexpensive microwave with lots of space and performance, this 2.0 cubic foot Easter model is a good buy. At $ 90, you don’t have to break the bank to get a good microwave.
With an output of 1,000 watts, it can process large starters and thick potatoes alike. This Easter model performed exceptionally well in popcorn mode, leaving an average of 11 kernels unstopped. It’s the best of all the models we’ve tested.
It also includes a beverage function that heats the water to 200 ° F. The simple design with a flat front and the rust-free edge make this microwave no thorn in the side.
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It’s true this Panasonic model doesn’t win any beauty pageants, but what it lacks in looks makes up for in a powerful 1,250-watt, 2.2-cubic-foot design.
This model is the largest and most powerful model in our product range and has cooked heavy potatoes and frozen dishes well. Attention popcorn lovers as this model gave the highest number of burnt kernels per batch. That’s probably due to the extra performance, but even the 3.0-ounce setting (smaller than our 3.2-ounce popcorn bags) still resulted in burned pieces.
Cooking water, cooking lasagna, and baking potatoes were a breeze in this microwave. If you want to rely heavily on your microwave when cooking, the powerful model from Panasonic is just the thing for you.
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Not everyone needs a huge microwave. A lot of people just don’t have a place. With a small but practical volume of 1.1 cubic feet, this 1,000-watt model is more than capable of handling most tasks.
With a size of 20.3 x 12 x 15.6 (W x D x H) inches, it doesn’t take up much work space. You still get a lot of presets including plates, frozen vegetables, drinks, popcorn, baked potatoes, pizza, time defrost, and weight defrost.
It worked satisfactorily in all of our tests and exceeded thresholds for temperature and degree of cooking in most scenarios. It feels a bit like an all-rounder who doesn’t master a microwave. Absolutely capable, but not exceptional in design or results. However, if space problems arise, the Magic Chef microwave does the job with minimal space.
We tested other models
The four microwaves above have proven themselves at the top of the class, but we tested a total of nine machines. Here are the other models that have not quite made the cut.
- Breville Quick Touch: This upscale $ 249 model looks and feels luxurious, but we found its performance less than impressive. Breville also uses this model for its new Wave series.
- GE JES2051SNSS: This model is a strong competitor, but when it came to popcorn, it stayed behind and we had a few uncooked potatoes. Warming up drinks, boiling water and cooking frozen meals went well. It’s also the most expensive model we’ve tested at $ 280.
- LG LMC0975ST: This $ 171 model has a small internal capacity of just 0.9 cubic feet. It’s also the only microwave we’ve tested that interferes with our Wi-Fi signal. Sparkling sounds and pretty design weren’t enough to woo us.
- Hamilton Beach EM031M2ZC-X3: The $ 75 Hamilton Beach microwave offers 1.1 cubic feet and 1,000 watts of power, but poor cooking results, especially when it comes to fully baking potatoes.
- Toshiba EM131A5C-BS: Toshiba’s $ 120 Microwave Achieved Mediocre Results It had an easy-to-clean interior and lots of special functions, but wasn’t good when it came to reheating leftover pizza or cooking small frozen appetizers.
How we test
Finding the best microwaves is more than just the 30-second express button that we use to heat up lunch. Microwaves have dozens of special functions and setting levels that can make them really helpful tools in the kitchen.
Special functions
For each of our microwaves, we tested potatoes, frozen main course, frozen pizza, drinks, popcorn, and reheats if these options were available. To test the potato preset, three rounds of cooked baked potatoes are required in each microwave with this function. Then we take the temperature and record the degree of potato cooking.
Hot potato!
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For popcorn we popped three 3.2 oz bags. Popcorn in each microwave, keeping track of the number of broken and burned kernels. Frozen items follow with similar temperature records and cooking grade information. For beverages, we also record the temperature of 1 cup of water after heating with the beverage option.
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We use frozen personal pizzas and frozen lasagna appetizers to test each microwave’s ability to cook evenly and accurately. If you are like me, I use my microwave most often when I heat up leftovers. Therefore, we round off each test set with a piece of leftover delivery pizza.
We have recorded the time and temperature for each test so we can see which microwaves are most efficient.
This microwave had mediocre popcorn results.
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At the end of collecting all of this data, we have a good picture of the performance and effectiveness of the special functions of each microwave. And we have popcorn. A lot of popcorn. Of course there is more to consider than just the special presets.
What else is there to consider?
In this round of microwave testing, we focused on microwaves with an output of 1,000 watts or more. These models are ideal for people who cook frequently in the microwave or heat up large meals. You will probably start your microwave hunt by considering which size is right for you. A 1.250 watt, 2.2 cubic foot microwave isn’t necessarily the best option for everyone.
If you are in a confined space or have performance limitations (my dorm has limited us to just 900 watts), the best thing to do is look for compact models with less than 1,000 watts. Think about which features are most important to you once you’ve decided on the size. If you never eat popcorn but eat a lot of leftover pizza, make sure the model you choose has the single-slice option.
Narrow it down to the right size, power level and function setting, and all you have to do is choose a color. Each of the models we tested is available in several versions. When your microwave becomes part of your kitchen landscape, you should be able to find the right shade.
One last tip: don’t throw away the manual as soon as you open the box! The operating instructions for your microwave are: a Great Resource for the exact use of the individual cooking modes. Every manufacturer just seems to do things a little differently, and in every manual we came across during testing, there were time guides and helpful explanations.