Seven Best Small Microwave Ovens Share 700 Watts and Little Else

1. TOSHIBA MM-EM07PA(BK) Countertop Microwave Oven, 0.7 Cu Ft, 700W, Black — Best Overall

The smallest box on the page, and one of only two 0.7 listings that tells you how big the turntable is.

Key Specifications

Why We Recommend It

This is the listing that answers the small-microwave questions most completely, on the smallest box here. Its first bullet does in one line what most of the page never does: “700W output power and 1020W input power, external dimensions (WDH): 17.1 x 12.2 x 9.5 inches, 9.6-inch glass turntable”. Outside size, tray size, cooking power and wall draw, all labelled. At 17.1 inches wide it is the narrowest oven on the page; at 12.2 deep, the shallowest; at 9.5 high, the lowest. Multiplied out, the box is about 1,982 cubic inches, the smallest here by a margin of about 177 cubic inches over the next, the Chefman.

The box is efficient as well as small. A 0.7 cubic foot cavity is about 1,210 cubic inches, so on the listed figures the cavity takes up roughly 61% of the outside volume. That is the highest share on the page; the Frigidaire retro model, with the same 0.7 cubic feet inside, manages about 42%. The calculation is rough, because no listing says whether its depth includes the handle, but the order is clear. If the gap you are filling is tight, this is the oven that gives up least to its casing.

The trade is the tray. A 9.6-inch turntable is the smallest stated on the page. The BLACK+DECKER EM720CB7 states 10 inches and the three 0.9s state 10.6. Many dinner plates are 10 to 11 inches across, so a full-size plate may sit beyond the edge of this tray. Whether it still turns freely depends on the interior width, which Toshiba, like every maker here, does not give. If you mostly heat bowls, mugs and side plates, 9.6 inches is ample. If you want to reheat a dinner plate, measure it first, and check the manual or ask the seller for the cavity width.

It labels its watts, which only three listings do. 700W is the cooking output; 1020W is what it draws from the wall. At 120V that is about 8.5 amps, the lowest stated draw on the page, which matters on a shared dorm or office circuit.

The controls are the fullest of the 0.7s. “11 Unique Power Levels”, one more than the Chefman, Farberware and BLACK+DECKER, plus six auto menus, One Touch Start, a child lock, ECO mode, a clock and a timer. Toshiba also claims its “ChefDefrost offers up to 40% faster defrosting compared to traditional methods”; the listing does not say what the traditional method is or how the figure was measured, so read it as marketing.

What to weigh. The listing does not give a weight or say how the door opens. Its rank, #2 in Compact Microwave Ovens and #547 overall, sits on a different ladder from the Chefman’s. Against the Chefman you get a smaller box, a known tray and a known wall draw.

Best for: A buyer with a tight gap who wants to know the box, the tray and the wall draw before ordering, and mostly heats bowls and mugs.

View on Amazon

2. Chefman Countertop Microwave Oven 0.7 Cu Ft, 700W, 10 Power Levels, Black (RJ55-7-V2) — Best Seller by Rank

The cheapest machine on the page and the #1 seller in its category at capture, with a mute button nobody else lists and no turntable size.

Key Specifications

Why We Recommend It

At capture this was the best-selling countertop microwave on Amazon, and the cheapest oven on this page. #1 in Countertop Microwave Ovens and #78 overall. Ranks move constantly, and a rank says what is being bought rather than how it performs, but a #1 at the bottom of the price range tells you this is the default choice for a great many small-kitchen buyers.

It is the only listing that offers silence. “Silence this counter top microwave with the Audio Button, turning off any annoying beeps if you’re trying to stay quiet or not wake up your kids.” For an office, a shared flat or a studio, that is a real feature, and no other listing here mentions one. It also has an Eco Mode, which the Toshiba 0.7 shares.

The door is described in detail, and the lock is built into it. “The built-in child safety lock on the handle ensures the door doesn’t open accidentally. Just pull upwards on the top edge of the handle to open the microwave.” So this is a handle door, and opening it is a two-part motion. If you prefer a single press, the two BLACK+DECKERs have push-button releases.

The box is small; the tray is unknown. 17.52 by 12.93 by 9.53 inches, the second-smallest box on the page at about 2,159 cubic inches, only 0.03 inches taller than the Toshiba 0.7. But the listing says only “the glass turntable is top-rack dishwasher safe”, with no diameter. Dishwasher-safe is a useful detail no one else gives; the size is the detail you need for a dinner plate. Ask the seller or check the manual before you buy if plates matter to you.

The controls are simple and the defrost is missing. Ten power levels, six presets (“popcorn, pizza, beverages, veggies, potatoes, or leftovers”), number keys that start that many minutes of cooking, and a +30 seconds button. The listing never mentions a defrost programme. You can defrost at a low power level by hand on any microwave with power levels, but the Toshiba, Farberware, GE, Sharp and Frigidaire listings all name a defrost mode, and this one does not. It does not give an input wattage either.

What to weigh. 23.81 pounds, cETL approved, a 1-year assurance from Chefman, sold by Amazon.com. Against the Toshiba 0.7 it is the cheaper oven, 0.42 inches wider and 0.73 inches deeper, with one fewer power level, a mute button, and no stated tray or wall draw. For bowls and drinks, the Chefman’s price and quiet mode win; for knowing what fits, the Toshiba.

Best for: A buyer who wants the default, cheapest small microwave with a quiet mode, and heats mostly in bowls and mugs.

View on Amazon

3. TOSHIBA ML-EM09PA(SS) Microwave Oven, 0.9 Cu Ft, 900W, Stainless Steel — Best Upgrade

The 0.9 cubic foot step up with every number labelled: 900W out, 1400W in, a 10.6-inch tray and 11 power levels.

Key Specifications

Why We Recommend It

If a 0.7 is too tight for your plates, this is the 0.9 that tells you most about itself. “Microwave output power 900 watts, input power 1400 watts. External dimensions 18.7*13.3*10.7 inches (WxDxH); includes 10.6-inch glass turntable.” Like its 0.7 sibling, it labels both watt figures and gives the tray. It ranked #2 in Countertop Microwave Ovens and #89 overall at capture, just behind the Chefman, and the two Toshiba listings between them are the only ones here that give every one of those four numbers.

What the step up buys, measured against the Toshiba 0.7. Two-tenths of a cubic foot more cavity, about 29% more. 200W more cooking power. A turntable one inch wider, 10.6 against 9.6. It needs 1.6 more inches of width, 1.1 more of depth and 1.2 more of height. In general, at full power, a 900W oven heats the same food in about seven-ninths of the time a 700W oven takes, so a three-minute reheat becomes roughly two minutes and twenty seconds. That is general arithmetic, not a test of this oven.

The door is the catch, and Toshiba says so first. The opening bullet reads “Two-Step Child Lock: This mandatory safety feature for microwaves helps prevent unintended use by younger family members, please open the machine according to the steps shown in the figure.” The listing does not describe the steps in words. A lock you cannot switch off is reassuring with toddlers in the house and an irritation without them. The GE, by contrast, says its child lock “can be disabled easily when not needed”. If two-step opening would annoy you, the BLACK+DECKER EM925AB9, a 0.9 with a push-button door, is the nearest alternative.

The rest is complete. “11 Unique Power Levels”, the joint most on the page, six preset menus, defrost “by weight or by time”, a clock, a kitchen timer and One Touch Start from 1 to 6 minutes. It weighs 24.9 pounds, the heaviest stated weight here.

What to weigh. It sits at the same price as the BLACK+DECKER 0.9. Against that oven, this one gives the input wattage, one more power level, a named defrost and a weight, and is 0.1 inches shallower; the BLACK+DECKER gives the simpler door. Sold by Amazon.com, with a 1 Year Limited Warranty.

Best for: A buyer who has outgrown a 0.7 tray and wants the 0.9 with the fullest listing, and does not mind a two-step door.

View on Amazon

4. BLACK+DECKER EM720CB7 Countertop Microwave Oven, 0.7 Cu Ft, 700W, Stainless Steel — Biggest Stated 0.7 Tray

The largest stated turntable on any 0.7 here, a push-button door and a labelled input figure.

Key Specifications

Why We Recommend It

If the tray matters most and the box must stay at 0.7, this is the one to look at. “removable 10” glass turntable” is the largest diameter stated by any 0.7 listing on the page, 0.4 inches more than the Toshiba’s 9.6. Five of the seven 0.7 listings do not state one at all, so as far as the printed evidence goes, this is the 0.7 most likely to turn a full-size plate. It also has a preset called “dinner plate”, which at least suggests the maker expects one to go in. Neither fact guarantees your plate fits, because the interior width is not given.

The door opens with a button. “Push-button door release for easy access”. Only the two BLACK+DECKERs state a push-button door. On a small oven tucked into a corner or a shelf, a button can be easier than a handle: you do not need room beside the door to grip it, and one hand is enough. The listing also states a child safety lock, so the button does not leave the oven open to small hands.

It is one of three listings that labels the wall draw. “Voltage : 110 Volts.Rated Input Power(Microwave):1050W”. That is 30W more than the Toshiba 0.7 draws for the same 700W of cooking; what matters is that the number is there.

The box is a little taller and deeper than the Toshiba. “Dimensions (W x D x H): 17.3” x 13” x 10.2””. Against the Toshiba 0.7 that is 0.2 inches wider, 0.8 deeper and 0.7 taller, about 2,294 cubic inches in all. Its spec table repeats the same sizes as 17.299999982354, 12.99999998674 and 10.199999989596 inches, which is a data-entry artefact rather than a precision claim; we use the bullet. At 20.2 pounds it has the lowest weight we were able to use on the page.

What to weigh. The controls are plain: ten power settings, six presets, 30 Seconds Express Cooking, an interior light and no named defrost programme. The spec table gives a release date of 10 December 2018, so this is a long-running design. It ranked #4 in Countertop Microwave Ovens and #367 overall. Against the Toshiba 0.7 and the Farberware you get the larger stated tray, the push-button door, the interior light and a labelled input. Sold by Amazon.com, UL approved, one year limited.

Best for: A buyer who must stay at 0.7 cubic feet but wants the best printed chance of turning a dinner plate, and prefers a button to a handle.

View on Amazon

5. Farberware 0.7 Cu Ft Countertop Microwave Oven, 700 Watts, Stainless (FMO07AHTBKJ) — Most Programmable 0.7

Multi-stage cooking and two defrost modes on a mid-priced 0.7, from a listing that calls a 0.7 “full-sized” and never sizes its tray.

Key Specifications

Why We Recommend It

This is the 0.7 for someone who cooks in stages. “This microwave has ten power levels with multi-stage cooking.” Multi-stage means you can programme, say, a defrost followed by a cook, and walk away. Among the 0.7s, only this listing states it; on the page, the Sharp 0.9 states 2-stage cooking too. Add “Defrost by weight or by time settings” and six one-touch options including “popcorn, potato, and pizza”, and it has the most complete cooking programme of any 0.7 here.

It ranked #3 in Countertop Microwave Ovens at capture, and #349 overall, just ahead of the BLACK+DECKER EM720CB7 at #4, a gap too small to mean much.

The listing oversells the size and undersells the tray. “Measuring 0.7 cu ft, this microwave is the ideal small-space solution that offers full-sized cooking in a compact space.” There is no such thing as full-sized cooking in 0.7 cubic feet; it is the smallest capacity on the page. What the listing does not say is the one thing that would test the claim: the turntable diameter. Without it, you cannot tell whether a full-sized plate will turn.

The box sits mid-pack. 17.3 inches wide, 12.99 deep and 10.14 high, about 2,279 cubic inches, very close to the BLACK+DECKER 0.7. These figures come from the spec table; the bullets give none. At 22.5 pounds it is middling too. The listing describes “Easy-to-view interior lighting”, a “clear LED display” with clock and kitchen timer, and a child safety lock. It does not say whether the door has a handle or a button.

One wording slip. The first bullet says “It packs 700 of output power”, with the unit missing; the title confirms 700 watts. No input figure is given, and the model field reads simply “Farberware”, so quote the part number, FMO07AHTBKJ, for support.

What to weigh. It is priced above the Toshiba 0.7 and below the BLACK+DECKER. Against the Toshiba you gain multi-stage cooking and an interior light and lose the stated tray, the stated input and one power level. Sold by Amazon.com, with a 1-year limited warranty.

Best for: A buyer who wants to programme a defrost and a cook in one go on a 0.7, and will check plate fit in the manual.

View on Amazon

6. GE Countertop Microwave Oven, 700 Watt, 0.7 Cu Ft, White (GCST07N1WWW) — Clearance Stated

The only listing on the page that says how much space to leave around it, which makes this 17.31-inch oven a 23.31-inch job.

Key Specifications

Why We Recommend It

This is the only listing on the page that tells you how much room the oven really needs. “Our GE microwave is designed for countertop use. Allow 3 inches of clearance on each side and above, 1 inch at the rear, and keep the bottom fully unobstructed for proper airflow and best performance.” Every microwave needs ventilation; the other nine listings leave you to find out how much in the manual. Applied to the GE’s own outside size of 17.31 by 12.74 by 10.1 inches, those figures turn it into a space about 23.31 inches wide, 13.74 deep and 13.1 high.

That changes how small a small microwave is. Six inches of side clearance is more than the whole width difference between the narrowest and widest ovens on the page, which is 1.8 inches. If you are measuring a cupboard or a gap between a kettle and a wall, the clearance matters more than which 0.7 you choose. We cannot apply GE’s figures to the other nine, because they do not state theirs, but the GE listing is a fair reminder to look for them.

The controls are lightly described. One-touch express cooking and “4 convenience cook settings”, the fewest named programmes on the page, with no list of what they are. “Manual and auto defrost modes adjust time and power levels”, but the listing never says how many power levels there are. The child lock “can be disabled easily when not needed”, which is the opposite of the Toshiba 0.9’s mandatory two-step lock, and the better arrangement for an adult household or an office.

It is the second-dearest oven here. It gives 0.7 cubic feet and 700W, while the Toshiba 0.9, the BLACK+DECKER 0.9 and the Sharp 0.9 each give 900W and a 10.6-inch tray for less. The warranty is worded “1-Year Replacement”, which reads as a swap rather than a repair; confirm the terms. Stock was listed as scarce at capture.

What to weigh. It ranked #23 in Countertop Microwave Ovens and #8,963 overall. It is the only white oven here, and its turntable size is not stated. The clearance advice, meanwhile, is free to apply to any oven on this page.

Best for: A buyer who wants a white GE 0.7 and values a listing that spells out ventilation, and is happy to pay a 0.9 price for it.

View on Amazon

7. Nostalgia Retro Compact Countertop Microwave Oven, 0.7 Cu Ft, 700W, Yellow (NRMO7YW6A) — Retro Statement

The dearest oven on the page, and the one that charges for its looks: the same capacity and wattage as the Toshiba 0.7.

Key Specifications

Why We Recommend It

This is the most expensive oven on the page, and the extra is the styling. It is a 0.7 cubic foot, 700W microwave, like the Toshiba 0.7 and the other retro model here, the Frigidaire. It also costs more than all three 0.9s. What the listing offers in return is set out plainly: “A sleek chrome door handle, control panel and accents add fun and flair to this unique retro-styled appliance”, in yellow. If that is what you want on your worktop, nothing else here does it the same way.

It sells, despite the price. #5 in Countertop Microwave Ovens and #631 overall at capture, ahead of every 0.9 except the Toshiba. Stock was listed as scarce, and the rank may be shared with other colour variants.

The box is compact, and the inside is not described. 17.5 by 12.5 by 10.0 inches, about 2,188 cubic inches, among the smaller boxes on the page and noticeably smaller than the Frigidaire retro. The listing mentions a “Rotating glass carousel” but gives no diameter, no power level count and no weight. For the dearest oven on the page, that is a lot left to the manual.

It has the most named programmes here. “12 pre-programmed cooking settings, delay timer and express cooking”, for “popcorn, pizza, potatoes, veggies and more”. Twelve is double what most of the page offers. A delay timer, which lets you set the oven to start later, is unusual on a small microwave; only this listing mentions one. No defrost programme is named among the twelve, though the listing does not list all of them.

What to weigh. You are paying extra for chrome and colour. The Frigidaire retro gives a retro look but in a far larger box with only five power levels. The Toshiba 0.7 gives a smaller box, a stated tray and 11 power levels with no styling at all. Sold by Amazon.com, with a 1-year limited warranty.

Best for: A buyer who wants a small microwave that looks like a feature, and accepts paying extra for the styling.

View on Amazon

8. Sharp SMC0962KS 0.9 Cu Ft 900W Stainless Steel Countertop Microwave Oven — Smallest 0.9 Box

The most compact of the three 0.9s and the only one with 2-stage cooking.

Key Specifications

Why We Recommend It

Of the three 0.9s, this one takes the least room. 18.6 inches wide, 13.2 deep and 10.7 high: 0.1 inches narrower than the Toshiba and BLACK+DECKER 0.9s, and 0.1 and 0.2 inches shallower. Those are fractions, but they add up to a box of about 2,627 cubic inches, the smallest 0.9 here. On the listed figures its cavity fills roughly 59% of the box, second only to the Toshiba 0.7 on the whole page. It is also smaller outside than the Frigidaire 0.7 retro, which holds two-tenths of a cubic foot less.

The tray matches the other 0.9s. “10.6” Carousel turntable for even cooking”, the same as the Toshiba and BLACK+DECKER 0.9s, and an inch more than the Toshiba 0.7. If your dinner plates are around 10 or 11 inches, the 0.9s are where the stated trays start to match them.

It is the only 0.9 with stage cooking. “10 Power Levels with 2-stage cooking”, so you can set a defrost and a cook in one sequence. Add “Weight and Time Defrost for quick and accurate thawing”, Auto Cook, a “+30 seconds” key and “Express Cook” with a single press up to 6 minutes. The listing also flags a “New! Cooking platform”, which it does not explain, and LED interior lighting.

It calls itself full-sized. “Full-sized 0.9 cu. ft. capacity”, while the Toshiba 0.9 calls the same capacity “compact”. 0.9 cubic feet is the top of the small range, not full size.

What to weigh. It is the dearest of the three 0.9s, above the Toshiba and BLACK+DECKER. For that you get the smallest 0.9 box, 2-stage cooking and LED interior lighting; you lose the Toshiba’s stated input wattage and its 11th power level. The listing gives no weight, no input and no door type. It ranked #29 in Countertop Microwave Ovens and #18,851 overall, the lowest rank on the page, so far fewer buyers are choosing it than its spec sheet might suggest. Sold by Amazon.com, with a 1 year limited warranty.

Best for: A buyer who wants 0.9 cubic feet and a 10.6-inch tray in the smallest box available here, with stage cooking.

View on Amazon

9. BLACK+DECKER EM925AB9 Countertop Microwave Oven, 0.9 Cu Ft, 900W, Stainless Steel — Push-Button 0.9

The 0.9 for people who hate handles: a push-button door, a 10.6-inch tray and 900W, like the Toshiba.

Key Specifications

Why We Recommend It

This is the BLACK+DECKER 0.7 scaled up, door button and all. The bullets are close to word for word: the same six presets, ending in “dinner plate”; the same “Push-button door release for easy access”; the same LED display, child safety lock, interior light, clock and kitchen timer. What changes is the size: 0.9 cubic feet, 900W and a “removable 10.6” glass turntable”. It is the only 0.9 here that states a push-button door.

Against the Toshiba 0.9, the door is the difference. Both are 18.7 inches wide and 10.7 high, with 10.6-inch trays and 900W. This one is 0.1 inches deeper, at 13.4. The Toshiba states 1400W input, 11 power levels, defrost by weight or time and a weight of 24.9 pounds, and has a mandatory two-step child lock. This one states 10 power settings, no defrost programme, no input and no weight, and opens with a button. If you have used a two-step lock and disliked it, this is the 0.9 to buy.

Its finish is described honestly. “Color of door frame is stainless steel, enclosure is black”. The title says stainless steel; the bullet makes clear that only the door frame is. If you want a stainless cabinet, read that line before ordering.

The 0.7 sibling states its input, 1050W; this listing gives none for its 900W. The Toshiba 0.9 states 1400W; the rating plate or manual will give this one’s figure.

What to weigh. It is listed below its original list price, and it steps up from its 0.7 sibling with 0.2 cubic feet, 200W and 0.6 inches of turntable. It ranked #10 in Countertop Microwave Ovens and #1,894 overall, well behind the Toshiba 0.9’s #2. Sold by Amazon.com, with a 1 year manufacturer warranty.

Best for: A buyer who wants a 0.9 with a dinner-plate-sized tray and a one-press door, and does not need the input figure.

View on Amazon

10. Frigidaire 0.7 Cu Ft Retro Countertop Microwave Oven, 700W, Azure-Argent (EMW788) — Retro on a Budget

A retro look in the largest box on the page: wider and taller than every 0.9, around a 0.7 cubic foot cavity.

Key Specifications

Why We Recommend It

This is the cheapest way to a retro small microwave, and it costs you counter space instead of money. It is the lower-priced of the two retro models here, and only slightly dearer than the plain Toshiba 0.7. The listing describes a “retro-inspired design” that “adds classic character”, in a colour it calls Azure-Argent. For a buyer who wants the look on a budget, nothing else here comes close on price.

It is the largest box on the page. 18.9 inches wide, 13.27 deep and 11.52 high. That is 0.2 inches wider than the widest 0.9 and 0.82 inches taller than all three. Multiplied out it is about 2,889 cubic inches, against 2,681 for the biggest 0.9 and 1,982 for the Toshiba 0.7. On the listed figures the 0.7 cubic foot cavity fills roughly 42% of the box, the lowest share here by a wide margin; most ovens on the page are between 53% and 61%. It takes about 46% more box than the Toshiba 0.7 to hold the same cavity.

It has the fewest power levels here. “5 selectable power levels”, against 10 or 11 on most of the page. For reheating and drinks that makes little difference. For softening butter or gentle defrosting by hand it gives you coarser steps. The listing does offer “Eight pre-programmed cooking menus” and an auto defrost that “automatically calculates the appropriate defrosting time and power level”, which covers the most common low-power job without you choosing a level.

Two details in the spec table need care. The manufacturer field reads “CURTIS INTERNATIONAL LTD”; the Frigidaire name is licensed, which is common in small appliances and says nothing on its own about quality. And the weight field gives a figure well below every other stated weight on the page, for the largest box here. We think it is unlikely to be right and have left it out; check the box label or ask the seller if weight matters for your shelf.

What to weigh. The turntable size is not stated, and neither is a child lock, a door type or an input figure. Ranked #3 in Compact Microwave Ovens and #3,059 overall. If you have the width and height to spare and want the look on a budget, it is the obvious choice; if every inch counts, the Nostalgia is the smaller retro box.

Best for: A buyer who wants a budget retro small microwave and has more width and height to spare than most.

View on Amazon