Best Small Microwave for a Dorm

The Chefman Countertop Microwave Oven 0.7 Cu. Ft. is the one we would look at first if the household includes kids or a roommate who wanders in at night. The child lock sits in the door handle, so you pull up on the top edge to open it rather than working through a separate menu step, and a mute button silences the beeps. Six food presets, ten power levels and a +30 seconds key cover the usual reheating jobs, and the exterior wipes clean.

Owners report that it fits tight counters and small apartments well, and they rate its quality highly. Heating reports point both ways: owners report quick, even warming, while a common complaint is that cook times run long compared with other microwaves. Owners report units failing within a month or within a year, heating that can run far slower than rival units, stiff keypad buttons and a turntable wheel that slips off its track. Noise reports disagree too, with clicking sounds among the complaints.

It is also the heaviest of the seven by the listed specs, which matters if the microwave has to be carried up stairs each semester. That makes the lighter BLACK+DECKER Countertop Microwave Oven 0.7 Cu.Ft in black easier to move.

For a dorm desk or shelf, the BLACK+DECKER Countertop Microwave Oven 0.7 Cu.Ft in black is the pick we would make first. The feedback on it is the most consistently positive on the page: owners report that it heats quickly, cooks evenly, runs quietly and is simple to set. 700 watts, ten power levels, six presets and multi-stage cooking let you step from defrost to reheat without standing over it, and the fingerprint-resistant black finish keeps a shared room tidy.

At 19 pounds it is the lightest of the seven by the listed specs, which helps at move-in and move-out. The door lock is the one mixed point: owners report liking it as a safety feature, and a common complaint is that it is annoying to switch off. Owners report a buzzing hum, and a common complaint is that it is too small for a family's meals, which is the trade you accept at this size.

If style matters more than quiet operation, the Comfee' Retro Countertop Microwave Oven offers a more distinctive look at the same capacity.

The Comfee' Retro Countertop Microwave Oven is for the student who wants the appliance to match the room. It comes in green here, with a retro-inspired exterior and a bright LED display, and it adds a mute function that helps in shared spaces during early mornings or late nights. Eleven power levels, six presets, defrost by weight or time and two-stage cooking give it a slightly wider control set than some plain 700-watt units.

Owners say it works well, heats food effectively and suits apartments, dorms and offices, and the color options also get praise. No durability or door complaints appear in its feedback.

Compared with the Chefman Countertop Microwave Oven 0.7 Cu. Ft., it also offers mute, but its feedback does not raise the durability concerns attached to that model.

The Comfee' Countertop Microwave Oven 0.7 Cu.Ft is a plain black everyday microwave with a 10-inch glass turntable, an interior light, eleven power levels and one-touch express cooking from one to six minutes. Owners report that it heats food evenly, warms a cold coffee in under a minute and has kept working for up to a year, and they describe the retro-styled body as cute for a small counter.

The door is the sore spot. A common complaint is that the two-step child lock engages every time it is used, and the door can be difficult to keep closed. Noise gets mixed reports, from fairly quiet to a loud hum while it runs. Value for money also splits opinions.

If the door lock is the dealbreaker, the Comfee' Retro Countertop Microwave Oven shares the brand and the capacity but draws no door complaints in its feedback. This one earns its place with the turntable size and the heating reports.

The Farberware 0.7 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave Oven is the plain, no-frills approach to a dorm microwave: ten power levels, multi-stage cooking, six one-touch options, a clear LED display with timer and clock, and an interior light. Owners say it handles defrosting and reheating well, find it easy to use, and appreciate how little space it takes; it suits a college student with limited room.

Owners report durability problems, from a unit that died almost at once to others that failed within months, and the door is described as hard to open and shut, with an auto lock and unlock routine that irritates. Quality and power both draw mixed comments, and owners report rust inside the cavity.

Even the stainless-steel BLACK+DECKER, which has its own door gripes, draws fewer reliability reports, so we rank the Farberware lower.

This stainless-steel BLACK+DECKER offers 700 watts with ten power settings, a clock, a kitchen timer, express cooking, a child lock, an interior light and a removable 10-inch glass turntable. The stainless finish is the main reason to choose it over the black B+D, if the rest of your room runs silver.

Owners flag several problems here. A common complaint is the push-button door release, which needs a lot of force and sometimes fails to open the door. Reports on noise range from quiet to loud buzzing, and heating reports range from good to poor. Owners report the venting fan failing after a few months, leaving steam trapped inside. Value opinions also split.

Next to the Frigidaire Countertop Microwave Oven 0.7 Cu Ft, which is similar in size, this model's door button is the weaker point. The black version in the same line draws no such door complaint.

The Frigidaire Countertop Microwave Oven 0.7 Cu Ft has the smallest listed dimensions of the seven, which is its main argument for a crowded desk or shelf. It has a bright LED display, six one-touch menus, ten power levels, auto defrost that calculates time and power, and a removable glass turntable. Owners say it fits a dinner plate and sits well on a compact countertop, and some report that it heats food very well.

A common complaint is that the door sticks or does not release after heating, buttons need repeated presses and lack some minute shortcuts, and the unit skids across the counter. Owners also describe durability problems, with units giving out within a few months, and power draws mixed comments against higher-wattage models.

The Farberware 0.7 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave Oven draws its own door and durability complaints, so neither is a safe bet; we would put both behind the black BLACK+DECKER.