When exploring your options in the world of kitchen appliances, you can easily end up overwhelmed with all the choices on the market. Our aim is to demystify the options and make your decision easier. We bought the top microwaves currently available and put them through the wringer to see which model came out on top. Our testing process is split into four different metrics, with a handful of sub-tests in each metric.
Heating
For our heating metric, we looked at how well each product heated up different types of foods and how quickly and evenly they heated using a pair of side-by-side tests. We used a plate of breakfast sausage, green beans, and potatoes to represent a plate of leftovers, a bowl of canned soup, and two slices of pizza as our test food items. Each was heated according to instructions for the power level for each microwave and then scores were determined based on temperature readings across each type of food. For the mixed plate of leftovers, we looked at the range of temperatures across each type of food, how closely the temperature of each type of food was to the others, and if all three were warmed enough to serve.
To measure and compare how quickly each product heated up food, we took 125 ml of water in a beaker in each microwave and ran them for 45 seconds, comparing the temperature increase after being heated, to award points.
We ranked and rated the evenness and consistency of heating by spreading out a thin layer of marshmallow fluff on a piece of parchment paper cut to the size of the turntable. It was then heated for 2 minutes.
We wanted to see even browning across the marshmallow, without any raw or burned spots.
Frozen Foods
For our frozen foods metric, we used three types of prepared food to test performance: Hot Pockets, a frozen burrito, and an individual serving of lasagna. For each test, we used a series of instant-read digital kitchen thermometers to compare the thermal gradient throughout each type of food.
We also checked to ensure that each type of food reached the recommended serving temperature.
Defrosting
We used a one-pound block of frozen ground turkey for this metric, attempting to defrost it according to the instructions for each microwave. After the conclusion of the defrosting cycle, we scraped off all the completely thawed meat and weighed it to determine scores. We also deducted points if any of the turkey was prematurely cooked.
Ease of Use
Our last round of tests scored and compared how user-friendly and easy to use each microwave is, including how effective the preset functions are using the popcorn button as our test options.
We started by looking at the interface for each appliance, specifically if they have a +30 seconds button that automatically start the microwave and if they have one-touch features. For example, if you hit the "2" button, does it automatically put two minutes on the clock and start it.
We then looked at the internal lighting while the food is being cooked. Looking for a well-lit interior to easily monitor your food while being cooked. How easily each product slid around on a smooth countertop when opening the door or hitting buttons. We were looking for products that easily remained in place with normal use.
Finally, we assessed the popcorn preset function by making a bag of popcorn in each microwave. Scores were based on the number of kernels that remained unpopped and whether any were burned.
