The best microwaves in 2026: Consumer Reports

A microwave that heats unevenly turns a bowl of leftovers into a dish that's scalding on one side and cold on the other. The wrong model also means a noisy kitchen or a defrost cycle that leaves dinner half-frozen.

Consumer Reports tested countertop and over-the-range microwaves for heating evenness, speed and ease of use, so shoppers can find a model that fits their kitchen and budget.

Credit: Ace Hardware

The Commercial Chef CHM770B is a countertop microwave priced at the budget end of this lineup. Consumer Reports rated its heating evenness as excellent, calling it a standout at distributing heat consistently. CR found it lagged well behind other tested models on heating speed, scoring at the very bottom of that test, and rated its defrosting only so-so. Commercial Chef's countertop microwaves earned a top predicted reliability rating in member surveys CR conducts, though the brand's owner satisfaction rating came back poor.

Credit: Lowe's

The Commercial Chef CHM990B is a midsized countertop microwave that sits in the same budget price tier as its smaller sibling, the CHM770B. Consumer Reports found it impressed in nearly every test, covering how evenly it heated and defrosted food, its noise level and how simple it was to operate, and rated Commercial Chef's reliability as unmatched among the brands it tracks. Heating speed was the one weak spot, landing in the middle of the pack instead of near the top. It skips extras like convection or sensor cooking, keeping the design straightforward.

Credit: Panasonic

The Panasonic NN-SD77PS is a large countertop microwave priced in the mid-range for this category. Consumer Reports rated its heating evenness, heating speed and noise level as excellent across the board. CR called out its controls as the standout feature, since a dial and tactile buttons replace the flat touchpad found on many competing models and let anyone operate the microwave without looking, which especially helps people with limited vision. Panasonic's countertop microwaves earned a near-top predicted reliability score in CR member surveys, though owner satisfaction came back only middling.

Credit: KitchenAid

The KitchenAid KMMS330SPS is an over-the-range microwave priced at the premium end of this lineup. Consumer Reports rated its heating evenness and heating speed as strong performers and gave its defrosting evenness a top-notch score, and testers found it incredibly easy to use. CR clocked it quieter than many recommended LG models in this lineup. Despite that quiet operation, KitchenAid's over-the-range lineup scored only middling for both reliability and owner satisfaction in CR member surveys.

Credit: LG

The LG MHEC1737F is an over-the-range microwave priced at the premium end of this lineup and packed with convection, a sensor-cook mode, an auto-defrost function and a speed-cook option. Consumer Reports gave it a top score in its lineup for defrosting evenness and microwave noise, plus very good marks for heating evenness and vent noise, though airflow came back just middling. Heating speed scored middling as well. LG's over-the-range microwaves earned a top score for predicted reliability in CR member surveys, while owner satisfaction landed at just an okay level.

Credit: LG

The LG MVEF1337F is a slender over-the-range microwave priced in the mid-range for this category, standing just under 12 inches tall to leave more clearance above the range. Consumer Reports rated its heating evenness as very good and its defrosting evenness as superb, and testers called it very easy to use with excellent venting. CR noted it can run a bit noisy, and heating speed came back just so-so in testing. Shoppers who don't need the added clearance might also consider the similarly rated LG MVEL2033F, which costs less and gives the kitchen a sleeker look thanks to its recessed handle design.

Credit: LG

The LG MVEL2125F is an over-the-range microwave priced in the mid-range for this category and tops Consumer Reports' ratings for the segment. CR rated its heating and defrosting evenness as stellar and praised its ease of use, and testers found it ran very quietly during operation. Heating speed and venting fell in the middle of the pack instead of standing out. Even with those two so-so scores, strong evenness, quiet operation and simple controls together kept it at the front of CR's over-the-range ratings.