Angie Parkinson

The Black & Decker AirSwivel was so light and compact next to the other vacuums we tested, but it still packed a lot of cleaning power. It was also easier to maneuver due to its swiveling head.

The LG LMV1762ST is poised to take a lot of the guesswork out of the cooking process. The Auto Reheat feature helps you prepare foods without entering a cook time or power level. The unit will sense doneness on its own and make adjustments.

The Kenmore 80333 has all of the features we were looking for at a reasonable price. It is the best option for most people, with its large capacity, high wattage and collection of smart, time-saving features. You can input all of the time and power level settings yourself, but you don't have to.

Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it is no longer available.

The Whirlpool WMH31017HZ is the most expensive one in our comparison and it didn't have every feature we were looking for, but it still offers a decent value overall. It even stood out in some positive ways from the pack.

The Frigidaire LFMV1645TF has lots of wattage for speedy cooking, a quick-cook feature for one-button food preparation, and fingerprint-resistant coating, so it is easy to keep clean. This microwave is below average in a few areas, but it will still work just fine for most households.

The KitchenAid UMV1160CS offers some pretty impressive features, especially considering its low price. We found it for under $160 on some online retailer websites. It still has the same wattage as our favorites and allows for more customization than some of them.

The Farberware FMO07ABTBKA was not perfect in our tests, but it was quite good and the price is nice. We found it for less than $70 on some sites. At only 0.7 cubic feet, this tied for being the smallest microwave we tested.

For a small microwave, the GE JES1145SHSS packs a powerful performance. It's one of the best compact microwaves we tested, tying for the highest score on our tests. This one was good at basically everything. It cooks food completely and quickly.

The RCA RMW1414 compact microwave combines function and form in a shiny stainless steel package that tied for the best overall performance in our tests.

The stainless steel Panasonic NN-SD372 microwave oven is an attractive appliance that offers a unique look on your countertop.

The GE JES1072SHSS is exactly what most people would picture in a modern countertop microwave – compact, stylish and less than $100. It was only good, not great, in our testing.

The Hamilton Beach EM0331MZC-X2 is large and has more power than most in our lineup, which might make it more family-friendly. It also had a perfect popcorn score. Since popcorn is one of the most common uses for any microwave, that's kind of a big deal.

The Toshiba EM925A5A-BS was not perfect, but it strikes a good balance between features that matter and a reasonable price. And it was practically perfect on some tests.

The Sharp SMC0710BB/BW was a bit unpredictable, but it was generally good during our tests. All of the microwaves we tested cooked foods successfully, this one just didn't cook quite as nicely every time as some of the others. When we used the potato button the outcome was just ok.

The Faberware FMO07ABTBKA was not perfect in our tests, but it was quite good and the price is nice. We found it for less than $70 on some sites. At only 0.7 cubic feet, this tied for being the smallest microwave we tested.

The Samsung MG14H3020CM has a sleek, mirror-like appearance to give your kitchen a modern look, but more importantly, it has some great features like sensor cooking and a grill button.

Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it has been discontinued.

The LG WM3488HS washer dryer combo is a compact unit that uses LG’s 6Motion technology, which means the drum combines six different motions during a wash cycle.

The LG WM3997HWA washer dryer combo uses TurboWash technology with high-pressure nozzles. It may be the largest washer dryer we reviewed at 4.2 cubic feet, but its efficient use of space makes it one of the best options out there.

The Deco DC 4000 CV washer dryer combo offers both venting and condensing for the dryer cycle. This means you can vent air to a traditional outlet, which is generally associated with more efficient drying, or have moist air go through a condensing process with no need for venting of any kind.

The Haier HLC1700AXW is a compact washer dryer combo with 11 wash cycles and four dryer cycles and an average capacity.

The Midea US-FC70-DS12DSH washer dryer combo is an affordable, highly functional machine that is compact and easy to use, and it has a few extras like an automatic load sense. This washer dryer is also energy efficient and comes with a generous warranty.

The Summit SPWD2200W washer dryer combo has 2 cubic feet of washing and drying capacity and a big, easy-to-read digital display.

REVIEW Rug Doctor is known for its industrial strength machines, but this at-home Deep Carpet Cleaner has professional-quality results.