There’s no single best microwave for the price. There’s a best one for how you actually cook. Three things decide it: the space you have on the counter, how many people you’re feeding, and whether you want to press one button or set time and power yourself. These five models differ on capacity, wattage and how much thinking the controls do for you — not on rank.
All 5 products side by side — scroll sideways to see every column.
| Top Pick | Runner-Up | Best for Small Kitchens | Best for Handle Door | ||
| Preview |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | BLACK+DECKER 0.9 Cu.Ft Microwave | Toshiba 1.2 Cu.Ft Microwave | Comfee 0.7 Cu.Ft Microwave | Chefman 1.1 Cu.Ft Microwave | Chefman 0.7 Cu.Ft Microwave |
| Brand | BLACK+DECKER | TOSHIBA | COMFEE' | Chefman | Chefman |
| Best for | Best Overall | Runner-Up | Best for Small Kitchens | Best for Handle Door | — |
| The listing says | Preset buttons for popcorn, potato, pizza, frozen vegetable, beverage, dinner plate 900 Watts with 10 power settings, clock and kitchen timer | Output power 1000 watts, input power 1600 watts External dimensions 20.6 x 14.6 x 11.8 inches (WxDxH) | Two-step child lock feature for extra protection Mute function turns off beeps with sound on/off button | Three presets: popcorn, beverages, leftovers Number keys set cook time in minutes | Six presets: popcorn, pizza, beverages, veggies, potatoes, leftovers Number keys set cook time in minutes |
| More information | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
1. BLACK+DECKER 0.9 Cu.Ft Microwave – best microwave for the price
Best for: someone cooking for one or two, every single day
A 0.9 cu. ft. interior is the mid-size option here. It’s small enough to leave counter space around it, and big enough for a dinner plate, which is the job most people actually ask of a microwave. The 900 watts and 10 power settings cover a range from full power down to low.
The six pre-programmed buttons are the real draw here. Popcorn, potato, pizza, frozen vegetable, beverage and dinner plate each get their own key, so the common jobs don’t need a time typed in. The 30-second express cook adds time without resetting anything. A child safety lock and an interior light round out the practical side, and the removable 10.6-inch glass turntable lifts out for washing.
The listing gives exterior dimensions of 18.7 by 13.4 by 10.7 inches, so measure your shelf or counter gap before you commit — this isn’t a tiny unit. The door frame is stainless steel while the enclosure is black, which is worth knowing if you’re matching a kitchen. This isn’t for someone who regularly reheats large platters or cooks for four; the 0.9 cu. ft. cavity and 10.6-inch turntable set that ceiling.
Good if:
- You reheat single plates and want preset buttons instead of typing times
- You want a mid-size unit that still leaves counter space
- You like a push-button door release rather than pulling a handle
Skip it if:
- You often heat big dishes or several portions at once
- You want the oven to sense the food and set its own time
2. Toshiba 1.2 Cu.Ft Microwave
Best for: a household of three or more sharing one microwave
Capacity is the whole point of this one. A 1.2 cu. ft. cavity with a 12.4-inch glass turntable takes larger plates and wider dishes than the smaller models here, and that changes what you can put in without rearranging the food. If you’ve ever had to cut something down to fit, this is the pick that stops that.
The 1000 watts and 10 power levels put it at the top of the wattage range here. The listing also states smart sensor technology that adjusts cooking time and power based on the food’s humidity, which takes the guesswork out of reheating — the kind of thing that matters when different people use the same oven and none of them want to stand there watching. Six preset menus cover pizza, veggies and sensor reheat among others.
Defrost works by weight or by time, and one-touch start runs from 1 to 6 minutes at full power. The trade-off is footprint: external dimensions are 20.6 by 14.6 by 11.8 inches, so it needs a genuinely clear stretch of counter. This isn’t for a small kitchen or a dorm room where space is the binding constraint.
Good if:
- You feed several people and need the extra cavity and turntable size
- You want the oven to judge reheating time for you
- You have a wide, clear counter space to give it
Skip it if:
- Your counter is tight and every inch counts
- You only ever heat a mug or a single plate
3. Comfee 0.7 Cu.Ft Microwave – Another best microwave for the price
Best for: a small kitchen, office or dorm where space is tight
A 0.7 cu. ft. cavity and 700 watts is the compact end of this group, and that’s the honest trade: it fits where the bigger units won’t. For reheating a plate, warming a drink or cooking a single potato, that’s a fair swap. For cooking from raw in volume, it isn’t.
Two features stand out on the listing. The mute function turns off every beep if you hold the sound button for three seconds — genuinely useful in a shared office, a small apartment or a house with a sleeping baby. The two-step child lock follows the newer safety standard the listing cites, and it takes two actions to release rather than one, which is the point.
Eco mode cuts standby power by half according to the listing, a small thing that adds up if the oven sits plugged in all day. One-touch express cooking runs 1 to 6 minutes plus a 30-second add, and there are two defrost settings plus auto-cook keys for popcorn, potato, pizza, frozen veggie, beverage and reheat. This isn’t for anyone cooking for a family or needing to fit a full dinner plate.
Good if:
- You have very little counter space to give
- You want a silent microwave in a shared or quiet space
- You reheat single portions rather than cooking meals
Skip it if:
- You need to fit large plates or cook for several people
- You want faster cooking from a higher wattage
4. Chefman 1.1 Cu.Ft Microwave
Best for: someone who wants power and a handle door, daily
This one pairs a 1.1 cu. ft. cavity with 1000 watts, so it lands close to the Toshiba on power while sitting a step down in size. The listed dimensions aren’t given, so measure against your own gap before ordering rather than assuming it matches the Toshiba’s footprint.
The controls are deliberately simple. Three presets cover popcorn, beverages and leftovers, and the number keys double as a shortcut — press 3 and it cooks for 3 minutes at full power. Ten power levels run from a low setting for melting butter up to maximum for fast reheating, and a +30 seconds button tops up without starting over. The child safety lock is built into the handle, which you pull upward on the top edge to open, so the door can’t swing open by accident.
The mute option silences the beeps with a sound button. The listing doesn’t state exterior dimensions or a warranty term, so if either matters to you, that’s worth checking on the product page. This isn’t for a very small kitchen, and not for someone who wants sensor cooking — that’s the Toshiba’s territory.
Good if:
- You want 1000 watts in a body smaller than the largest pick
- You prefer a handle door to a push-button release
- You like shortcut number keys instead of preset menus
Skip it if:
- You want the oven to sense doneness rather than you setting time
- You have a very narrow counter gap and need exact dimensions up front
5. Chefman Countertop Microwave Oven 0.7 Cu. Ft.
Best for: a first-time microwave buyer who wants it simple
This is a 0.7 cu. ft., 700-watt model, and the listing leans into ease rather than capability. Six presets — popcorn, pizza, beverages, veggies, potatoes and leftovers — cover most of what a first microwave actually gets used for. The number keys set cook time directly, and +30 seconds adds a bit more without a reset.
Ten power levels take it from melting butter up to full power, so the low end is there even though the top end is modest. That range matters more than it sounds: a low setting you can actually select is what the listing calls out for melting butter.
The child safety lock sits on the handle, and it works differently than you might expect. You pull upwards on the top edge of the handle to open the door, so the lock is built into the motion you already make rather than a separate switch to remember. The mute button kills the beeps.
The listing notes the glass turntable is top-rack dishwasher safe, and the black exterior wipes clean with a damp towel. It’s also cETL approved with a 1-year assurance from Chefman.
The catch is the same as the Comfee’s: 700 watts and a 0.7 cu. ft. cavity mean smaller portions. It’s built for reheating a single serving, not for cooking dinner for a family.
Good if:
- This is your first microwave and you want the controls to be obvious
- You heat single servings, snacks and drinks
- You want a stated warranty term and a dishwasher-safe turntable
Skip it if:
- You’re feeding more than one or two people regularly
- You want higher wattage for faster cooking
Also Worth Considering
Three more compact 0.7 cu. ft. models sit just outside this list, and any of them is a reasonable pick if one of the five above doesn’t suit.
The Farberware Countertop Microwave Oven is a compact black unit in the same size class as the Comfee and the Chefman 0.7.
The BLACK+DECKER Countertop Microwave Oven is a compact black model with a child safety feature, so it shares the BLACK+DECKER name with the 0.9 cu. ft. pick above at a smaller size.
The Frigidaire is a compact black countertop oven.
All three land in the same compact bracket, so the deciding factors are the control layout and the door style you prefer.
What these three share is that the listings stop at the title. No preset menus, no power levels, no turntable size, no defrost settings, no wattage beyond the 700 watts in the name.
That matters because the five picks above are described down to the button. The Comfee lists its auto-cook functions and its two-step child lock. The Chefman 0.7 lists six presets and a mute button.
So if a preset you use daily is the thing you care about, you can’t confirm it here. Buy one of the five instead, where the feature is written out.
If you only need to heat a plate and set a time, the three above do that, and the child safety feature on the BLACK+DECKER is stated outright.
Where These Overlap
The two Chefman models are the closest pair on paper, and the smaller one is the simpler of the two. Both use the same preset-and-number-key approach, both have a handle-mounted child lock and a mute button, and both run 10 power levels. The difference that decides it’s size and power: the larger one’s bigger cavity and stronger heating against the smaller one’s modest build. Pick by how much food goes in, not by the badge.
A larger turntable and a taller cavity change what fits — a dinner plate, a casserole dish, a whole bag of popcorn. If most of your cooking is a single plate or a mug, the smaller one does it and takes less counter. If you regularly reheat for two or more, the 1.1 is the one.
The Comfee and the Chefman 0.7 are near-identical in capability — both 0.7 cu. ft. and 700 watts, both with mute and child lock, both with auto-cook keys. What separates them is the extras each listing emphasizes: the Comfee adds eco mode and a two-step lock, the Chefman 0.7 adds a stated 1-year assurance and a dishwasher-safe turntable. If neither of those swings it, either will do the same job.
The BLACK+DECKER 0.9 and the Toshiba 1.2 are genuinely different products for different kitchens. One is a mid-size preset machine, the other a large sensor oven. Nobody is choosing between them by accident.
Still Not Sure?
How often will I really use it?
Be honest about this, because it decides wattage and size more than anything else. If it’s a daily reheat of a plate or a mug, a low-power compact like the Comfee 0.7 or the Chefman 0.7 does the job and takes up the least room. If it runs several times a day for different people and different foods, the extra power and cavity of the Toshiba 1.2 Cu.Ft Microwave pays you back every time you don’t have to cut a plate down to fit.
What do I already own that this has to work with?
Measure the gap on your counter and the height of your cabinets before anything else, then compare that against the listed exterior dimensions. The Toshiba 1.2 lists 20.6 by 14.6 by 11.8 inches, and the BLACK+DECKER 0.9 is 18.7 by 13.4 by 10.7 inches. If your space is tight, the compact 0.7 cu. ft. models are the safer bet. Also think about your plates and dishes — a 12.4-inch turntable takes far more than a 10.6-inch one.
What am I most likely to regret choosing?
Two things come up. The first is going too small, then finding you can’t fit the dish you actually use most — that’s the argument for the Toshiba 1.2 Cu.Ft Microwave if you have the counter for it. The second is paying attention to power when you wanted convenience: if you’d rather press one button than set a time, the preset buttons on the BLACK+DECKER 0.9 Cu.Ft Microwave or the Chefman 0.7 Cu.Ft Microwave suit that habit better than a bare keypad.
If space is your binding constraint, the compact 0.7 cu. ft. models are where you should look. If capacity is what you keep running short of, the Toshiba 1.2 Cu.Ft Microwave is the one built for that. Start by measuring your counter gap and your largest plate — those two numbers settle most of the decision before you read another word.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What size microwave fits a standard dinner plate?
Look at the turntable, not just the cubic feet. The Toshiba 1.2 Cu.Ft Microwave lists a 12.4-inch glass turntable, and the BLACK+DECKER 0.9 Cu.Ft Microwave lists a 10.6-inch one.
Does wattage change how long food takes to cook?
Yes, and the listings here differ on it. The Comfee 0.7 and Chefman 0.7 are rated at 700 watts, the BLACK+DECKER 0.9 at 900 watts, and the Toshiba 1.2 and Chefman 1.1 at 1000 watts. Higher wattage means more energy per minute, so the same portion generally needs less time.
What is sensor cooking and do I need it?
Sensor cooking lets the oven judge doneness from the food itself rather than a set time. The Toshiba 1.2 Cu.Ft Microwave lists smart sensor technology that adjusts time and power based on the food’s humidity. If you’re happy setting a time and checking, none of the other four need it.
Is a child safety lock required on a microwave?
The Comfee listing notes that manufacturers are asked to follow a newer safety standard and add a two-step child lock, which is why that model requires two actions to release. The other picks here also list a child lock, though the Chefman models put theirs on the handle.
Conclusion
Before you buy, measure your counter space and think about the last meal you heated up. If you’re usually solo, you’ll be fine with something small. If you’re feeding a family, go bigger. Pick the one that fits your kitchen and your habits, and you won’t regret it.