11 Best Microwaves Under $100 – 2024

Written by Arshiya Syeda, BA (Literature & Psychology), PG Diploma  • 

Microwaves are a revolutionary invention of recent times. They save a lot of time by heating up your meals in minutes. But, they can be a burden on the pocket. Developments in the design and functioning of microwaves have made them more easily available to the public at a lesser price.

An affordable microwave does all the work that a full-size microwave does, but you can keep it in any compact space. If you are a college student, it can be perfect for your dorm room. And if you are someone who has their own mini kitchenette set up somewhere in the house, then this can be the perfect addition to it! Spend most of your time in your man cave? We have the perfect microwave for you too! Basically, is you live in a small space and do not want to spend too much on a bulky microwave, this is the right place for you to start researching!

Here is a list of the best inexpensive microwaves under $100 that perfectly suit your needs. Check them out!

Top Picks
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COMFEE' EM720CPL-PMB Countertop Microwave Oven
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BLACK+DECKER EM720CB7 Digital Microwave Oven
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Panasonic NN-SB438S Compact Microwave Oven
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AmazonBasics Small Microwave
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Farberware FMO07AHTBKJ Classic Microwave Oven
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Nostalgia Countertop Microwave Oven
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Daewoo KOR07R3ZEL Retro Countertop Microwave Oven
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Emerson MW9255B Microwave Oven
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Walsh WSCMSR09BK-09 Countertop Microwave Oven
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Kenmore 70729 Small Countertop Microwave
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11 Best Microwaves Under $100 Available Right Now

1. COMFEE’ EM720CPL-PMB Countertop Microwave Oven

4.3

The COMFEE’ Countertop Microwave Oven has a convenient one-touch cooking feature along with 11 power levels, a mute button, and a removable turntable in a compact appliance that can easily fit in a cabinet or on your countertop. This microwave has a large LED digital display that shows the time, a kitchen timer, and the remaining cooking time. It also has an energy-saving eco-mode that allows you to switch off the LED display. This small countertop microwave is ideal for apartment kitchens, vacation homes, offices, and dorms.

Features

  • Dimensions: 17.3” x 13” x 10.2”
  • Material: Stainless steel finish
  • Wattage: 700 watts
  • Capacity: 0.7 cubic foot

Pros

  • Suitable for small spaces
  • Quiet functioning
  • Easy to use
  • Convenient child safety lock

Cons

  • Does not heat food evenly

2. BLACK+DECKER EM720CB7 Digital Microwave Oven

4.2

The Black + Decker Digital Microwave Oven is a stainless steel microwave that features 10 power levels and a removable glass turntable with a spacious interior. This microwave can optimally cook or reheat six of the most popular foods (popcorn, potato, pizza, frozen vegetables, beverages, and dinner plates) with just the touch of a button thanks to its pre-programmed settings. The large LED digital display of the microwave has a clock function, and it displays a countdown timer and the remaining cooking time as well. The big push button of this microwave is perfect for easily opening the microwave door.

Features

  • Dimensions: 17. 3” x 13. 0” x 10. 2”
  • Material: Stainless steel
  • Wattage: 700 watts
  • Capacity: 0.7 cubic foot

Pros

  • Child safety lock
  • Quiet functioning
  • Sturdy construction
  • Compact design

Cons

  • Glass plate moves out of place
  • Buttons are hard to read

3. Panasonic NN-SB438S Compact Microwave Oven

The Panasonic Compact Microwave Oven is a great choice when it comes to preserving the flavor and nutrients of your food. It provides the power and precision you need for fresh, healthy meals. This microwave is designed in such a way that it takes up very little space on your countertop but also has a spacious interior. This microwave oven features 10 levels of even cooking power. Its sleek black design matches any kitchen decor.

Features

  • Dimensions:19.10 x 14.80 x 11.50 inches
  • Material: spring steel
  • Wattage: 900 watts
  • Capacity: 0.9 cubic foot

Pros

  • Durable construction
  • Can accommodate a full-size dinner plate
  • Compact
  • Inverter technology
  • Heats up food evenly

Cons

  • Short power cord
  • Difficult-to-read display

4. AmazonBasics Small Microwave

AmazonBasics Small Microwave makes cooking easy by letting you use it with the help of your voice and an Echo device. Just say, “Alexa, reheat a cup of tea,” and Alexa will start the microwave with the appropriate power and time settings automatically. This means there’s no need to guess heating times or heat levels when you are defrosting frozen food or reheating last night’s dinner. Moreover, Alexa is always getting smarter and adding new presets. Apart from these futuristic features, this microwave also has 10 power levels, a kitchen timer, a child lock, and a turntable so you can cook all kinds of foods.

Features

  • Dimensions: 17.3” x 10.1” x 14.1” inches
  • Material: stainless steel
  • Wattage: 700 watts
  • Capacity: 0.7 cubic foot

Pros

  • Compact
  • Perfect for personal use
  • Automatic settings
  • Syncs with Alexa
  • Sleek design

Cons

  • Does not heat up food evenly

5. Farberware FMO07AHTBKJ Classic Microwave Oven

With the Faberware Classic Microwave Oven, you can easily heat up meals and snacks in a snap. Its LED display has a kitchen timer and clock, while the interior’s LED lighting lets you keep an eye on the cooking and heating going on inside the microwave. One of its convenient features includes a setting to defrost by weight or by time. This microwave also offers express cooking and +30 second options. The memory function lets your store your most used customized settings easily.

Features

  • Dimensions: 12.99 x 17.30 x 10.14 inches
  • Material: Stainless steel
  • Wattage: 700 watts
  • Capacity: 0.7 cubic foot

Pros

  • Stylish design
  • Six pre-programmed settings
  • Child safety lock
  • Quiet functioning
  • Compact

Cons

  • Not powerful enough

6. Nostalgia Countertop Microwave Oven

The Nostalgia Countertop Microwave has 12 pre-programmed settings along with a delay timer and an express cooking option for optimal heating of popular foods like popcorn, pizza, potatoes, veggies, and more. You can navigate the cooking settings with the simple turn-and-push program dial with ease. This retro style microwave also has an easy-to-read LED display that shows a digital clock and highlights each cooking setting.

Features

  • Dimensions: 17.5 x 13.5 x 10.25 inches
  • Material: Plastic and steel
  • Wattage: 700 watts
  • Capacity: 0.7 cubic foot

Pros

  • Cute retro design
  • Compact
  • Useful pre-programmed settings
  • Clearly visible display

Cons

  • Not durable

7. Daewoo KOR07R3ZEL Retro Countertop Microwave Oven

The Daewoo Retro Microwave Oven has a vintage aesthetic appeal with modern technology. You can reheat and cook various foods with its 5 power levels and 5 auto-cook options. The exclusive Concave Reflex System (C.R.S) of this microwave heats your food faster and more evenly than a traditional microwave. The recessed turntable of this microwave is designed to offer more room. The Zero On energy-saving function reduces your carbon footprint.

Features

  • Dimensions: 12.70 x 17.60 x 10.60 inches
  • Material: Plastic and metal
  • Wattage: 700 watts
  • Capacity: 0.7 cubic foot

Pros

  • Various color options
  • Child safety lock
  • Compact design
  • Perfect for individual usage
  • Automatic shut-off function after use

Cons

  • Not well-constructed

8. Emerson MW9255B Microwave Oven

Emerson Microwave Oven is easy to use and features 10 power levels and 6 pre-programmed recipes to help you prepare a wide variety of foods. It also has memory and timer functions. This microwave has six pre-programmed functions, along with the option of defrosting frozen foods according to time or weight.

Features

  • Dimensions: 19.1 x 11.5 x 14.6 inches
  • Material: Plastic
  • Wattage: 900 watts
  • Capacity: 0.9 cubic foot

Pros

  • Heats up food quickly
  • Compact design
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • Difficult to open the door

9. Walsh WSCMSR09BK-09 Countertop Microwave Oven

The Walsh Countertop Microwave Oven has a black finish that can complement kitchens with different styles. This thoughtful microwave oven offers six one-touch cooking options to warm up or even cook various dishes such as potatoes, popcorn, pizzas, beverages, and more. It is easy to defrost by weight, cook by weight, as well as speed-defrost foods in it. The multi-stage feature enables cooking at multiple power and time settings automatically, which can give you perfect results without any interruption.

Features

  • Dimensions: 19 x 14.19 x 11.06 inches
  • Material: Metal
  • Wattage: 900 watts
  • Capacity: 0.9 cubic foot

Pros

  • Compact
  • Versatile settings
  • Quiet operation
  • Cooks food evenly

Cons

  • Takes longer to heat food

10. Kenmore 70729 Small Countertop Microwave

The Kenmore Small Countertop Microwave allows you to heat up your snacks, dinner, and movie-night popcorn conveniently and quickly. This compact countertop microwave oven is the perfect size for placing on the countertop of your small kitchen, office break room, or college dorm room. With its 6 pre-programmed Auto Cook settings, you can easily heat up your leftovers without second-guessing the time it would require to heat them up. The added 30-seconds button offers a quick way to add more time to heating up foods or foods that don’t require as much heating time. Frozen foods can be defrosted in it quickly with the defrost button. Other convenient features include an LED digital display and touchpad control panel and a removable glass turntable to ensure your reheated and frozen meals are cooked evenly.

Features

  • Dimensions: 12.52 x 17.70 x 10.20 inches
  • Material: Steel
  • Wattage: 700 watts
  • Capacity: 0.7 cubic foot

Pros

  • Heats up food evenly
  • Child safety lock
  • Powerful
  • Compact

Cons

  • No internal light
  • Unit might move around while you open and close the door

11. Commercial Chef CHM770B Countertop Microwave

4.3

The Commercial Chef Countertop Microwave Oven is just the right size and has just the right features. It is great for a small kitchen or dorm room. This product has all the convenient features of a large microwave, but it provides them without taking up too much counter space. The keypad controls of this microwave give you the option of inputting precise cook times, and the LED display lets you clearly see exactly how much time is left. The 6 one-touch quick-cook buttons are for items like popcorn and frozen dinners.

Features

  • Dimensions: 17.75 x 13.13 x 10.25 inches
  • Material: Plastic
  • Wattage: 700 watts
  • Capacity: 0.7 cubic foot

Pros

  • Quiet operation
  • Child safety lock
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • Not sturdy

When you spend less on an appliance, it does not necessarily mean that you are compromising on quality. When it comes to microwaves, you need to look at its capacity and its power in watts. The price can vary according to the different models and the features they offer. The list above gives you a detailed review of the best microwaves under $100 and provides you with a good perspective of the features you need to look out for. Grab one from this list to make your life in the kitchen a little simpler.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an 1100 watt microwave good?

When selecting a microwave, you should understand that the higher wattage of the microwave, the more powerful it is. An 1100 watt microwave is more powerful than its lesser wattage counterparts, and it will all heat up or cook your food fairly quickly.

What is the smallest microwave you can buy?

When selecting a microwave, it is important to check whether it can accommodate the kitchenware and crockery that you will use to heat up your food. The smallest microwave available in the market is 0.5 cubic foot in size. It takes up the least amount of space in the most compact of spaces, yet it can accommodate a dinner plate of about 8 to 10 inches easily.

How long do microwaves last?

The durability of a microwave depends majorly on how you use it. If you do not maintain your microwave, it may cut down its lifespan. How often and for how long it stays in operation for each use is also an important consideration. One must be cautious to not overheat the microwave’s motor by keeping operating for too many minutes at a stretch. Generally, a
microwave lasts for about three to eight years if maintained properly.

Do microwaves need a vent?

This completely depends on the size of the microwave and the space in your kitchen or wherever you decide to keep it. Many microwaves are designed with a built-in ventilation system that prevents your living space from smelling like the food you heated in your microwave. It also cools down the microwave quickly and prevents it from overheating. If you have a large oven that you use frequently, then it is a good idea to install its own separate vent.

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