Microwaves

The GE JVM3160RFSS almost made the cut for the top three, but it is missing a few helpful features and is a bit pricey considering what it lacks. It has some useful features that a few more expensive ones do not, so that makes it stand out in good ways.

The Samsung ME16K3000AS lacks some features we looked for, but it stands out for having a better warranty than most. Samsung covers the magnetron for 10 years, which is 10 times what most in our comparison offer.

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 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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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

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.

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.