The Best Microwave For Small Spaces In 2024

When it comes to buying a microwave for a small kitchen space, there are a few important things you need to think about.

• Size & Capacity: There’s no point buying a small microwave that isn’t up to the job you have in mind! Measure the space you have carefully, then look for microwaves that will actually deliver the cooking capacity you need for your own household.
• Power Rating: Just because we’re looking at small microwaves, that doesn’t mean we have to compromise on power. Even a small microwave should offer 700 watts of power at a minimum, and more is always better for efficient cooking.
• Turntable: It is possible to buy microwaves without a turntable, and this will reduce the footprint of the appliance. You will limit your options if you go down this route, however.
• Style & Design: If in doubt, go for a stainless steel small microwave. Many small microwaves have a retro design, but this may not suit the aesthetics of your own kitchen.
• Ventilation: Wherever you plan to put your microwave, make sure it has adequate clearance around the vents. 

I’ve researched dozens of compact microwaves for this article, and I’ve picked out a selection of winners that should suit every circumstance:

• BEST OVERALL: Black & Decker EM720CB7 Microwave Oven
• BEST FOR SIMPLICITY: Comfee EM720CPL Microwave Oven
• BEST DIAL CONTROLS: Commercial Chef Rotary Microwave Oven
• BEST FEATURES: Panasonic NN-SD3725 Microwave

(Heads up! If you click on a product link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. I never recommend a product I wouldn’t use in my own kitchen, and this helps keep the site running. Thank you.)

In the rest of this buying guide I’m going to take a closer look at all four of these microwaves, and then wrap things up with a more detailed buying guide.

---

Black & Decker EM720CB7 – Best Overall

Compact Design and Small Footprint

The Black & Decker EM720CB7 Microwave Oven is specifically designed for small spaces. Its compact size allows it to fit seamlessly on limited countertop space, making it an excellent choice for small kitchens or apartments with limited room.

Space-Saving Efficiency

In a small kitchen, every inch of space matters. The compact design of the EM720CB7 ensures that it doesn’t occupy excessive room, leaving you with more usable countertop space for other cooking tasks and food preparation.

0.7 Cubic Feet Capacity

While being compact, the microwave still offers a decent 0.7 cubic feet capacity, which is adequate for most common cooking needs. It can accommodate standard-sized dinner plates, bowls, and mugs, making it versatile for heating and defrosting various food items.

Digital Control Panel

The digital control panel of the EM720CB7 makes it easy to set precise cooking times and power levels. The user-friendly interface allows for quick and accurate adjustments, ensuring your food is heated or cooked to perfection without any guesswork.

Multiple Power Levels

With multiple power levels, you can tailor the microwave’s cooking intensity according to the specific food item you’re preparing. This flexibility helps prevent overcooking or undercooking, ensuring your meals are delicious and evenly heated.

Quick-Start Buttons

The EM720CB7 comes with quick-start buttons for popular food items like popcorn, pizza, potatoes, and more. These pre-programmed settings allow you to quickly and effortlessly cook common dishes without having to manually set the time and power.

Time and Weight Defrost

Defrosting food is a common microwave task, and this model offers time and weight defrost options. These features ensure that you can safely and efficiently defrost frozen items, making it convenient for meal planning and preparation.

Child Safety Lock

In households with children, safety is a top priority. The EM720CB7 is equipped with a child safety lock feature, preventing accidental usage or tampering with the microwave settings, adding an extra layer of protection.

LED Display with Clock

The built-in LED display with a clock function not only allows you to keep track of cooking times but also serves as an additional clock in your kitchen. It helps you stay organized and on schedule while also being a practical kitchen accessory.

Easy to Clean Interior

The microwave features an easy-to-clean interior, which is particularly beneficial in a small kitchen where maintaining cleanliness and tidiness is essential. Spills and splatters can be easily wiped off, keeping your microwave looking fresh and hygienic.

---

Comfee EM720CPL – Best for Simplicity

Compact Size for Small Kitchens

The Comfee EM720CPL Microwave Oven is designed to fit well in small kitchen spaces. Its compact size and sleek design ensure it won’t take up much countertop space, making it an ideal choice for apartments, dorm rooms, or any kitchen with limited room.

0.7 Cubic Feet Capacity

Despite its small footprint, this microwave offers a respectable 0.7 cubic feet capacity. This size is sufficient for most everyday cooking tasks, allowing you to heat or cook various dishes without overwhelming your small kitchen.

One-Touch Cooking Programs

The EM720CPL comes with one-touch cooking programs for popular food items like popcorn, pizza, beverages, and more. These pre-set settings simplify the cooking process, making it easy to prepare common meals without the need to manually set cooking times and power levels.

Digital Control Panel with Clock

The digital control panel allows for precise cooking time adjustments and offers a clock feature. The clock serves as a convenient timekeeping accessory in your kitchen, helping you stay organized during meal preparation and other kitchen activities.

Multiple Power Levels

This microwave oven offers multiple power levels, allowing you to adjust the cooking intensity to suit different types of food. This flexibility helps prevent overcooking and ensures your meals are heated or cooked just the way you like them.

Express Cooking

The express cooking feature enables you to quickly start the microwave with a single touch. This function is ideal for reheating leftovers, beverages, or snacks when you’re in a hurry, saving you time and effort in a busy small kitchen.

Energy Saving Mode

For those conscious of energy consumption, the EM720CPL comes with an energy-saving mode. This feature allows you to conserve power when the microwave is not in use, making it a practical choice for environmentally-friendly households.

Child Safety Lock

Safety is paramount, especially in households with children. The built-in child safety lock on this microwave prevents unauthorized use or accidental changes to settings, providing peace of mind and ensuring kitchen safety.

Easy to Clean Interior

The microwave’s interior is designed for easy cleaning. The smooth surface allows for quick and effortless wipe-downs, which is particularly beneficial in small kitchens where cleanliness and tidiness are crucial for optimal space utilization.

Defrost by Time or Weight

Defrosting frozen food items is made easy with the defrost by time or weight feature. This functionality ensures you can thaw ingredients or meals efficiently, making meal planning and preparation more convenient in your small kitchen.

---

Commercial Chef Rotary Microwave Oven – Best Dial Controls

Compact and Space-Efficient Design

The Commercial Chef Rotary Microwave Oven is designed with a compact footprint, making it an excellent choice for small kitchen spaces. Its space-efficient design ensures it won’t take up much valuable countertop real estate, leaving you with more room for other kitchen tasks.

0.7 Cubic Feet Capacity

Despite its small size, this microwave offers a 0.7 cubic feet capacity, providing sufficient space for most everyday cooking needs. It can accommodate standard-sized plates, bowls, and cups, making it versatile enough for heating and defrosting various food items.

Rotary Dial Controls

The microwave features straightforward and user-friendly rotary dial controls. These controls allow you to easily set the desired cooking time and power level, offering a simple and intuitive cooking experience, which can be especially beneficial in small kitchens where simplicity is valued.

700 Watts of Cooking Power

With 700 watts of cooking power, the Commercial Chef Rotary Microwave Oven delivers efficient cooking performance for its size. This power output ensures your food is cooked or reheated quickly and evenly, saving you time and energy in your compact kitchen.

Even Cooking with Glass Turntable

The microwave includes a glass turntable that ensures even cooking by rotating the food throughout the cooking process. This feature helps eliminate hotspots, providing consistent results and ensuring your meals are thoroughly cooked every time.

Defrost Function

The defrost function of this microwave allows you to thaw frozen food items with ease. Whether you need to defrost meat, vegetables, or other ingredients, this feature makes meal preparation more convenient in a small kitchen with limited space for meal planning.

Timer Function

Apart from cooking, the microwave also serves as a timer. When you’re engaged in multiple kitchen tasks, the timer function can be used independently to keep track of cooking times, helping you manage your time efficiently in a small kitchen setting.

Easy to Clean Interior

The interior of the Commercial Chef Microwave Oven is designed for easy cleaning. This feature is particularly valuable in small kitchens where maintaining cleanliness is essential for maximizing space and keeping the cooking area tidy.

Compact Exterior, Spacious Interior

The microwave’s compact exterior houses a surprisingly spacious interior, thanks to its thoughtful design. This optimizes the usable cooking area while still keeping the overall size small, making it an efficient choice for small kitchen setups.

Durable Construction

The Commercial Chef Microwave Oven is built with durability in mind, ensuring it can withstand daily use and serve you well over the long term. This reliability is essential in any kitchen, but especially in small ones, where the appliances need to be efficient and long-lasting.

---

Panasonic NN-SD3725 – Best Features

Compact Size for Small Kitchens

The Panasonic NN-SD3725 Microwave Oven is designed to be compact, making it an excellent fit for small kitchen spaces. Its space-saving design allows it to sit comfortably on limited countertop areas, maximizing the utility of your small kitchen.

0.8 Cubic Feet Capacity

Despite its small footprint, this microwave offers a relatively spacious 0.8 cubic feet capacity. This size is ample for everyday cooking tasks and accommodating standard-sized plates and dishes, ensuring you can cook or reheat various food items effectively.

950 Watts of Cooking Power

With 950 watts of cooking power, the NN-SD3725 delivers fast and efficient cooking performance. Its higher wattage allows for quicker heating and cooking, which is particularly valuable in a small kitchen where every second counts.

Inverter Technology for Even Cooking

This microwave utilizes inverter technology, which ensures even and consistent cooking results. It helps eliminate overcooking or undercooking by delivering a steady power stream, maintaining the desired temperature throughout the cooking process.

Auto Cooking Programs

The NN-SD3725 comes equipped with convenient auto cooking programs that simplify meal preparation. With pre-set settings for various dishes, such as popcorn, potatoes, vegetables, and more, you can cook common meals with just a touch of a button, saving time and effort in a busy small kitchen.

Genius Sensor for Smart Cooking

The microwave features a Genius Sensor that automatically adjusts cooking time and power levels based on the steam produced during cooking. This ensures precise and optimal cooking results, enhancing the flavor and texture of your food.

Quick 30-Second Increment Timer

The quick 30-second increment timer allows for easy and speedy reheating. With a simple press of the button, you can add 30 seconds to the cooking time, making it convenient for quick tasks like reheating beverages or leftovers in a small kitchen.

Compact Exterior, Spacious Interior

The NN-SD3725’s compact exterior cleverly houses a spacious interior, maximizing the usable cooking area without occupying excessive space on your countertop. This balance between size and capacity makes it a practical choice for small kitchen setups.

Easy-to-Clean Interior and Exterior

Panasonic designed this microwave oven with easy cleaning in mind. Both the interior and exterior surfaces are easy to wipe down, simplifying maintenance and keeping your small kitchen clean and tidy.

Child Safety Lock

Safety is paramount, especially in households with children. The built-in child safety lock feature prevents accidental use or unauthorized tampering with the microwave settings, ensuring a safe kitchen environment for everyone.

---

Buying Guide

Keep the following buying criteria in mind when you’re shortlisting small microwaves for your kitchen:

Compact Size and Capacity

Look for microwaves explicitly designed for small spaces, with compact dimensions that fit well on limited countertops or in small kitchen areas.

Consider the internal capacity; a smaller microwave may have a reduced cooking capacity, so ensure it meets your needs without being too large for your space.

Power Rating

Opt for a microwave with sufficient power to cook your food quickly and evenly, considering a power rating between 600 to 1000 watts for small microwaves.

Control Panel and User Interface

Choose a microwave with an intuitive control panel that is easy to use and doesn’t take up unnecessary space.

Consider models with a digital display or touchpad for more precise settings.

Turntable or Turntable-Free Design

If space is limited, consider a turntable-free microwave, which uses a different technology to distribute heat evenly, or a turntable that can be removed to accommodate larger dishes.

Power Levels and Cooking Options

Ensure the microwave offers a variety of power levels for different cooking tasks, such as defrosting, reheating, or cooking at reduced power.

Look for cooking options like preset programs or quick buttons for common tasks, which can make microwave operation more efficient.

Compact Design and Style

Consider the overall design and style of the microwave to ensure it complements the aesthetics of your small kitchen space.

Ventilation and Placement

Some microwaves come with built-in ventilation systems that require proper airflow and space around the unit. Ensure you have sufficient clearance for safe operation.

Built-in vs. Countertop

Decide between a built-in microwave that can be installed in a cabinet or a countertop model, depending on the available space and your kitchen setup.

Energy Efficiency

Look for microwaves with an energy-efficient rating to save power and reduce electricity costs over time.

Safety Features

Check for safety features like child locks and automatic shut-off to prevent accidental operation and ensure the microwave is safe to use in a small space.

Warranty and Customer Support

Consider the warranty period and the manufacturer’s customer support reputation to ensure you are covered in case of any issues with the microwave.

---

Conclusion

Taking everything into consideration I recommend the Black & Decker as the best microwave for small spaces.

The 700 watt power rating is just about enough for this kind of appliance, but you also get lots of cooking presets and power settings to play with. The controls are simple to use too, and it should be compact enough for even the smallest kitchen spaces.

Head over to Amazon to learn more about this microwave, or browse for some other alternatives that catch your eye!