Whether you use it to warm up your coffee, reheat some leftover food, or defrost frozen food items, mini microwaves are one of the most convenient and essential appliances used by several people today.
Mini microwaves have the potential to offer wide-ranging services, including grilling, baking, steaming, convection cooking, and more.
Now mini microwaves are a worthwhile purchase for several reasons. Firstly, they accommodate all the features of a full-sized model but are compact. Secondly, they can be a budget-friendly option for people who don’t wish to spend a lot on a larger model. And lastly, a mini microwave can be an aesthetic addition to your kitchen space.
In the following article, we shall discuss the factors you need to consider before buying a mini microwave for yourself or as a gift. You need to note these factors because if you go for the wrong option, you will regret it for an extended period.
Quick Overview Of Best Mini Microwaves
Best Overall: Galanz Retro Microwave Oven
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Best In Value: TOSHIBA Countertop Microwave Oven
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Best In Budget: COMFEE’ Countertop Microwave Oven
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Best Compact: Panasonic NN-SB438S Microwave Oven
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Best Digital: BLACK+DECKER Digital Microwave Oven
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Best Retro Design: Winia WOR07R3ZEL Retro Microwave
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Best Portable: Commercial Chef Counter Top Microwave
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Best Aesthetics: Nostalgia Countertop Microwave Oven
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Best Stainless Steel: Panasonic NN-SD372S Microwave Oven
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Best Small Size: Impecca CM0674K Microwave Oven
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Contents
The 10 Best Mini Microwaves In 2025
Best Overall: Galanz Retro Microwave Oven
It has a sleek design, and its 17.9 x 13.8 x 10.3 inches dimensions make it easy to store. Plus, its 23.1 pounds of weight make it lightweight and easy to move from one place to another.
It also has a large 0.7 cubic feet capacity, making it perfect for cooking larger meals. Additionally, it comes with a number of features that make it easy to use, including an LED display and a child lock function.
It offers six power levels to cook, making it versatile for different types of food. The easy-to-defrost function is also a plus, as it helps to keep food fresh and reduce waste.
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Best In Value: TOSHIBA Countertop Microwave Oven
The dimensions of the unit are 17.1×20.5×12.8 inches, and it weighs 34.6 pounds. It has a capacity of 1.2 cubic feet, which is large enough for most cooking needs.
The controls are located on the front of the unit and are very user-friendly. also has 10 power levels, allowing you to choose the right level for whatever you’re cooking.
This oven includes a 12.4-inch removable turntable. The digital display is easy to read and the mute function can be very useful when you need to heat something up quickly without any disturbance.
One of the most useful features is the defrost function, which allows you to quickly thaw frozen food. It also comes with a 1-year warranty, ensuring that your investment is protected.
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Best In Budget: COMFEE’ Countertop Microwave Oven
The dimensions of the oven are 13 x 17.3 x 10.2 inches. With its 20.3 pounds weight, this oven is easy to carry and place on any countertop.
It also includes a 0.7 cubic feet capacity. This means that you can cook multiple items at once. It provides 11 power levels, allowing you to choose the perfect setting for whatever you’re cooking.
The mute function is a great feature for those who don’t want the beep of the timer to interrupt their day. And the child lock system ensures that little ones can’t accidentally start the oven.
The eco mode conserves power by reducing the cooking time, while the two defrost settings help ensure that food is cooked evenly.
It comes with a 1-year warranty and features interior light with a 10-inch removable glass turntable. The digital display makes it easy to see the current settings and the time remaining.
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Best Compact: Panasonic NN-SB438S Microwave Oven
This oven has a capacity of 0.9 cubic feet, perfect for smaller items. Additionally, it has a weight of 28.2 pounds and dimensions of 19.1 x 14.8 x 11.5 inches.
One great feature is the 7 preset auto cook menu which means you can cook your food without worrying about setting the timer or temperature.
It also provides 3 power level options so you can choose how quickly you want your food to be cooked. In addition, the appliance comes with a child lock function to prevent accidental operation by children.
It is a countertop microwave oven with a small footprint. The oven is compact and lightweight, making it easy to move around.
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Best Digital: BLACK+DECKER Digital Microwave Oven
With dimensions of 13 x 17.3 x 10.2 inches and a weight of 22.5 pounds, this oven has a 0.7 cubic feet capacity, making it large enough to accommodate a variety of dishes.
The digital display is simple to use, and the touchpad controls make it easy to select the perfect setting for your food. It also features 10 power levels, allowing you to find the perfect cooking level for your needs.
This oven features a child safety lock to keep little ones safe, an interior light for quick checks on food progress, and a removable 10″ glass turntable that is easy to clean.
With a push-button door release, it is easy to open and close the door, even when your hands are full. The one-year limited warranty gives you peace of mind in knowing that your purchase is protected.
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Best Retro Design: Winia WOR07R3ZEL Retro Microwave
It has dimensions of 17.6×12.7×10.6 inches and a weight of 23.4 pounds. It has a 0.7 cubic feet capacity, which is large enough to fit most standard dinner plates.
It features a concave reflect system that uses dual wave technology to cook food evenly. This ensures that your food is cooked evenly. It features a unique retro design that is sure to complement any kitchen.
It uses 50% less energy than traditional models. It provides a recessed turntable that allows for even cooking, and the 5 auto cook pre-set menu function makes it easy to prepare a variety of foods.
It includes a two-way defrost function that helps to prevent food from freezer burn, and the digital display makes it easy to see the progress of your food.
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Best Portable: Commercial Chef Counter Top Microwave
This unit has impressive dimensions of 12.5 x 17.75 x 10.25 inches. It also weights 23.1 pounds. It has a capacity of 0.6 cubic feet, making it one of the most versatile models on the market.
It has 6 different cooking power levels, so you can find the perfect setting for whatever you’re cooking. The timer is simple to operate and has a nice, clear display.
It includes an easy-to-use reheat or defrosts function and an automatic shut-off function. It features a 9.5″ glass turntable that is specially designed to cook food evenly, and the compact design means it takes up less counter space.
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Best Aesthetics: Nostalgia Countertop Microwave Oven
Its dimensions are 19 x 17.9 x 11 inches, it also weighs in at just 28 pounds. Additionally, it has a 0.9 cubic feet capacity, making it large enough to accommodate most meals.
With 12 pre-programmed cooking settings, it can handle any type of food. The LED display is easy to read, and the controls are simple.
It features a digital clock and a sleek chrome door handle, giving it a retro look that will complement any décor. It comes with a simple turn and push program dial that makes it easy to use.
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Best Stainless Steel: Panasonic NN-SD372S Microwave Oven
With dimensions of 12 x 8 x 7 inches and a weight of 20.9 pounds, it is small enough to fit in most spaces but still has plenty of room inside with a 0.8 cubic feet capacity.
It is strong enough to heat food quickly. In addition, the inverter technology means that this microwave can also be used for defrosting and reheating.
It includes an 11 1/4 inch turntable. This turntable is thinner, lighter, and more efficient than older models, meaning that it takes up less space.
The built-in automatic genius sensor adjusts cooking times based on the food being prepared, and the preset menu items make it easy to cook a wide variety of dishes.
The quick-minute timer is ideal for quick, hassle-free cooking, and the delay start function ensures that food is ready when you are.
The child safety lock prevents accidental operation, making this microwave oven a safe choice for families with young children.
Pros
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Best Small Size: Impecca CM0674K Microwave Oven
The dimensions are 18.5 x 14.2 x 11.3 inches, and it weighs just 25.3 pounds. Despite its small size, it has a 0.6 cubic feet capacity, making it large enough to fit a family-sized meal.
It features a 9.65-inch turntable that can accommodate various dish sizes and six different power levels that allow you to cook your food the way you want.
The 30-minute timer is perfect for cooking larger meals, and the mechanical dial controls make it easy to adjust the settings.
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Mini Microwaves Buying Guide
After going through all the details about each microwave, if you feel that you may not require these, you could also take a look at some of the best air fryers.
On the other hand, if you are unsure what to buy between the two, you could look at our comparison of Air Fryers Vs. Microwaves.
Having said that, if you still feel you need a microwave, you can keep reading and know exactly how to select the best microwave for yourself.
Mini microwaves seem easy to make, but they are not. There is a multitude of options that are available to you out there. Therefore, to choose any one out of the many that are available, you need to take a look at the below-mentioned factors:
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Budget
Remember that your budget is the most important factor when you are purchasing any electronic appliance. Once you determine your budget, your options will be narrowed down and you won’t be overwhelmed by a large number of models available out there.
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Size And Interior Space
Irrespective of the size you opt for, it is important to consider size. Firstly, you have to evaluate how much kitchen space you have. No one would like to spend on an oven only to realize that it can’t fit your kitchen space.
If you have to opt for an over-the-range or built-in microwave, you must accommodate it in the exact size. You have slightly more flexibility for a countertop model, but you need to consider the approximate counter space you have.
Now ensuring that your microwave is true to your interior space is one thing and making sure it is able to accommodate items within it is another thing. Factors like the type of plates, the purpose of the microwave, and the size of your pans for baking should be noted to make a relevant purchase.
The smallest microwave available out there is 14 inches. Even a microwave that is 16 inches comes under the category of a mini microwave. The interior space usually lies in the 0.5 and 1 cubic feet range. Now, anything smaller than this won’t be practical.
Therefore, before you start your purchasing endeavor, it is advisable to take note of the size of the interior space as well as the items you plan on storing in the mini microwave.
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Power
The power of a microwave is measured in watts. A microwave with higher wattage will have higher power. Therefore, this appliance will cook your food more evenly. While the common power range these days is 500 to 1000 watts, the most suitable option for yourself will depend on the usage of the appliance for yourself.
Usually, a model with a wattage of 700 or more is the commonly opted option for it is budget friendly and functions effectively on small items such as microwave popcorn, meals, and so on. You can even go for a model with wattage as high as 800 watts if you wish to cook anything from vegetable side dishes to meatloaves to desserts.
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Presets
Apart from the standard settings that require you to manually enter the time, start and stop, almost every model has controls that provide preset cooking times. Depending on what you are preparing, the pre-programmed cooking options set the power level and the time required for cooking.
Several settings enable you to prepare items like frozen vegetables, popcorn, potatoes, and others. In addition, there is a setting for melting chocolate and butter, reheating pizza, and so on. It should have at least some basic presets if you are going even for a budget-friendly option.
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Interface And Display
Given the power settings, presets, and several other options available, your mini microwave must have a simple interface. This facilitates easy navigation of the electronic appliance. While having more buttons can make different settings easily accessible, opting for too many will make your appliance both cluttered and complicated. Furthermore, a simple interface and display will guarantee ease of use, thereby saving you a lot of time.
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High-Tech Features
Besides the features mentioned above, mini microwaves keep incorporating new features into their list. For instance, features like child safety locks, voice controls, and downloadable presets are becoming a commonality given the needs of the present world. You should take a closer look at the newer models to keep a check on the latest features which have been incorporated into the mini microwaves.
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Modes/Buttons
Several mini microwaves come with customizable options for reheating and cooking. Some of the most commonly used options are defrosted express cook and popcorn. You should look for mini microwaves that are equipped with these buttons.
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Noise Level
Some mini microwaves produce a lot of noise while operating. Luckily enough, there are other models which have adjustable volumes or noise-muffling technology. Make sure you analyze your priorities and make the right purchase.
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Design
You can find both retro and modern designs in mini microwaves. A modern microwave will have a more sleek outlook with single-touch buttons and viewing square-shaped screens. On the other hand, a retro microwave will have vintage features like dials, antennae, and viewing windows that are circular.
FAQs
There are a few things that should never be placed inside the microwave. Some of the most common ones are aluminum foil, paper bags, plastic bags and containers, travel mugs, hot peppers, hard-boiled eggs, styrofoam, lidless containers, or Chinese takeout boxes. You should only put microwave-safe containers and bowls in your microwave. Also, avoid fruits like grapes or deep containers containing liquid because they can create a mess inside your microwave.
The main factor behind the functioning of microwaves is microwave radiation. This radiation passes through the food and in the process, cooks it. Microwave ovens are generated using magnetrons. Once this device has heated up, it releases electrons. The microwaves then use these electrons effectively. These electrons then circle back into the filament, leading to the generation of microwaves.
Yes, microwaves are safe because although these are non-ionizing radiations, UV rays are the only non-ionizing radiation responsible for cancer. Therefore, microwave ovens are safe to use and microwaves, in general, won’t be the cause of any health ailments.
Now, that’s a subjective question. The location of your small microwave will depend on the availability of space in your kitchen. Nonetheless, here are some places where you can conveniently place your small microwave. You can place it on the top of an upper shelf, over the range, on a lower shelf, accommodated in using a trim kit, in combination with a wall oven, inside a cabinet, or inside a drawer.
You can clean your small microwave using several articles, including lemon, vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, or melamine foam sponges. The easiest option is to go for dish soap. Mix dish soap and warm water inside a bowl. The turntable and interior glass plate should be removed. Wash the glass plate manually using dish soap. Then make use of the soapy sponge for scrubbing the interior of your microwave. Keep rinsing and repeating the same process until your microwave is clean. You can use a scrubbing brush for a more stubborn stain.
A small microwave usually has a power of 600-800 watts. Therefore, it is a more energy-efficient option than a larger microwave that consumes 850-1650 watts.
Conclusion
Therefore, owning a mini microwave is an ideal investment if you’re on a budget and a space constraint. A small microwave is the best purchase for a small kitchen. This microwave has the potential to perform all the activities performed by a larger model. In addition, you can take it with you when you are traveling to another place given you have a power outlet at the destination. Or if you only need to heat your food inside the microwave, a mini microwave is the best fit for you. The factors mentioned above will help you analyze your requirements and narrow down your options from the wide variety of options available to you.
