Best Microwaves 2026: Rated and reviewed by our experts

Although numerous gadgets are deemed must-haves, you can’t forget about the humble microwave – no kitchen is complete without one partially due to their impressive versatility. 

Traditionally, microwaves were just used to quickly heat and reheat food but recently they’ve taken on a whole new status, boasting even more additional features for hassle-free cooking, defrosting and even grilling. 

As some microwaves can go well past the £100 mark, it’s worth assessing your needs before making an investment. If you know you’ll solely use your microwave to reheat leftovers, then you probably don’t need a more premium pick with multiple mod-cons. 

If, however, you’re looking for an appliance that can do a bit more, then a combination microwave would be a better investment for you. A combi microwave can boast features including individual cooking programmes for different foods, convection ovens and even grill modes, so you can truly do everything with just one appliance. 

You should also consider power levels, program settings and the size of the physical microwave to make sure it’ll fit comfortably in your space. You also should ensure that the internal capacity of your microwave is big enough to fit your widest plates and tallest containers. 

To help you decide, we’ve tested multiple microwaves, from the budget-friendly to more premium models, and compiled the highest-rated options into this handy list. 

All microwaves we review are rigorously tested by our experts. We inspect every aspect from the design and capacity to the cooking functions, performance and power. We then ensure that each microwave is built for purpose, putting them through real-world tests such as defrosting bread, reheating cooked rice and cooking jacket potatoes. 

If you want to add more to your kitchen beyond a new microwave, you might be interested in our other numerous review guides including best air fryer guide, best toasters, best kettles and best coffee machine.

Best Microwaves at a glance

• Best overall microwave: Sage Combi Wave 3 in 1
• Best large microwave: Samsung MS32DG4504ATE3 Large Capacity Solo Microwave Oven
• Best combi oven: Panasonic NN-CS89LBBPQ Combination Microwave Oven
• Best microwave for automated programmes: Samsung Easy View Convection Oven with HotBlast Technology MC28M6075CS
• Best flatbed microwave: Caso MCG 25 Ceramic Chef Microwave
• Best budget flatbed microwave: Caso Design MG 20 Ecostyle Ceramic Microwave & Grill
• Best budget microwave: Morphy Richards Cassini 20L Digital Microwave

SQUIRREL_ANCHOR_LIST

Learn more about how we test microwaves

We test microwaves to see how good they are at their main job. For that, we start with tests designed for the microwave mode only. These include reheating rice and toasting bread, using a thermal camera to see exactly how well (and how evenly) the microwave heats.

We also cook a baked potato, using a microwave-only mode if that’s available, but we’ll use a combi mode, adding convection oven or grill, to see how this works.

Where microwaves have a grill, we test them with bread and see how even the grilling is across as many slices as we can fit into a product.

We’ll also test convection oven settings by heating a baking tray full of ceramic cooking beads, and then using a thermal camera to view how evenly the oven heats.

If there are other key functions, such as air frying, steaming or crisping, we try these out following suggestions in the manual.

Sage Combi Wave 3 in 1

Samsung MS32DG4504ATE3 Large Capacity Solo Microwave Oven

Panasonic NN-CS89LBBPQ Combination Microwave Oven

Samsung Easy View Convection Oven with HotBlast Technology MC28M6075CS

Caso MCG 25 Ceramic Chef Microwave

Caso Design MG 20 Ecostyle Ceramic Microwave & Grill

Morphy Richards Cassini 20L Digital Microwave

Advertisement

FAQs

Do I need additional features in a microwave?

The answer depends on whether you’d use them or not. A grill or convection oven combined with a microwave can give you additional cooking space, or the ability to combine programmes, say grilling and microwaving at the same time, to speed up cooking.

Is there any point in buying higher power microwaves?

The more power, the faster the microwave will cook, but that can be a double-edged sword. Warming up your dinner with the 1000W setting may be overkill and leave you with burnt bits. However, heating water in a jar to sterilize it may benefit from higher settings.

Should I buy a flatbed or turntable microwave?

Flatbed microwaves often need food to be turned manually to get even results but you get more space in them and can use irregular-sized pots and containers; turntable microwaves cook more evenly but you’ve got less room and are restricted in the size of container you can use.

How much attention should I pay to internal size?

Measured in litres, the internal size tells you how big the cavity is. The bigger the household, the larger the microwave you’ll want. Also consider use; if you occasionally heat some pasta sauce or reheat the occasional left-overs, then a smaller microwave will do you.

Integrated or freestanding, which is better?

Neither’s better, but integrated models are neater as they’re permanently installed and often have larger capacities. They’re a good choice if you’re having a new kitchen and have place to permanently put a microwave, although seriously consider a combi model that can act as a second oven, as this gives you more cooking options.

Freestanding models are generally cheaper and come in a wider range of sizes. As they just plug in, they’re easier to change if something goes wrong, and you can take them with you if you move house. Freestanding models are a good upgrade if you’ve got all of your integrated appliances already, or only have room for a single integrated oven.

The post Best Microwaves 2026: Rated and reviewed by our experts appeared first on Trusted Reviews.