Kitchen & Dining · Small
Glass, silicone or plastic? See how size, venting, weight and cleanup separate seven splatter guards, and which suits your plates and bowls.
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A plastic-free glass lid that keeps the microwave clean and covers a standard plate.
Ideal for: Cooks who want a plastic-free glass cover for everyday plates and bowls and don't mind a little weight.
We'd start here for anyone who wants to move away from plastic in the microwave. The cover is borosilicate glass with a silicone handle, and it is oven safe up to 450 F, which gives it a second job beyond reheating. A pair of vent holes, one on the side and one on top, lets steam out without drying the food, and the clear glass lets you watch bacon or pasta as it heats.
Owners report that it keeps splatter off the walls, washes up easily in the dishwasher and covers a full-sized plate. A common complaint is the weight when lifting it out of a hot microwave, and the fit gets mixed reports: it sits well over standard plates and bowls, but some regular dinner plates are too wide for it. Owners also report that the screw holding the handle can break, so handle it gently.
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Tempered glass with a collapsible silicone body that also works as a pot lid.
Ideal for: Cooks who want one glass lid for plates, bowls and pans and have limited storage room.
Set beside the Le'raze Glass Microwave Splatter Cover 10in, this one trades a fixed dome for a collapsible silicone skirt, which lets it adjust to dishes of different heights and fold down for the cabinet. It carries two vents on top and fourteen along the sides, so steam escapes in several places and water is less likely to run back onto the food. The round silicone handle is designed to stay cool and is a friendly shape for people with mild arthritis.
Owners report that it blocks splatter, cleans easily and doubles as a lid for pots and pans. Opinions differ on durability: reports say it should last, while others describe it shattering unexpectedly or the top handle coming apart. A common complaint is that it feels heavy and bulky, and ease of use gets mixed reports, with reports of it being simple and of it being difficult.
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A glass cover bundled with a silicone mat and mini mitt for one-box setup.
Ideal for: Buyers who want a glass cover plus a trivet mat and mitt in one set for smaller plates and bowls.
Buyers who only want a lid can get one in the Le'raze Glass Microwave Splatter Cover 10in, but this model packs in a silicone mat and a mini oven mitt, so a hot dish has somewhere to land and a hand has something to hold it with. The cover is borosilicate glass with a silicone knob and ceramic screws, so nothing plastic touches the food, and it is dishwasher safe. Dual steam vents release excess steam to help prevent burns and promote even heating.
At 9.5 inches wide and 3.15 inches tall, it is designed for plates, bowls and containers from 6 to 10 inches, which makes it the narrowest cover on this page. It is also the heaviest at 3.2 pounds, so the lift from a hot microwave is the main thing to weigh before choosing it.
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A tempered glass and silicone lid that folds down between uses.
Ideal for: Cooks who want a lighter collapsible glass cover for large plates and are happy with top venting only.
Sibling to the Glou-Glou Goose Ggg Microwave Splatter Cover YBS-27-black, this model keeps the tempered glass and collapsible silicone design but uses two top vents only, without the extra side vents. It weighs 1.4 pounds, noticeably lighter than the CabyGift Glass Microwave Splatter Cover at 3.2 pounds, and the silicone handle is meant to stay cool so you can lift it without waiting.
Owners report that the cover is large enough for a big plate yet tall enough for most dishes, folds down for storage and can be set to different depths. They also like that it cleans up better than the microwave itself. Heat resistance gets mixed reports: the handle is said to stay cool, while others report that the handle gets hot and that the lid doesn't keep food warm. Opinions on value for money are also split.
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A silicone cover that pops up to three inches and flattens to under an inch.
Ideal for: Cooks with tight storage who want a light, dishwasher-safe cover that can also drain vegetables.
Weight is the clearest split from the glass lids: at 0.4 pounds, this Tovolo is far lighter than the Glou-Glou Goose Ggg Microwave Splatter Cover GGG-270-Black02 at 1.4 pounds. It is BPA-free silicone with a vented design, pops up to cover dishes as tall as three inches, and collapses to 0.75 inches for the drawer. It also turns into a colander for rinsing produce, thanks to its perforated holes.
Owners report that it keeps splatter in and the microwave clean. Fit gets mixed reports, with praise for dinner plates and small microwaves but a complaint that it is too small for very large plates. Quality opinions differ too: one theme is that it matches its description, while another is that the handle breaks off. The maker advises against opening it by the handle and suggests pushing up gently on the top.
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Two clear Nordic Ware lids made in the USA, easy to rinse and store.
Ideal for: Households that want a clear plastic cover pair for everyday plates and don't need extra tall clearance.
Put it next to the Tovolo Collapsible Microwave Splatter Cover 10.5 Inch and the shared ground is clear: both are light, at 0.3 and 0.4 pounds, and both go in the dishwasher. This one is rigid BPA and melamine free plastic that shows the food through the lid, vents steam to avoid build-up, and arrives as a pair so one can be washed while the other is in use. Nordic Ware states a 5 year warranty and the covers are made in the USA.
Owners report that it fits dinner plates securely, stays put with food on them and keeps grease off the walls. It is easy to handle and simpler than plastic wrap. Size gets mixed reports: it is praised for big plates, yet a complaint is that it is smaller than the pictures suggest, and it is only intended for the top rack of the dishwasher.
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A large, tall plastic dome that covers a loaded dinner plate or a deep bowl.
Ideal for: Anyone reheating tall, heaped or bowl-based meals who wants a large, light cover with big vents.
Height is the case for this one over the Nordic Ware Microwave Splatter Cover Set of 2: it stands about 4.5 inches tall and 11.5 inches wide, against 3.1 inches of height for the Nordic Ware, so it clears heaped plates and deeper containers without touching the food. It is a light 0.31 pounds, has large steam vents to keep moisture from condensing and a grip handle shaped for the hand. The maker says not to use it in grill or convection mode.
Owners report that it fits over regular dinner plates with plenty of food on them, fits inside the microwave and keeps the walls clean. They describe it as durable, easy to clean because there are no seams, and tall enough that it doesn't touch the food. That makes it a good fit for bowls, casseroles and anything that mounds up.
| Pick | Item dimensions | Item weight |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Best Overall Le'raze | 10 × 10 × 0.04 inches | — |
| #2 Most Versatile Glou-Glou Goose Ggg | 10.5 × 10.5 × 0.04 inches | — |
| #3 Best Set CabyGift | 11 × 4.33 × 0.1 inches | 3.2 pounds |
| #4 Simple Collapsible Glass Glou-Glou Goose Ggg | 10.5 × 10.5 × 0.04 inches | 1.4 pounds |
| #5 Best Lightweight Pop-Up Tovolo | 10.5 × 3.25 × 10.5 inches | 0.4 pounds |
| #6 Best Two-Pack Nordic Ware | 10.5 × 10.5 × 2.13 inches | 0.3 pounds |
| #7 Best for Tall Dishes Tusjiain | 11.02 × 11.02 × 4.72 inches | 0.31 pounds |
Measure the plates and bowls you reheat most before anything else, because a cover that sits on the food instead of over it defeats the purpose. Several covers here are sized for plates up to about 10 inches, so large dinner plates are where fit problems show up, and the Tusjiain Microwave Splatter Cover 11.5 Inch is the pick with room to spare.
Also check the microwave itself: the turntable needs clearance for the cover's full width and height.
Material decides weight, clarity and how the cover handles heat. Glass is the heaviest, stays clear and avoids plastic contact entirely, and the Le'raze Glass Microwave Splatter Cover 10in is the one that fits a plastic-free kitchen best. Silicone and plastic are light and easier on the wrist, as with the Tovolo Collapsible Microwave Splatter Cover 10.5 Inch.
Vents let steam escape so the food stays moist instead of soggy, and a taller dome lets you cover bowls, casseroles or heaped plates without touching the food. Look for large or multiple vents if you reheat sauces and soups. Keeping dishes hot before serving is a separate job, one the best plate warmer is built for; a cover only manages splatter and steam.
A collapsible cover can fold flat into a drawer, which matters in a small kitchen, and the Glou-Glou Goose Ggg Microwave Splatter Cover YBS-27-black is the glass option that does this. Dishwasher safety is common across the page, but check whether the maker limits it to the top rack, and wash glass gently so the handle screw stays intact.
Only where the maker says so. Of these picks, the Le'raze Glass Microwave Splatter Cover 10in is the one described as oven safe, up to 450 F. Check the product instructions before using any cover in an oven or in grill or convection mode.
Above it, with the rim on the plate or bowl and the vents clear so steam can escape. A cover that rests on the food traps condensation and can stick, so pick a width and height that clear it. The Tusjiain Microwave Splatter Cover 11.5 Inch gives the most clearance for tall or heaped dishes.
Some can. The Tovolo Collapsible Microwave Splatter Cover 10.5 Inch has a perforated top that works as a colander for rinsing produce, which is a handy second use if you are short on kitchen tools.
