Which Microwave Oven Brand is the Best?
More than likely you moved into your home and a microwave oven was already there, ready for you to use at your convenience. We rarely think twice about these powerful little appliances that allow us to nuke a hot pocket, reheat last night's takeout, and quickly appease a child's demands for chicken nuggets. If yours suddenly breaks and you find yourself in the market for a replacement, you'll quickly realize just how much you depended on your microwave. Can you even live without one?
You may not have paid much attention to it before, but there are actually quite a few different designs for microwaves. Do you want stainless steel? Black? White? Red? Most people choose to match the color and design of their microwave to their oven and refrigerator, but you could always switch things up for a more modern style you like better.
Saturday, December 14th
2024 Microwave Oven Reviews
GE
GE is easily the best place to look for a microwave oven since they have over 140 practical choices in different colors and features to cater to every type of cook. Whether you want a simple microwave to reheat your food or the ability to air fry or even bake, GE has you covered. You can buy their products online through their website or compare prices and get information about local stores that carry their products. Their products come with a 7-day return policy for a full refund without restocking fees. Best of all, GE has unfiltered customer reviews on their website that feature photos from other customers with thousands of helpful details and ratings to help you decide which microwave will serve you best. The Better Business Bureau gives GE an "A+” rating, and they've earned our #1 spot among microwave brands.
Whirlpool
What would we do without the company who invented the first automatic washing machines? Whirlpool has held strong with their brand reputation and innovations over the years. They have a selection of 25 microwave ovens that range from $99 to $944 and come with a range of features like air frying and convection baking. We like that Whirlpool's website gives customers bite-size information to help them quickly find their best options. The company has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau and transparent reviews from other buyers, so we're confident in the selection. Whirlpool is a terrific choice for microwave ovens.
KitchenAid
KitchenAid is home to many types of kitchen appliances, and they have 65 microwave ovens included in their inventory. These have basic microwave capabilities as well as air frying or convection if you prefer it. If you create an account with KitchenAid, you'll not only get free delivery, but also free install and haul-away perks. They have a price-match guarantee you can take advantage of and a generous 60-day return policy, which is a rare find. We like that they have unfiltered reviews on their products and we would heavily rely on these when deciding if you should make a purchase here. Overall KitchenAid is a smart choice and they have a great selection of microwave ovens.
Samsung
Samsung offers fast, free shipping and a website that makes it easy to compare their products. Samsung is upfront with the important details about their microwave ovens and their prices are competitive. You can return your microwave for a full refund within 30 days of delivery if you change your mind about it and their selection has mostly high ratings. The biggest downside to shopping here is that there are only 10 choices. Aside from this, Samsung is a good route to go for microwave ovens if they happen to have what you're looking for.
LG
LG has their name on a lot of different types of products. They're a reputable company that's known for making high-end, sleek, modern appliances and entertainment units. However, their microwave ovens are sparse, with only 13 in-stock choices. None of the models are crazy expensive and most of them look like any other generic microwave you'd see in someone's home. They have a 1-year warranty and a free 14-day return policy. There aren't as many customer reviews on their microwaves as we've seen from competitors, but they are unfiltered and honest, so it's a useful way to gauge whether or not a product is worth your money. LG has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau and they're a reputable company, so they've earned a decent rating from us.
Frigidaire
Frigidaire is a well-known brand, mostly recognized for their inventory of refrigerators. On their website they have a selection of 14 microwave ovens you can browse, both for over-the-range and built-in configurations. Their pricing is competitive and you can purchase straight from their website and get free shipping if you spend at least $399. If you have a Frigidaire microwave that you'd like to change the look of, we like that the website has a list of trim kits to let you switch up your color. Frigidaire has thousands of customer reviews on their microwaves, which are helpful. They also have an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, so this isn't a bad brand to buy a microwave oven from.
Sharp
Sharp became popular for their consumer electronics, but we were impressed to see that their selection of microwave ovens is pretty comprehensive. There are 62 models you can choose from, ranging from just $84.99 to $2,199. They have microwaves with all types of features for every type of household cook. Some models come with free shipping and all of them have a 1-year warranty. Where Sharp falls short is their lack of unfiltered customer reviews, which is where they differ from most other microwave oven retailers. We're happy to see that they have an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, but we wish we could see honest customer feedback too.
Maytag
Long gone are the catchy commercials and jingles about the Maytag man, but the company remains a reputable brand that fills many household needs. Maytag's appliances are known for being long-lasting, durable, and simple. We would like to have seen more than 6 microwave ovens featured on their website since they have mostly good ratings from customers. Maytag has a price-match guarantee and lets customers return appliances within 14 days of purchase if they need to. Maytag has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau and hundreds of unfiltered customer reviews, so we trust the company and their products, but wish they had more microwaves for us to choose from.
Panasonic
Panasonic made its mark in the home electronics industry and has its reach in many other industries as well. They have 13 in-stock microwaves on their website, some as low as just $99. We were disappointed by the lack of information on their product listings and had to dig to find warranty information and other details. They don't list their shipping costs or speeds either. Panasonic has a "C” rating from the Better Business Bureau and their customer reviews are few and far between on microwave ovens. We're not convinced this is a great place to go for a microwave replacement, so they've earned one of our lower ratings.
Bosch
Bosch is a household name that has been around for decades, so we expected to see a bigger selection of microwave ovens on their website. All of what they have displayed are stainless steel and will need to be purchased through third-party sites. They do a decent job of explaining the differences among the four types of microwaves they sell and their product listings are comprehensive enough. Unfortunately, their customer reviews aren't anything to be proud of - we are concerned about their low Better Business Bureau rating and the number of people who say Bosch doesn't honor their warranties.
Thermador
Thermador initially seems to be a high-end retailer for microwave ovens and other kitchen appliances. Although this is the identity they're tied to, they don't have any microwave ovens for sale through their website and only 5 in total for us to discover at all. You'll spend over $1,000 at the very least for a microwave oven that doesn't seem much different than ones we've found elsewhere for under half the price. Thermador does not have any customer ratings on their website and their Better Business Bureau rating is poor, so there's no sense in wasting your time here.
Toshiba
Toshiba has a lot of reasons to be proud of their history and brag about their accomplishments in the world of technology. Unfortunately, microwave ovens are not their strong point and we're really disappointed with what we found here. Their models are all very similar in looks and basic functionality. You won't find anything fancy here, but we can't say that you'll get a good deal since they don't list any of their pricing. All microwave sales need to be done through a third-party and we also found nothing about warranties or customer ratings here either. We felt like we hit a dead end when trying to explore this brand's microwave ovens, so they earned our lowest rating.
Continued from above...
Many homes have a place built into the wall specifically for a microwave so that they don't stand out or take up counter space like they used to. Still, microwaves differ a bit in which features they come with and their size. Most over-the-range ovens are around 30”, open from the side, and have basic heating functionality.
More advanced microwaves act more like an oven with pull-down doors and convection technology that allow you to make things like cookies or rolls within minutes. Some even let you air fry, allowing you to have lots of important cooking functions without needing multiple appliances to get the job done.
Most microwave oven brands all get their microwaves from the same manufacturer, so rather than focusing or worrying too much about which brand provides the best quality, you'll want to pay attention to the designs offered, selection, prices (and how often they run sales), warranty, policies, and feedback about customer service. More specifically, here are some things we recommend paying close attention to when you're browsing all the different companies you might choose to buy your microwave oven from:
- Selection. Does the company have all types of microwaves for you to choose from? Are there a range of styles, colors, sizes, and features for you to browse? Find a website that allows you to easily narrow down the inventory by your preferred criteria so you know how many options you have to work with. You should easily be able to measure your space and know what type and size of microwave will fit in your home or office.
- Features. Are you someone who just needs to be able to melt butter or reheat food for a minute or two? If so, you probably don't need anything fancy. However, you may be surprised to find that there are more ways to take advantage of your microwave than you're using. Some models have voice control, air frying capabilities, convection baking, and more. In case these would be of use to you, be sure to carefully read through the product description to see what each microwave oven is capable of.
- Reputation. It's one thing to find a microwave oven that looks and functions exactly the way you want it to, but it's another to be able to deal with a company that meets your every need. What do other customers have to say about the reliability of the company's shipping speeds? How about how quickly they respond to customer queries? What rating do they receive from the Better Business Bureau? If you have issues at any time during the buying process, it's imperative that you are working with a company who will quickly resolve them.
The experts at Top Consumer Reviews have researched the most important things you'd need to know about choosing a microwave oven. We hope this helps you find a microwave that makes cooking food a breeze and lasts for years to come.
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