How Many Watts for the Best Countertop Microwave?

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Microwave listings lead with wattage, and wattage is the number most buyers get wrong. Not because they misread it, but because manufacturers publish two different figures and rarely say which is which. A microwave advertised at 1,400 watts and a microwave advertised at 900 watts can be the same machine.

One is input power — what the appliance draws from the socket. The other is output power — what actually reaches your food. Only the second one heats anything, and it is typically 55 to 70 per cent of the first.

Of the ten models below, exactly one publishes both figures and labels them. Two publish conflicting numbers on the same listing page. We have flagged every one of those conflicts rather than quietly picking the flattering figure, because the whole question of how much wattage you need is unanswerable if the number in front of you is the wrong kind.

Our Quick Picks

At a Glance

Ten Countertop Microwaves Compared

Capacity, output power, turntable, controls and the one thing each model does better than the rest.

#	Model	Capacity	Power	Turntable	Controls	Standout	Main Drawback	Check Price
1	Sharp SMC1162KS	1.1 cu ft	1000 W	12.4 in carousel	10 levels, 2-stage	Largest turntable here	Stainless shows fingerprints	View on Amazon
2	Farberware 0.7 cu ft	0.7 cu ft	700 W	Standard	10 levels, multi-stage	Cheapest here by a clear margin	700 W is slow for cooking	View on Amazon
3	Toshiba 0.9 cu ft	0.9 cu ft	900 W output	10.6 in glass	11 levels, 6 presets	Publishes input and output watts	Black stainless is a fingerprint magnet	View on Amazon
4	GE GCST10A1WSS	1.0 cu ft	1050 W stated	Wire rack + crisper	Convection, air fry, broil	Four cooking modes in one box	Lowest rating here at 3.9	View on Amazon
5	COMFEE’ 0.7 ECO	0.7 cu ft	700 W	Standard	11 levels, express cook	Beeps can be muted entirely	700 W limits real cooking	View on Amazon
6	Commercial Chef 1.1	1.1 cu ft	1000 W	Standard	10 levels, 6 one-touch	1.1 cu ft and 1,000 W for under the Sharp	Widest unit here at 21 inches	View on Amazon
7	BLACK+DECKER 0.7	0.7 cu ft	700 W	Standard	10 levels, 6 presets	Shortest unit here at 9.5 inches	Plastic body, not stainless	View on Amazon
8	Frigidaire EMW733	0.7 cu ft	700 W	Standard	Digital, 6 auto settings	Large, legible display	Longest-running listing here	View on Amazon
9	GE GCST07N1WSS	0.7 cu ft	See note	Standard	One-touch + 4 settings	17.25 in wide, fits tight gaps	Listing states two different wattages	View on Amazon
10	COMFEE’ Retro	0.7 cu ft	700 W	Standard	11 levels, 6 presets	Retro styling in green	Very few ratings so far	View on Amazon

Specifications and star ratings are taken from each manufacturer’s Amazon listing as displayed on 20 August 2026 and may change. Where a listing states two different wattages — as GE’s GCST07N1WSS and GCST10A1WSS both do — we have reproduced both rather than choose between them. Ratings are shown without review counts because several listings did not display a count at the time of writing; a 5.0 rating on a new listing rests on far fewer ratings than a 4.3 on an established one.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column

How We Chose These Countertop Microwaves

We researched current listings, compared manufacturer specifications and documentation, and examined recurring patterns in customer feedback. We did not carry out hands-on testing, and nothing below is presented as measured performance data.

• Output wattage, stated or inferable — the figure that heats food, not the figure drawn from the wall
• Cavity capacity against footprint — how much counter each cubic foot costs you
• Turntable diameter where published — the specification that decides even heating on a dinner plate
• Power levels and multi-stage cooking — whether you can programme defrost-then-heat and walk away
• Named presets rather than a headline count — six presets you can list beats eight you cannot
• Internal consistency of the listing — we treated contradictory specifications as a mark against a model, not a detail to smooth over

The 10 Best Countertop Microwaves, Reviewed

700 Watts or 1,000 Watts?

This is the real decision, and it is not about speed alone. Output power changes what the appliance is for.

The honest summary: 700 watts reheats, 1,000 watts cooks. If the microwave exists to warm leftovers, coffee and the occasional ready meal, the entry tier is not a compromise and you should spend the difference on counter space instead. If you expect it to cook from raw or handle frozen meals at their stated times, 700 watts will disappoint you and no amount of preset menus will fix it.

0.7 Cubic Feet or 1.1?

Capacity and footprint move together, and on a small counter the footprint is the binding constraint.

Measure the gap before you choose the capacity, not after. The jump from 0.7 to 1.1 cubic feet costs roughly three and a half extra inches of width and two extra inches of depth — which is the difference between fitting under a wall cabinet and not. If a dinner plate has to rotate freely, 0.7 cubic feet is the wrong size and the turntable will stall against the cavity wall.

Best Alternatives

What Output Wattage Actually Buys You

700 watts — the entry standard. Six of the ten models here. Reheats a plate, warms a drink, defrosts adequately, softens butter. Cooking from raw is possible but slow enough that most people stop trying. Frozen ready meals routinely need longer than the packet states, because packet times assume around 1,000 watts.

900 watts — the middle. Only the Toshiba here. A real improvement on reheating evenness rather than just speed, and it comes without the counter-space penalty of the 1.1 cubic foot units. If you want one upgrade from the entry tier, this is the sensible one.

1,000 watts and above — the upper tier. Sharp, Commercial Chef, and GE’s multi-mode unit at a stated 1,050 W. Packet times become accurate. Cooking from raw is genuinely workable. You pay in width: every model in this tier needs at least 20.6 inches of counter.

The input-wattage trap. If a listing advertises 1,400 or 1,500 watts for a countertop microwave, that is almost certainly input power. Toshiba’s listing makes this explicit — 900 W output, 1,400 W input, on the same machine. When you see a suspiciously high number with no matching cavity size, assume it is input and look for the output figure before comparing it with anything.

How to Choose a Countertop Microwave

Measure the Gap First, Then Pick the Capacity

Width, depth and height, in that order, and add clearance. Microwaves vent from the back or the sides and need air around them; a unit shoved flush into an alcove will run hot and cycle its magnetron harder. The models here span 17.1 to 21 inches wide and 9.5 to 11.88 inches tall, which is a wide enough range that the gap really does decide the shortlist.

Find the Output Wattage, Not the Headline Number

Look for the words “output” or “cooking power”. If a listing gives only one figure and it is above about 1,200 watts for a countertop unit, it is input power. If the listing gives two figures and labels neither — as both GE models here do — assume the lower one is output and check the manual.

Check the Turntable Diameter If You Reheat Plates

This is the specification that most listings omit and that most determines even heating. A standard dinner plate is around 10.5 inches. Sharp publishes 12.4 inches and Toshiba 10.6; the rest do not publish it at all. If the turntable cannot rotate a plate freely, the plate stops turning and you get hot and cold zones no wattage can fix.

Count the Power Levels, and Look for Multi-Stage

Ten or eleven power levels is the useful standard; three or four is a cost cut that removes real control. Multi-stage cooking — programming defrost followed by reheat in one sequence — is the feature that most changes daily use, and it is present even on the cheapest model here.

Read the Presets by Name

“Six preset menus” tells you nothing. BLACK+DECKER names all six — popcorn, potato, pizza, frozen vegetables, beverages, dinner plate reheat — which lets you judge whether they match what you actually eat. A headline count without names usually means the presets are unremarkable.

Treat a Contradictory Listing as a Warning

Where a listing states two different wattages, or dimensions that disagree between the bullets and the specification table, that is a quality signal about the seller’s attention as much as a data problem. Both GE units here do it. It does not make them bad microwaves, but it does mean you should verify before you order rather than after.

Common Countertop Microwave Buying Mistakes

• Comparing input watts with output watts. The most common error by a distance. A 1,400 W listing and a 900 W listing can describe the same appliance.
• Buying capacity without measuring the counter. Going from 0.7 to 1.1 cubic feet costs about three and a half inches of width, which is often exactly the space that is not there.
• Ignoring turntable diameter. A plate that cannot rotate heats unevenly no matter how many watts are behind it.
• Trusting a 5.0 rating. A perfect score on a new listing reflects a handful of ratings. An established 4.3 is stronger evidence.
• Assuming presets are calibrated. Most popcorn buttons are a manufacturer’s estimate; only Sharp’s here is certified against an actual product.
• Pushing the unit flush to the wall. Microwaves need ventilation clearance; blocking it shortens the appliance’s life.
• Paying for convection you will not use. Multi-mode units cost more and rate lower here; buy one only if you genuinely want to stop owning a separate air fryer.

Which Size Should You Buy?

Buy 0.7 cubic feet and 700 watts if the microwave is for reheating leftovers, drinks and the occasional ready meal; the counter is tight; or it is a second unit for an office, garage or bedroom. Six of the ten models here fit this description and the cheapest is $55.99.

Buy 0.9 cubic feet and 900 watts if you want meaningfully better reheating without surrendering the counter. Only the Toshiba occupies this middle ground here, and it is the highest-rated model in the group.

Buy 1.1 cubic feet and 1,000 watts if you reheat full dinner plates, cook from frozen at the times printed on the packet, or feed more than two people. Budget 20.6 to 21 inches of counter width and check the turntable diameter before ordering.

Buy the multi-mode unit only if you specifically want to stop owning a separate air fryer. It is the most expensive model here and carries the lowest rating, and a microwave that also air fries is a compromise at both jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

Wattage is the right question, asked badly. The number on the front of the listing is only useful once you know whether it describes what reaches your food or what leaves the wall socket, and on a third of the models here the listing itself will not tell you plainly.

So work in this order. Measure the gap, including clearance. Decide whether you are reheating or cooking, because that sets 700 against 1,000 watts more reliably than any review can. Find the output figure and ignore the other one. Check the turntable against the plates you own. Then read the presets by name and the rating by how many ratings sit behind it.

Do that and the choice usually makes itself — and you will not pay for 1,500 watts that were never going to reach your dinner.