Best 900 Watt Microwave

This is the model for a cook who wants a recognizable brand and a plain keypad. Six buttons cover popcorn, potatoes, pizza, frozen vegetables, a drink and a dinner plate, and the 900 watts come with 10 power levels, a 30-second express button, a clock and a kitchen timer. The large LED display is easy to read from across the room, the 10.6-inch glass turntable lifts out for washing, and a push button releases the door.

The reviews raise real questions about that door, though. Owners report that the child lock can leave the door shut after a cycle until the right button is pressed, and a failed release is among the complaints. Others describe a loud motor, a door that sags a little, an end chime that is quiet and cannot be turned up, and a unit that stopped working within a few months. Trouble getting a warranty claim sorted also comes up. On the positive side, owners say it reheats well for daily use and is not hard to mount. We'd weigh the lock behavior carefully, especially if guests or kids will be using it.

This Toshiba is the compact all-rounder of the group. It puts out 900 watts and offers 11 power levels, six preset menus, defrost by weight or by time, and a one-touch start that runs from one to six minutes. A two-step child lock is built in, and the mute function turns every beep off, which owners with sleeping kids or open-plan kitchens single out as the feature they use most.

Set beside the BLACK+DECKER Countertop Microwave Oven 0.9 Cu.Ft, it adds one more power level and a mute option while weighing less, though the two share almost the same footprint. Owners report quiet running, even reheating of plates and liquids, and a turntable that takes a full dinner plate without crowding the counter. The complaints are about handling. The controls ask for the Time Cook setting when you want exact seconds, the instructions are thin, and the door can feel slightly loose and rattle when the handle is pressed. A brief hum at startup also gets mentioned. None of that outweighs the everyday strengths for most households, but plan a short learning curve.

On paper, the only difference from the Toshiba Microwave Oven 0.9 Cu.Ft is the finish: this one is plain stainless steel, while the other is black stainless, and the size, weight and warranty match. Owners report a microwave that looks small from the outside but holds a large plate and cooks anything a bigger unit would, with even heating and quiet running. The mute function and preset options come up often as welcome extras, and buyers like the bold, bright button labels that stay readable in a dim kitchen.

The child lock is a recurring talking point, and the reports here are reassuring: it is simple enough to need no extra thought, and the trigger-style handle gets praise. The main caution is power. At 900 watts it is weaker than larger microwaves, so owners advise adding time for uncooked or dense foods, and meats in particular need enough time to reach a safe temperature. Anyone moving down from a bigger unit should expect a short period of trial and error.

Memory and eco settings set this Chefman apart from the BLACK+DECKER Countertop Microwave Oven 0.9 Cu.Ft and the rest of the lineup. The memory function stores frequently used settings for one-touch starts, and Eco mode switches off the display when the microwave is idle to save power. The 900 watts come with 10 power levels, six presets for popcorn, pizza, beverages, vegetables, potatoes and leftovers, a +30 seconds button and number keys that set minutes directly.

A mute button silences the beeps, a lock on the handle keeps the door from opening by accident, and a control lock disables the panel entirely. Cleanup is easier than usual too: the black exterior wipes down with a damp towel and the glass turntable can go in the top rack of the dishwasher. The cabinet is a touch taller and heavier than the others at roughly 11.5 inches high, so measure the cabinet or shelf space before you commit. It carries a cETL approval and a one-year assurance from the maker.

Sharp keeps this one lean and compact: a 0.9 cubic foot capacity, a stainless steel finish and a one-year limited warranty, in a cabinet measuring 13.2 × 18.6 × 10.7 inches. That is the tightest in every direction among these five, which makes it the pick for a shelf or cart where the others barely fit.

Beside the Chefman Countertop Microwave Oven 0.9 Cu. Ft., which stands taller and runs deeper, it gives back a little vertical room, and it is also a bit narrower than the BLACK+DECKER Countertop Microwave Oven 0.9 Cu.Ft. We have little detail on its controls, so check the control layout, presets and child lock before you buy, especially if those matter to you.