Top 10 Inverter Microwaves
for October 2023

The Panasonic NN-SN65KB is an inexpensive microwave with a built-in inverter that costs about half as much as comparable microwaves with inverter technology. With 11 power levels and 3-level popcorn button, it has plenty of options for making your favorite meals and snacks and is simple to use. The inverter technology is impressive, especially given the price of this microwave. The microwave generates a seamless steam of cooking power for evenly heated foods, edges to center, so you get the perfect pizza, popcorn, or burrito every time. The turbo defrost feature speeds up the thawing process, and the large interior accommodates larger dishes. The microwave has a 1.2-cubic-foot capacity and, like most microwaves, it measures 16.5 by 10.6 by 13.3 inches. The control panel is large and easy to use, and its black exterior is stylish. The microwave is lightweight, too, so it's easy to move. The microwave has smart controls, so it's easy to make adjustments. Even with its compact size, this microwave has 15 auto cook options and 10 sensor cook settings, so it's versatile enough for a variety of meals and snacks. The microwave also includes a 3-year warranty.

Our rating is based on five factors: the price, features, performance, ease of use, and design and appearance. The Panasonic NN-SN936B Countertop Microwave is the best value in our microwave category, and its performance, features and ease of use make it our top choice for microwave buyers. The Panasonic NN-SN936B has powerful cooking, and it has the inverter technology that makes cooking faster, more consistent and energy-efficient. The Panasonic NN-SN936B also has 14 preset menu items, so you can cook something quickly and have it ready when you get home. The Panasonic NN-SN936B has 10 power levels, and it has a turbo defrost setting, which speeds up the defrosting cycle by 40 percent. The Panasonic NN-SN936B is worth considering if you want a microwave that will cook your food quickly and evenly and that has a wide range of cooking power levels.

This 0.8 cu. ft. Panasonic inverter microwave has powerful, consistent cooking, and it comes with the innovative Genius Sensor, which automatically adjusts power and cooking times based on what you're cooking. The Genius Sensor has very intuitive controls and it calculates power based on the size of the food you're cooking, so if you're cooking a large dish, the microwave will automatically adjust its power level to ensure the food is properly cooked. The microwave also has several preset menu items, plus preprogrammed settings for frozen food, reheating, defrosting and cooking. The microwave has a comfortable handle, and it's small enough to fit on a countertop, making it a great choice for apartments, dorm rooms and RVs. The microwave is 950 watts, and the wattage listed on the box is the maximum, so it should be safe to operate in most apartments. The microwave also has a built-in timer, and a delay start feature, so you can set the timer and walk away. The microwave has a relatively large interior, which is ideal for reheating or cooking large meals. The microwave has a clear, backlit control panel, so you can watch the microwave's progress. The microwave is easy to clean, and it comes with a cleaning kit, but it's not dishwasher safe. The microwave has a removable door handle, so it's easy to clean behind the door, and the microwave comes with a 10-year warranty, which is one of the longest warranties we've seen on a countertop microwave.

The Toshiba ML-EM45PIT(BS) microwave oven has 1.6 cubic feet of interior capacity and features convenient one touch buttons on the touchpad control panel. It also has an inverter, which delivers even heating and defrosting, and, more importantly, makes it significantly faster than standard microwaves that use magnetrons. The inverter also enables faster cooking, which capabilities are showcased when using the microwave's one touch popcorn button. Other convenient features include a child safety lock, which disables the touchpad and the oven's interior light; a 30-minute cook time; a 30-second defrost setting; and a clock, timer, and clock display. The touchpad's display isn't as bright and crisp as some other microwaves, but it's large enough to make operation easy. The microwave's interior is easy to clean, and the stainless steel finish is attractive, durable, and not overly fingerprint-prone.

The Galanz Microwave Oven ExpressWave with Patented Inverter Technology, Sensor Cook & Sensor Reheat, 10 Variable Power Levels, Express Cooking Knob, 1100W 1.3 Cu Ft Stainless Steel GEWWD13S1SV11 combines the speed, power, and size that today's consumers are looking for in a microwave. It offers 10 power levels, from 500 watts to 1100 watts, so you can cook or reheat just about anything, including frozen food. The 1.3-cubic-foot interior is large enough to keep most medium-sized dinner plates inside, so you won't have to worry about overcrowding. The Express Cooking Knob is unusually easy to use. Just turn it to select a cooking time and press it, and your microwave will start cooking. The sensor cook and sensor reheat features ensure perfectly cooked food every time. The ExpressWave with Inverter Technology keeps things moving fast by cooking food faster and defrosting food faster. And, the Inverter Technology helps preserve nutrients in food by maintaining precise temperature during the cooking process.

The Panasonic NN-SD775S is the best microwave we found for its combination of power, size, and price. The 1.6-cubic-foot interior is spacious enough to handle almost any recipe, and the inverter technology heats food quickly and evenly. The warming feature keeps dishes warm (up to 99 minutes), which is especially useful when you're cooking for a crowd. The sensor cook menu is user-friendly, and the inverter turbo defrost function does a great job of thawing frozen foods. The Panasonic NN-SD775S is also easy to use, thanks to an easy-to-understand control panel and minimalist design. The microwave has a reasonably strong 1250-watt power rating, which is enough for large dishes but not strong enough to heat food quickly during busy mealtimes. The Panasonic NN-SD775S has a 10-year warranty and is ETL-listed.

The Panasonic NN-SN66KB is a roomy 1.2 cubic foot microwave oven with 1200 watts of power, so it's a decent fit for small kitchens. It's also full of useful features, including 11 preprogrammed power levels, Genius Sensor technology, and inverter technology, which allows it to poach, raise, and steam delicate foods. (The Panasonic NN-SN70BB, which we tested, lacks these features, but it's a little bigger, so it's a better fit for larger kitchens.) The 22.5 by 14.1 by 13.5-inch NN-SN66KB is small enough for kitchen counters, but its 15.5-pound weight means it's not ideal for moving, so we'd recommend a cart or stand to keep it in place. The NN-SN66KB's control panel is user-friendly, and it has a popcorn button with 3 different size options. Its 30-second interval button is great for reheating leftovers, and it's smart enough to remember your last setting. The NN-SN66KB's 1200 watts of power provide plenty of cooking power for reheating leftovers, making popcorn, and defrosting foods. Its 1.2 cubic foot capacity is nowhere near as large as the 2.7 cubic foot capacity of the Panasonic NN-SN70BB we tested, but it'll still handle most kitchen tasks.

The Panasonic NN-T945SF is a roomy, powerful microwave with a host of convenient features and a generous set of cooking options. It comes with five cooking presets for pizza, frozen foods, frozen vegetables, meats, and poultry, and you can use these presets to program any dish. The inverter technology gives this microwave more power and a faster cook time than standard microwaves, and its six power levels let you adjust the intensity of the microwave. The microwave comes with two handy features: one that lets it automatically warm your leftovers, and another that pops corn. The microwave's interior is large and roomy, and it has a drop-down door that makes it easy to load and unload food. The Panasonic NN-T945SF comes with a 10-year warranty, which is the longest of any microwave we tested.

If you're looking for a large microwave that feels like a small oven, you'll love this Panasonic microwave. The 1250-watt inverter technology offers an accurate and powerful stream of power, and the built-in inverter turbo defrost ensures fast, even defrosting. The microwave also has 10 power levels and 14 auto-cook/sensor cook menu items, and offers multi-stage cooking. Its 2.2 cu. ft. capacity is slightly larger than most microwaves, and Panasonic's Genius one-touch sensor cook and reheat feature eliminates the guesswork. The Genius sensor cook and reheat feature requires two AA batteries, which are not included. The microwave's glass turntable and full-tactile membrane control panel are easier to glance at than the microwave's previous model's LED control panel, and it's much easier to set and deactivate the microwave's timer. The microwave's turntable can reach 16.5 inches, and it has a 19.40-inch depth, making it suitable for most countertop ovens. This microwave also has 10 presets for cooking, making it a good choice if you often cook the same foods. The microwave's interior light is great for checking food, but it's too dim to read recipes.

This Panasonic countertop microwave is lots bigger than our previous pick, the Sharp R-2603HS. It has a 1.2-cubic-foot capacity and runs at 1200 watts, which is plenty for reheating or defrosting a small meal. The cooking power rating is 1200 watts, so it's more powerful than our previous pick, but it's not quite as powerful as the Sharp and lacks a built-in exhaust fan. The Panasonic's controls are mounted on the right door, which is convenient for accessing them while cooking. The controls are easy to use, with a carousel dial for power levels and a dial for adjusting up to 20 seconds. The microwave has 12 power levels, from 100 to 800 watts, and is programmable, so you can set cooking times and power levels in advance. The Panasonic's interior light, which was added to the previous model, is nice to have, but we wish it had an automatic shutoff timer. The Panasonic also lacks a window, which can be a drawback, since you can see inside the microwave while it cooks. The Panasonic's exterior is easy to clean, and it has a removable turntable, which is a bonus. The Panasonic lacks a retractable cord, but it's easy enough to unplug once you're done using the microwave. The Panasonic's exterior is metal, so it's fairly durable, and it's covered by a 10-year warranty.