What are the best microwaves around $200?

Question

CookingKitchenAppliancesMicrowaves

What are the best microwaves around $200?

4

Options
Considered

6

User
Recs.

Apr 18, 2020

Last
Updated

4 Options Considered

Best microwaves around $200	Price	Type	Capacity
-- Whirlpool WMC20005YW	$159.00	Countertop	0.5 cu. ft
-- LG LCRT2010ST	$150.00	Counter top	2 cu. ft.
-- Panasonic NN-SD372S	$125.99	-	-
-- Cuisinart CMW-200	$214.95	Counter top	1.2 cu-ft.

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score 3 · Answer 1

Whirlpool WMC20005YW

Top Pro

Ideal for tight spaces

This tiny microwave is only 15" wide and 14" deep, making it one of the smallest microwaves in the market. Additionally, the rounded back allows it to be seamlessly placed in a corner without taking too much space. See More

Top Con

Lacks power

The most noticeable downside of this microwave oven downside is the 750 W of maximum power which may not be enough for some foods. See More

Specs

Type:Countertop

Capacity:0.5 cu. ft

Top Pro

Intuitive controls

This microwave doesn’t have any control dials, knobs, or number pads. Instead, it uses nine touch sensitive buttons with a simple display. For standard reheating, you only need to press the start button to activate the microwave for 30 seconds. The rest of the buttons are clearly labeled and are meant for popcorn, power level or defrosting. See More

Top Con

Good only for the basic tasks

As this oven lacks some premium features, such as moisture sensors, special pre-sets, and multi-stage cooking capabilities, it is suitable only for basic tasks. See More

See All

score 1 · Answer 2

LG LCRT2010ST

Top Pro

Excellent cooking results

The unit has a moisture sensor that can determine if the food is ready. This feature works very well with frozen foods, that it can cook evenly without any cold or overcooked spots. See More

Top Con

No backlight for the buttons

Not only are the button themselves dark, they also don’t have a backlight. If your kitchen isn’t well-lit, this can be quite annoying. See More

Specs

Type:Counter top

Capacity:2 cu. ft.

Voltage:120 V

Available colors:Stainless steel

See All Specs

Top Pro

Great auto-cook options

This microwave has six auto-cook options to choose from. There are options for bacon, beverages, chicken nuggets, hot cereal, muffins, and frozen or fresh rolls. See More

Top Con

Bad for defrosting

The oven struggles with defrosting food. Doing this often results in a product being cold in the center and almost cooked on the edges. See More

Top Pro

Large capacity

The oven has 2.0 cu. ft. of cooking space, which is enough for most situations. The 16" wide turntable is suitable for a large pizza or plate. See More

Top Con

Control panel isn't intuitive to use

While the microwave offers a lot of features, it can become confusing to use them because of the myriad of buttons found on the control panel. See More

Top Pro

Good for popcorn

It can make popcorn almost perfectly using the preset mode. See More

Top Con

The display clock won’t stay on

The clock will turn itself off after 15 minutes. To see the time, you need to push the “stop/clear” button. This can be frustrating for people who use the microwave as a primary clock for their kitchen. See More

Top Pro

Very powerful

The oven is capable of 1200 W of power, which is enough to bake a potato in 3 minutes. This means it's more powerful than the majority of the microwaves at the same price point. See More

Top Pro

TrueCookPlus compliant

The oven is TCP compliant, which allows for hassle-free microwave cooking. If the food you bought has a TCP code, just enter it in the microwave and it will cook the food with the proper settings automatically. See More

Top Pro

Open door reminder

The microwave will beep periodically if the door is left open for a prolonged time. See More

Top Pro

Easy to clean

The curve-shaped cavity makes cleaning a lot more comfortable, compared to the standard square-shaped ones, that have hard-to-clean corners. See More

Top Pro

Great value for money

Priced at only $150.00, this microwave oven offers overall excellent performance. Additionally, its premium features, such as auto-cooking and TCP compliance, escalate its values even further. See More

Top Pro

Can melt soft food

There are special modes that allow you to melt or soften butter, cheese, chocolate, frozen juice, and other soft food. This reduces the risk of ruining the product by applying too much power. See More

See All

score 1 · Answer 3

Panasonic NN-SD372S

Top Pro

Small but spacious

This microwave measures just 20 inches wide, 15 inches deep and 11 inches tall. This allows it to be used in tight spaces, like tiny kitchens, sheds, or caravans. Despite the small size, it still has 0.8 cu-ft. capacity, which is enough for a full-size dinner plate or a bowl. See More

Top Con

Tricky to program

Unlike most of today’s microwaves that use large square buttons with symbols, this one features long, horizontal buttons and a small dial, making it trickier to use. To use some of the options ou have to do more than just press a single button. See More

Top Pro

Good for basic jobs

This unit features automatic cooking and reheating that works accurately in most cases. The popcorn setting tends to overcook the popcorn, so it's better to keep an eye on it. See More

Top Pro

Can keep food warm

The most standout feature of this compact microwave is its ability to keep the food warm for up to 30 minutes. It achieves this by sending small microwave bursts to the food, without overcooking it. See More

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score 1 · Answer 4

Cuisinart CMW-200

Top Pro

Ideal for baking, roasting, and grilling

Although microwaves are primarily used for reheating food and cooking simple snacks, this one does way more. It has a built-in convection unit and a grill, making this a very versatile appliance that can bake cakes, roast a chicken and make grilled sandwiches. It even has a reversible grill rack. See More

Top Con

Turntable is wobbly

The turntable is a bit unbalanced, which makes it hard to things such as boiling liquids, since they can splash out. See More

Specs

Type:Counter top

Capacity:1.2 cu-ft.

Voltage:120 V

Available colors:Stainless steel

See All Specs

Top Pro

Includes a recipe booklet

There is a complimentary recipe booklet included, so that you can fully utilize the features of the oven. See More

Top Con

Needs free space around it

Because of the grilling feature, the oven produces lots of heat. It requires at least 4 inches of open space on both sides of the microwave to run safely. See More

Top Pro

Store your favorite settings

You can save up to three different cooking procedures in the memory. See More

Top Con

Convection cooking could be better

While the convection feature works, it takes a while to cook the food to a crisp, compared to a good convection oven. See More

Top Pro

Multi-stage cooking

You can pre-program the oven to shift between functions automatically. For example, you can defrost a dish, then have it set to convection roast, and finish it off with a grill to brown the top. See More

Top Con

Lacks an open-door reminder

There is no beeping reminder to notify you that the doors have been open for a long time. See More

Top Pro

Two defrost modes

You can choose either to defrost by setting a specified time or by weight variation. See More

Top Con

Lacks moisture sensor

There are no sensors that can determine if the food is ready, so you have to rely on your knowledge or the instructions on the packaging. See More

Top Pro

Keeps your food warm

The oven can be set to keep your food warm while you don't take it out of the oven. See More

Top Pro

Good for cooking large meals

The oven has a total power of 1000 W for microwaving, 1500 W for convection cooking, and 1100 W for grilling. This makes it perfect for cooking large meals. See More

Top Pro

Stainless steel coating helps keep things clean and proper

The interior stainless steel coating doesn’t absorb odors and is easy to clean. See More

Top Pro

User-friendly control buttons

The buttons are large, visible, and easy to understand. See More

Top Pro

Can handle big volumes

The 1.2 cu ft. cavity is spacious enough to handle big food items or large amounts of food. For example, it's big enough to fit and grill an entire chicken. See More

See All

What are the best microwaves around $200?

4 Options Considered

Whirlpool WMC20005YW

My Recommendation for Whirlpool WMC20005YW

My Recommendation for Whirlpool WMC20005YW

Ideal for tight spaces

Lacks power

Intuitive controls

Good only for the basic tasks

LG LCRT2010ST

My Recommendation for LG LCRT2010ST

My Recommendation for LG LCRT2010ST

Excellent cooking results

No backlight for the buttons

Great auto-cook options

Bad for defrosting

Large capacity

Control panel isn't intuitive to use

Good for popcorn

The display clock won’t stay on

Very powerful

TrueCookPlus compliant

Open door reminder

Easy to clean

Great value for money

Can melt soft food

Panasonic NN-SD372S

My Recommendation for Panasonic NN-SD372S

My Recommendation for Panasonic NN-SD372S

Small but spacious

Tricky to program

Good for basic jobs

Can keep food warm

Cuisinart CMW-200

My Recommendation for Cuisinart CMW-200

My Recommendation for Cuisinart CMW-200

Ideal for baking, roasting, and grilling

Turntable is wobbly

Includes a recipe booklet

Needs free space around it

Store your favorite settings

Convection cooking could be better

Multi-stage cooking

Lacks an open-door reminder

Two defrost modes

Lacks moisture sensor

Keeps your food warm

Good for cooking large meals

Stainless steel coating helps keep things clean and proper

User-friendly control buttons

Can handle big volumes

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