7 Best Microwaves for Seniors 2023 [Features & My Experience]

The microwave for seniors are easy to operate compared to latest high-tech microwave ovens. I have suggested 7 best microwaves for seniors that are good in real-life performance based on my experience and my team’s research.

I have also shared my personal experience with each best microwave for seniors so that you can know if a microwave is good enough to buy for your needs. The seniors or elderly people deserve an easy life after retirement, therefore you should pick an easy to use microwave for seniors to let your parents cook their food easily.

Why Should Seniors Use a Microwave?

Seniors need a cooking gadget that is easy to operate and safe to use. A microwave meets both these requirements and provides faster cooking of all food dishes than any other gadget.

A gas stove or other gadget is not so safe for elderly people. Because the old-age people have low vision plus they are not so quick as young people.

While cooking or heating up food in a microwave, you don’t need to light a fire. The microwave oven generates electromagnetic waves for cooking the food. It provides safe and quick cooking with an easy to understand control panel.

So, the seniors should use a microwave to cook their daily meals safely without any risk of fire hazard.

7 Simple Microwaves for Seniors [My Experience]

After testing on a variety of microwave ovens, I have picked 7 microwaves for elderly users. Now, I will share all those microwaves with you so that you can choose a suitable one for your parents or others.

#1. Toshiba Smart Microwave with Alexa

Specification:

Food Capacity	1.3 Cubic Foot
Energy Consumption	1100W
Power Levels	10 Power Levels
Auto Cook Menus	23 Preset Menus
5 (Five) Star Ratings	73%

Toshiba Smart Microwave with Alexa is perfect microwave for seniors who like to operate a microwave with voice commands. It comes with built-in Wi-Fi to connect with Alexa device and with MSmartHome app on your phone.

The Alexa support allows you to operate this microwave for seniors with various voice commands. You can also operate it from its app to set timer and adjust its power level as required for cooking the food.

The microwave has 1.3 cubic foot capacity that is enough for cooking large meals.

It provides 23 preset menus for auto cooking pizza, popcorn, vegetables and other food items. It has 1-6 minute express cooking and +30-second button to allow easy and quick reheating jobs on demand.

With 10 power levels and 1100W power usage, it can cook all types of food dishes quickly and properly.

It has ECO mode to reduce power consumption when the microwave is in standby mode. It offers two defrost options for thawing frozen meat, chicken or vegetables. You can choose either time defrost or weight defrost function as you like.

My Experience:

I bought this Alexa microwave for my grandmother who is 70+ yet she can do all her work alone. She needs to cook food for herself only as my grandfather is no more. I helped her learn to operate this microwave with voice commands and she loved it.

After six months, she told me that this microwave for seniors makes her daily cooking job much easier than earlier. She can read control panel easily to set timer, power level and other settings. She didn’t face any issue.

#2. Comfee’ Compact Countertop Microwave Oven

Specification:

Food Capacity	0.7 Cubic Foot
Energy Consumption	700W
Power Levels	11 Power Levels
Auto Cook Menus	6 Preset Menus
5 (Five) Star Ratings	70%

Comfee’ Compact Countertop Microwave is a best space saver microwave for seniors with limited cooking needs. It comes with 0.7 cubic foot food capacity with a 10-inch glass turntable to hold your dinner plate perfectly.

The turntable rotates to cook the food evenly.

It is available in black, pastel green, red, cream and white colors. It provides 11 different power levels to let you adjust heat as needed for different food items.

You can also add 30 seconds to an ongoing cooking cycle and use 1-6 minute express cooking for fast cooking/reheating anytime.

This compact microwave oven has 6 auto cook menus for pizza, popcorn, potato, frozen veggies, beverage and reheat. It also has ECO mode to reduce power consumption. If you long-press 8 button, you can turn the sound on/off to cook with beeps or without beeps.

My Experience:

An old lady lives alone in my neighborhood. In April 2022, her old microwave stopped working and she asked me to get a compact microwave for seniors that she can operate easily. I bought this Comfee’ microwave for her and also helped her to install it in her kitchen.

She started using it in last week of April and there is no issue found in this microwave till today. She likes its bright display and easy to understand control panel, she is completely satisfied with the performance of this microwave oven.

#3. Galanz Retro Countertop Microwave Oven

Specification:

Food Capacity	0.9 Cubic Foot
Energy Consumption	900W
Power Levels	10 Power Levels
Auto Cook Menus	7 Preset Menus
5 (Five) Star Ratings	77%

Galanz Retro Countertop Microwave Oven is a medium size microwave for seniors and small families. It is made of stainless steel to offer long lasting use without rusting.

It has 0.9 cubic foot capacity and 10.5-inch glass turntable that rotates in 360-degree for even and efficient cooking.

This Galanz Retro Microwave provides 7 preset menus for popular food items and 10 power levels to give adjustable heating. It also has +30-second button to let you heat up food for more 30 seconds after the cooking cycle gets over.

It can defrost frozen food with time defrost and weight defrost modes. Its control panel has one large dial and five push buttons with a bright LED display so that the seniors can easily access all controls.

My Experience:

My mom and dad live in Vegas and are fond of retro design, so I decided to gift this microwave to them on my dad’s birthday. I went to Vegas after Christmas 2021 and helped to install this microwave at my dad’s place. Both my mom and dad were happy with the microwave.

After one year, I went to my parents again on Christmas to stay with them for a few days. My mom and dad use this retro microwave for seniors everyday, they have not faced any problem yet. But my mom told me that she cannot silence this microwave as there is no button for sound on/off. Everything else is great, it is a good microwave for seniors and others.

#4. Farberware Classic Microwave Oven

Specification:

Food Capacity	1.1 Cubic Foot
Energy Consumption	1000W
Power Levels	10 Power Levels
Auto Cook Menus	6 Preset Menus
5 (Five) Star Ratings	74%

Farberware Classic Microwave Oven is a 1000W microwave with 1.1 cubic foot food capacity. It is available in black, metallic red, platinum white, copper and stainless colors. It contains 12-inch turntable to hold a whole dinner plate properly.

The classic design makes it attractive and simple control panel allow seniors to use it with confidence.

This microwave has 6 auto cook settings for popcorn, pizza, potato and 3 others. For frozen meals, you can choose defrost by time or weight as your like.

It has a separate button for heating up beverage to avoid confusion.

It allows you to adjust heat/temperature with 10 different power levels. For quick cooking & reheating jobs, this simple microwave for seniors has 1-6 minute express cook buttons.

It also has +30-second button to add more time to current cooking cycle.

The Farberware takes of care of elderly people with its memory function. The microwave stores our favorite food settings to save your time when you want to cook the same food again.

It also has child lock function to lock the control panel to protect from unauthorized or accidental use.

My Experience:

Farberware Classic is a powerful microwave oven with all important features. Its simple design and easily accessible control panel make it best microwave for seniors and all age users. I bought this microwave for my in-laws.

It’s been 15 months and my mom and dad in-laws are using this microwave happily. They have told me about lack of sound on/off button in this microwave but they have never complained about its performance in cooking and reheating different food items.

Some people have faced buzzing noise problem with this microwave but my microwave has not shown up that issue yet.

#5. Commercial CHEF Compact Countertop Microwave

Specification:

Food Capacity	0.6 Cubic Foot
Energy Consumption	600W
Power Levels	6 Power Levels
Auto Cook Menus	NO Preset Menus
5 (Five) Star Ratings	73%

Commercial CHEF Compact Countertop Microwave is the simplest microwave oven for seniors with poor vision problem. It does not have any display or buttons but it has two large dials on its control panel which is clearly visible for old-age people.

It provides 6 different power levels including low, medium-low, medium, medium-high and high for cooking the food. It also has one power level called defrost for thawing frozen food items.

The second dial on its control panel is for timer, you can set the microwave timer from 1 to 30 minutes as needed for different food items.

It contains 0.6 cubic foot capacity with 9.5-inch rotating glass turntable to hold the food plate firmly and cook the food evenly.

My Experience:

I work in a pharma company and my boss asked me to get a simple microwave for his 80-year mom. I selected this compact microwave for seniors with only two dials on its control panel. I helped my boss’ mom to setup this microwave and helped her learn how to operate it.

It has been 10 months and the microwave works fine. I know that it lacks many features but my boss’ mom found it really good. She doesn’t need any child lock or auto cook functions. So, it is a perfect microwave for seniors who just want to cook the food manually.

#6. Nostalgia Retro Compact Countertop Microwave

Specification:

Food Capacity	0.7 Cubic Foot
Energy Consumption	700W
Power Levels	5 Power Levels
Auto Cook Menus	8 Preset Menus
5 (Five) Star Ratings	72%

Nostalgia Retro Compact Countertop Microwave is another microwave for seniors with limited counter space. It provides 0.7 cubic foot food capacity and 10-inch glass turntable.

It uses 700W power to run the microwave for cooking, reheating and defrosting various food items.

The compact size saves space and simple design allow ease of operation. The control panel has a bright LED display with 6 push buttons and one large dial.

It has 8 auto cook menus for popcorn, beverage, pizza, potato, frozen veggies and others.

You can use express cook function to heat up leftover meals quickly. The instant/start button lets you add 30 seconds to an ongoing cooking timer.

You can press add 30-second button 30 times to cook your food for up to 15 minutes more.

The interior light offers visibility of food during night time. It offers 5 power levels to cook food at different temperature as you want. It has a bright LED display to show up clock, timer, power level, auto cook menus and other settings. You can press the big knob/dial for 3 seconds to activate child lock.

My Experience:

After testing many different microwave ovens, I found this compact retro microwave for seniors by Nostalgia. My hubby wanted to gift a microwave to his aunt, so I bought this one. My hubby and I personally visited aunt’s place to give this microwave and help her set it up.

Our aunt has been using this simple microwave for 10-11 months. She lives alone, so she cooks all her food by herself. This microwave is really useful to her. Some users get time jump issue but our aunt told me that her microwave has not shown that issue yet.

#7. Breville Compact Wave Soft-Close Microwave

Specification:

Food Capacity	0.9 Cubic Foot
Energy Consumption	900W
Power Levels	10 Power Levels
Auto Cook Menus	Several Preset Menus
5 (Five) Star Ratings	77%

Breville Compact Wave Soft-Close Microwave is the last microwave for seniors in my collection. I have added this 0.9 cu ft microwave in the list for its traditional design and soft-close door system.

It allows quiet cooking to avoid disturbing other people in the house.

It comes with a digital LED display to show clock, timer and other settings of the microwave. It provides 10 different power levels to let you adjust heat between 10% and 100% to cook your food properly.

You can also use +30-second button to heat up the food for 30 seconds more.

It can thaw frozen meals with time defrost and weight defrost. It has auto cook buttons for popcorn, beverage and reheat. It also has a food menu button to quickly cook pizza, potatoes, vegetables and other food/snacks.

It contains a dedicated sound button to let you turn off the beeps. Its bright LED display, clear control panel and interior light provide great visibility to seniors for easy operation.

It also has child lock to disable control panel for preventing accidental use during a cooking cycle.

My Experience:

My maid told me that she lives with her mom who is 65 and she needs an all rounder microwave for seniors with a simple design. I ordered this Breville microwave for her mom in February 2022, my maid and her mom loved the color, design and functions of the microwave.

The microwave completed one year of daily usage last week. I asked my maid about good and bad things about the microwave. To my surprise, she thanked me for buying such an amazing microwave that her mom operates quite easily.

My maid and her mom don’t have any complaint about the performance of the microwave. They told me that this microwave doesn’t have ECO mode and I agreed. But it is just one function, everything else is great.

How We Picked Microwaves for Seniors

The selection of microwave ovens for seniors is challenging because the seniors don’t like complicated things. Some seniors have dementia and many have poor vision problem due to old-age. So, it is important to consider the health condition of seniors when picking a microwave for them.

In 2nd week of August, my team and I discussed about simple microwaves for seniors and then we started looking for them. After checking hundreds of microwave ovens at local and online stores, we picked 15 microwave ovens for research and testing purposes.

We bought all 15 microwave ovens and tested each microwave properly. After testing all microwaves, my team prepared a list of 7 easy to use microwaves for seniors that are actually good. So, this is how I found top 7 microwave ovens for senior people that I have shared here.

I hope that the my research and testing for microwaves will be useful for you. You can select any of my recommended 7 microwave ovens for your mom, dad, granny, aunt or any elderly person who is in need of a simple microwave.

Buying Guide: Things to Check in a Microwave for Seniors

When you want to buy a microwave for an adult, you want to include all innovative functions. On the other hand, you prefer a simple microwave oven for seniors when you are buying it for your parents or other elderly people.

The elderly people don’t like any complex functions of any gadget. Therefore I have prepared a buying guide to help you find the best microwave for seniors with an easy control panel. You need to check following things in a microwave for seniors at the time of purchase.

Compact or Medium Size:

The seniors don’t need a large microwave oven because they don’t cook large meals. You should choose a small to medium size microwave that is compact, lightweight and durable.

A microwave between 0.6 and 1.4 cubic foot food capacity is a perfect choice for seniors. You should avoid large microwaves that are heavy and offer complex features that are not useful for elderly people.

Easy to Understand Control Panel:

When you see a microwave for seniors, make sure than its control panel is easy to understand. For example: If there is defrost function, it should be clearly mentioned right on the button as written.

The control panel has clearly written features on each button and not confusing the user. It will help the seniors to understand the control panel and its importance.

Large Buttons and Dials:

The buttons and dials on the control panel of a microwave must be large and not tiny. The small buttons save space but the seniors can’t read small texts and can’t access small buttons easily. Therefore you should choose a microwave with large buttons and dials on its control panel.

Clear Visibility:

The microwave must offer clear visibility on its door glass and its control panel. The buttons and texts under them should be written in clear words with a bright color like white or silver to provide clear visibility.

Choose a microwave with see-through door so that the seniors can see the food inside during the cooking process. It will help them keep checking the food frequently to prevent overcooking or burning.

Easy Door Opening:

The microwave door can be opened either by pulling the handle or by pushing a button nearby door. Both ways are easy to access the door for seniors but you should know the comfortable way for your parents and choose a microwave accordingly.

Large and Bright Display:

The display of the microwave must be bright enough to be visible to seniors during daytime. The display size should be large and the elderly should be able to see it properly.

Auto Cook Settings:

The auto cook settings in a microwave allow one-touch cooking for popular food items. It may include popcorn, pizza, potato, beverage, frozen meals, reheat and dinner plate. The auto cook menus adjust power level and timer automatically to help seniors to cook/heat up common foods quickly and easily.

Safety Features:

You should choose a microwave with two main safety features i.e. child lock and auto shut off. The child lock disables the control panel to prevent unauthorized access and accidental use.

The auto shut off feature turns off the microwave when the timer is complete. It saves the food from getting overcooked or burned. Both safety features are very useful for elderly people who may forget to check the microwave after putting food inside it.

Voice Control (Alexa Support):

Some microwave ovens come with built-in Wi-Fi and Alexa support. You can connect such a microwave to Alexa app on your phone and operate the microwave with voice commands.

The seniors/elderly people can give voice commands to operate the microwave without touching its control panel. The microwave with Alexa or Google Assistant or Siri support allows handsfree operation and ease of use for everyone.

Sound On/Off Button:

Almost all seniors are allergic to beeps and other irritating noises. Therefore it is important to get a microwave with a dedicated sound on/off button so that you can turn off beeps to cook quietly.

After considering all the points shared here, you will be able to find an ideal microwave oven for seniors or old-age people.

FAQs about Microwave for Seniors

The seniors are not familiar with new innovations but they can still operate a microwave oven. Here I provide some important questions about microwave for seniors and their answers in brief as follows.

Q.1 What is the easiest microwave to use for seniors?

The easiest microwave to use for seniors is a microwave with a simple design, easy to read control panel, bright display & interior light and have basic cooking functions.

Q.2 Are microwaves safe to use for seniors?

Yes, microwaves are completely safe to use for seniors. Actually, the microwaves are safer to use for seniors compared to gas stove or other cooking gadgets.

Q.3 Can seniors use a microwave with Alexa?

Yes, seniors can use a microwave with Alexa. Therefore I recommend Toshiba Smart Microwave with Alexa that you can operate with voice commands for easy & quick cooking of daily meals.

Wrapping Up: Have an Easy Cooking after Retirement

The use of microwaves is not bound by age as they come in a variety of designs to meet the needs of students, teens, adults and seniors as well.

The microwave for seniors should be easy to understand. If you are looking for a simple microwave oven for elderly people then you should keep “easy of use” as a priority. Because the seniors can’t handle complicated functions of a microwave.