Best Microwaves 2025: Rated and reviewed by our experts

Much more than just a basic microwave, the Sage Combi Wave 3-in-1 also works as an oven, air fryer and even sports a grilling feature too.

Although its height and width are typical of a microwave, with its whopping 32-litre capacity, the depth is excessive at 490mm – and that’s without factoring in the handle which adds another 23mm.

On the front of the appliance is a generous viewing window which allows you to keep an eye on your food, alongside six clearly labelled function buttons and two dials.

The six function buttons include Fast Combi, From Frozen, Air Fry, Oven, Microwave and Food Menu with the latter acting as a selection of smart cook options for various ingredients such as meat and vegetables.

Although Food Menu is useful, there are notable limitations specifically regarding weight limits, so just be sure to check the manual before cooking.

Open the soft-close door and you’ll see a series of labelled shortcut buttons which allow you to quickly select the optimum time and power levels for tasks such as softening butter, melting chocolate or to enable the grill function.

Although the latter is undoubtedly a useful addition, it’s worth noting that the grill is quite gentle and therefore requires ingredients to be propped up closer to the heating element at the top.

During our testing, we found that the Sage Combi Wave performed admirably across the majority of its functions, from defrosting bread to cooking a jacket potato impressively quickly at under seven minutes.

We also found that not only does air fry mode result in evenly browned and crispy chips but the Combi Wave conveniently alerts half-way through cooking to remind you to stir the contents for the best possible results.

The Sage Combi even took cooking a 1.6kg chicken in its stride, as it made use of the microwave, oven and grill functions for a perfectly cooked roast.

Even so, if you’re looking for a microwave that can double as an air fryer and oven then you’d be hard pressed to find a better option than the Sage Combi Wave 3-in-1.

With a 32-litre capacity, sleek design and impressive performance, the Samsung MS32DG4504ATE3 is perfect for larger households with lots of mouths to feed.

Keep in mind though that with such a large capacity, which Samsung claims is enough to cook 5kg of potatoes, comes mammoth dimensions. Measuring at 517 x 423 x 295 MM, ensure you have enough counter space to house this comfortably.

Although it’s undeniably huge, the Samsung MS32DG4504ATE3 has a stylish design thanks to its brushed metal finish which integrates nicely into a modern kitchen space. While the glossy finish on the door can attract fingerprints and grime, the cleverly placed handle on the top side of the door helps to minimise this.

Its control panel is easy-to-use and equipped with a digital display which allows you to see what function you’re selecting and provides readouts for time, weight and more.

The MS32DG4504ATE3 is also fitted with multiple functions alongside its conventional microwave mode, including Auto Cook, Home Dessert and Keep Warm. There’s even a useful Deodorisation programme which removes any lingering cooking smells from the appliance.

We were seriously impressed by the MS32DG4504ATE3’s results, both as a conventional microwave and for more difficult tasks like defrosting and cooking. We found defrosting chicken took around 10 minutes, while defrosting salmon took just seven and a half minutes.

We then used the Auto Cook function for the defrosted chicken and found it cooked perfectly, although it did take slightly longer than the manual suggested.

Of course, the main function of a microwave is to warm foods up and, fortunately, we were very pleased with the results. Cooked bacon took just 45 seconds to become piping hot while day-old bread only took 70 seconds.

If you need a larger microwave that looks stylish, is easy-to-use and performs consistently well throughout all its functions then the Samsung MS32DG4504ATE3 Solo Microwave Oven is one for you.

With its drop-down door, the spacious Panasonic NN-CS89LBBPQ looks more like an oven than a microwave, but its real shining point are the plentiful auto programmes, covering defrosting, steaming, grilling, roasting and baking.

The oven space is the most generous we’ve seen thanks to the flatbed design and the three tray slots, which allow several items to be cooked at the same time on different levels, further emphasised by the auto programmes’ ability to cook as much as 2kg of meat.

The accessories include a wire shelf, enamel and glass trays as well as a plastic trivet meant specifically for steaming tasks.

One highlight is a humidity-measuring auto sensor combi programme that adjusts the power level and cooking time accordingly and delivers a jacket potato with crispy skin and fluffy texture.

For the steam function, a water tank and a drip tray are located at the bottom of the appliance. The drip tray handily stops water from running onto your worktop when the oven door is opened.

Very conveniently, the NN-CS89LBBPQ is also self-cleaning, with four steam function-based cleaning settings, including deodorisation and cavity cleaning to remove grease build-up inside the oven.

While navigating its touch-sensitive controls and deciphering the various programmes isn’t always intuitive, a thick instruction manual is provided, also featuring some 40 pages of recipes.

If there’s one problem with microwaves, it’s trying to work out how to choose the right setting for the right dish. The Samsung Easy View Convection Oven with HotBlast Technology MC28M6075CS makes this easier, with some very clever automated programmes.

The smartest mode is the Sensor cooking. In this mode, the microwave can cook a range of different ingredients, including jacket potatoes, cauliflower and chilled soup. Measuring the gasses released from foods, the microwave can stop cooking at the optimal point: I found it made my jacket potato perfect: fluffy on the inside, cooked all the way through and not shrivelled up.

HotBlast modes can be used with the baking tray to cook common foods, such as oven chips, using the convection oven feature and blasting air down from the top element. Here, we found the results good, although we did find that an air fryer will give crispier results.

We love the automatic defrost programmes: select the food type and weight, and the microwave handles the rest. Our test bread slices were cool to the touch but not frozen, and leaving them for just a couple of minutes had them ready for sandwiches.

More than just a microwave, the Samsung Easy View Convection Oven with HotBlast Technology MC28M6075CS is a handy convection oven, too. With its very smart automated programmes, it can cook food beautifully with virtually no hassle.

The Russell Hobbs Scandi Digital Microwave stands out among its affordable peer group due to the addition of a couple of simple auto-cook programmes that calculate the cooking time according to the food’s weight. It’s also not as small as a 17-litre capacity may lead you to believe. However, with a 245mm turntable, it doesn’t fit larger dinner plates.

While the combination of shiny glass, plastic and metal with walnut-imitation wood is a very particular look, likely to have a Marmite effect, the Scandi Digital is available in black, grey, and white to suit different colour schemes.

Its auto-cook menu has eight programmes, for reheating food and microwaving popcorn, beverages, pizza, sliced potatoes, vegetables, meat, and fish. Using the reheat programme, cold, cooked rice came out evenly heated. And a raw jacket potato had a decent texture after just 8mins of microwaving.

This is a handy appliance for anyone looking for some microwaving shortcuts.