8 Best Smallest Microwave Oven in 2023 [My Experience]

Buying a smallest microwave oven is a wise decision for people with limited use of it. You should check the space available for a microwave in your kitchen or dorm before you select a best smallest microwave oven from my recommended options.

The size of a microwave does not make it good or bad, it is just about the need of the buyer. You should keep your needs in priority to pick the most suitable microwave oven from top 8 smallest microwaves shared here.

What sizes does a Smallest Microwave come in?

The microwaves come in various sizes from the smallest microwave oven with 0.5 cubic foot capacity to the largest microwave oven with 2.2 cubic foot capacity. It is important to know that the space requirement increases with the size of the microwave.

The requirement of counter space is least for the smallest microwave but the medium sized microwave requires more space and the large microwave requires even more.

Here I provide the smallest microwave oven dimensions for 0.5 to 0.9 cu ft microwave ovens.

Smallest Microwave Oven Dimensions [0.5 Cu Ft to 0.9 Cu Ft]
Smallest Microwave Oven Width	From 15-inch to 19-inch
Smallest Microwave Oven Depth (Closed Door)	From 12-inch to 16-inch
Smallest Microwave Oven Depth (Opened Door)	From 23-inch to 30-inch
Smallest Microwave Oven Height (except Whirlpool)	From 10-inch to 11-inch

When you think of buying the smallest microwave oven for your family, make sure that you have enough counter space in your kitchen for installing the microwave. You must consider the above table to understand required space, it will help you choose the right size microwave with confidence.

8 Smallest Microwave Ovens for Small Kitchens

The popular microwave brands make OTR, built-in and countertop microwave ovens in different sizes. Depending upon your needs and space availability, you can choose the smallest microwave oven for your kitchen or go with the medium or large microwave.

#1. Whirlpool 0.5 Cu Ft Microwave Oven

Specification:

Microwave Dimensions	15.375“W x 13.75“D x 14.125“H
Energy Consumption	750W
Power Levels	10 Power Levels
Auto-Cook Menus	Multiple Preset Menus
Five Star Ratings	66%

Whirlpool 0.5 Cu Ft Microwave is the smallest microwave oven ever made by any microwave brand. In terms of food capacity, it is the smallest microwave but it is not the smallest in terms of dimensions. It is 14.125-inch tall which is taller than any small microwave with 0.6 to 0.8 cubic food capacity.

It offers 10 different power levels to let you cook food manually with your desired heat level. It also has timer settings with an LED display for your convenience.

The auto cook menus provide easy one-button cooking of popcorn and other common food dishes.

If you want a super compact microwave that fits in a small corner of your kitchen counter then it is a perfect option for you. It contains a 11-inch glass turntable to hold a full dinner plate properly for heating up food from all sides.

It comes with a dedicated button for defrost for thawing frozen meals. Its smart control panel has child safety lock to disable all buttons to prevent accidental use by any child.

It uses 750W power and it also has add 30-second button like a standard microwave oven.

My Personal Experience:

The Whirlpool 0.5 Cu Ft Countertop Microwave is my favorite Smallest Microwave Oven. It has become the smallest microwave oven in my collection yet provides all necessary microwave functions. It also has +30-second button that I need to use almost everyday.

It uses 750W power with 10 different power levels, I have used it to cook daily meals. Honestly, it has cooked, reheated and defrosted all kinds of food items effectively. It’s been 10 months and I have never faced any error or problem while using this compact microwave in my rec room.

#2. Nostalgia Retro 0.7 Cu Ft Compact Microwave

Specification:

Microwave Dimensions	17.5“W x 13.5“D x 10.25“H
Energy Consumption	700W
Power Levels	5 Power Levels
Auto-Cook Menus	12 Preset Menus
Five Star Ratings	72%

Nostalgia Retro 0.7 Cu Ft Compact Microwave comes in 10 different colors. You can select it in your desired color that matches perfectly with kitchen interior. Even if it is one of the smallest microwave ovens for small kitchens, it has all necessary functions like a standard microwave from a reputed brand.

It provides 12 preset menus for popcorn, pizza, potatoes, veggies and other popular food items. For cooking all these dishes, you just need to select the food name from auto-cook settings, the microwave will adjust heating by itself.

This microwave has 6 power levels for adjustable cooking. It also has delay timer and express cooking for your convenience. You can thaw frozen food with time defrost or weight defrost option.

The bright LED display shows clock, timer and other microwave settings that you adjust time to time. It also has child lock to disable whole control panel so that your kids cannot access the microwave when you are out of kitchen.

My Personal Experience:

My younger brother (Paul) went to University of Chicago for further studies in April 2022. He was looking for a portable stove for cooking/reheating food but I suggested to get this smallest microwave oven from Nostalgia as it is a safer option.

In past 10 months, my brother has used this compact microwave everyday. He stays in the university dorm where he cannot use high power appliances. But this smallest and low wattage microwave is allowed there.

He came home on Christmas and told me that the microwave is awesome, it makes noise but nothing to complaint about performance.

#3. Commercial CHEF 0.6 Cu Ft Countertop Microwave

Specification:

Microwave Dimensions	17.75“W x 12.5“D x 10.25“H
Energy Consumption	600W
Power Levels	6 Power Levels
Auto-Cook Menus	NO
Five Star Ratings	73%

Commercial CHEF 0.6 Cu Ft Countertop Microwave is another smallest microwave oven for small families. It is available in two different colors i.e. black and white. It is made of stainless steel and protected with food-safe paint to allow safe use and prevent rusting.

It provides 0.6 cubic foot food capacity i.e. a little more than the Whirlpool Microwave. It has a simple interface with only two dials on its control panel. The top dial offers 6 power levels as low, defrost, medium-low, medium, medium-high and high. You can adjust the dial to set your desired power level required for the food.

The second dial has 1 to 30 minutes timer settings, you can set microwave timer up to 30 minutes. It contains a 9.5-inch glass turntable to hold any microwave-safe plate, bowl or container with food. With easy to understand control panel, it is not only the smallest but also the simplest microwave oven for easy cooking.

My Personal Experience:

I often like appliances that are easy to operate with least complications. Therefore I consider Commercial CHEF 0.6 Cu Ft Microwave as my favorite for its simple control panel. It misses many microwave functions yet has various power levels and timer settings needed to cook the food.

I bought and installed this compact microwave oven in my garage in February 2022. My husband and I have used this microwave for cooking, reheating and defrosting all food dishes and it has always impressed us with its performance.

If I compare this microwave with similar microwaves from other brands, it lacks child lock, sound on/off and preset menus like features. But this tiny microwave does its work in the best possible way, so I recommend it for people who want a simple small microwave oven for 2-3 a small family.

#4. Comfee’ 0.7 Cu Ft Countertop Microwave

Specification:

Microwave Dimensions	17.3“W x 13“D x 10.2“H
Energy Consumption	700W
Power Levels	11 Power Levels
Auto-Cook Menus	6 Preset Menus
Five Star Ratings	70%

Comfee’ 0.7 Cu Ft Countertop Microwave is an all rounder microwave in my collection of the smallest microwave ovens of 2023. It provides 0.7 cubic foot food capacity with 700W power usage and an easy to read control panel.

Its one touch start button activate the microwave quickly and ECO mode reduces standby energy consumption by 50%. It offers 11 different power levels from lowest to highest temperature as needed for different food items. Its 6 preset menus cook popcorn, pizza, potato and other things quickly.

This small microwave can thaw frozen food with time defrost and weight defrost functions. It also has memory function to remember your favorite food settings for quick cooking next time. The child lock prevent unauthorized access and sound on/off button allows to mute the microwave for quiet operation.

It has 1-6 minute express cooking function to cook any food at full power as and when needed. The +30-second button allows to heat up food for 30 seconds more during an ongoing cooking cycle. Its bright LED display shows clock, timer and important settings that you set/adjust on the microwave.

My Personal Experience:

A middle-aged couple lives in my neighborhood, they needed the smallest microwave oven for cooking meals for 2 persons. I recommended this countertop microwave from Comfee’ and they agreed. It’s been 15 months and the couple is very happy with this microwave.

For the first month, I helped the lady to learn how to operate this full functional microwave. Now, she cooks all kinds of food dishes and reheats leftovers easily.

Based on this experience, I consider this tiny microwave as the best cooking appliance that saves space, energy and money at the same time.

#5. BLACK+DECKER 0.7 Cu Ft Digital Microwave Oven

Specification:

Microwave Dimensions	17.3“W x 13“D x 10.2“H
Energy Consumption	700W
Power Levels	10 Power Levels
Auto-Cook Menus	6 Preset Menus
Five Star Ratings	70%

BLACK+DECKER 0.7 Cu Ft Digital Microwave Oven is a space saver microwave for small spaces. It is compact enough to fit in a corner of your kitchen or guest room without pushing other appliances.

With 0.7 cubic foot food capacity, it has an easy to open door with a push button. Inside the microwave, it contains a 10-inch glass turntable to hold the food bowl, you can remove the turntable for cleaning purposes. The door has see-through glass to let you see the cooking process.

It has 10 different power levels and 6 pre-programmed settings for auto-cooking popcorn, pizza, potato, frozen veggies and 2 others. The child safety lock and +30-second button make it very convenient to use for everyone.

To thaw frozen meat or chicken, you can use this smallest microwave oven with time defrost or weight defrost button. Its memory function stores your favorite food settings to make it easy to cook next time.

My Personal Experience:

I work at a pharma company, my colleague (Jane) asked me to get her the smallest microwave oven for cooking small meals. I thought that this compact microwave by BLACK+DECKER would be perfect for her.

The color, design and easy to read control panel created a good impression on Jane. She has been using this digital microwave oven for 9 months yet have no complaints. She told me that there is no mute button on the microwave but everything else works great.

#6. Galanz Retro 0.7 Cu Ft Microwave Oven

Specification:

Microwave Dimensions	17.9“W x 13.8“D x 10.3“H
Energy Consumption	700W
Power Levels	6 Power Levels
Auto-Cook Menus	6 Preset Menus
Five Star Ratings	77%

Galanz Retro 0.7 Cu Ft Microwave Oven is made with the fun retro design in red and black colors. It comes with a 9.6-inch glass turntable that rotates in 360-degree to cook the food evenly.

It makes 3 beeps sound when the cooking process is over and your food is ready to get out of the microwave.

Its control panel has a round-shaped LED display, five buttons arranged in round shape and a large dial. It has 6 variable power levels that you can set as needed for different food dishes. It also has 6 preset menus for auto cooking beverage, potato, pizza, popcorn, reheat and frozen dinner.

It has a quick start button on the dial, you can press it to add 30 seconds more to the ongoing cooking process. If you want to add 90 seconds, you need to press the quick start button 3 times.

The interior light lets you see your food being cooked inside the microwave. The child lock function locks all buttons to prevent unauthorized access when you are not nearby. Overall, it is the smallest microwave oven with retro design and all important functions to offer best value for your money.

My Personal Experience:

Galanz Retro Microwave Oven is a perfect microwave for dorms and kitchens with limited counter space. I bought this smallest microwave in retro red color in November 2021 and gifted it to my maternal aunt who lives alone in Mississippi.

My aunt is 50+ but she has keen interest in new technology. So, she learned how to operate this microwave in one week and it’s been one year & 2+ months. She told me that this tiny microwave is very powerful and accurate for cooking a variety of food dishes.

After using this microwave for such a long time, my aunt is very happy with it. She once told me that she can’t silence the microwave and I told her that it doesn’t have the mute button. But everything else is fine with this microwave.

#7. GE 0.7 Cu Ft Countertop Microwave Oven

Specification:

Microwave Dimensions	17.25“W x 13“D x 10.13“H
Energy Consumption	700W
Power Levels	10 Power Levels
Auto-Cook Menus	6 Preset Menus
Five Star Ratings	57%

GE Appliances is known for its high quality and great performance. This GE microwave oven is a compact yet very powerful and full functional microwave in black, white and stainless steel colors.

It has 0.7 cubic foot food capacity and 700W power consumption. It comes with an optional hanging kit, so you can use it as a countertop microwave or hang it on wall underneath the cabinet to save your counter space.

Even if it is the smallest microwave oven in market, it has 10.75-inch glass turntable. The turntable can hold a whole dinner plate and it rotates in 360-degree to cook the food evenly. It has 10 power levels that you can set/adjust as per your need.

For quick cooking, it offers 4 auto cook settings for beverage, popcorn, potato and reheat. For frozen meals, you can choose auto defrost or time defrost option. The sound button lets you mute the microwave immediately, while add 30-seconds button allow to heat up food for more 30 seconds.

My Personal Experience:

My hubby and I go to our farmhouse on weekends to have some fresh air from so many plants and trees. I got this GE microwave in July and started using it immediately. Every weekend, I cook my whole family’s food in this small microwave oven.

We have a caretaker for plants & trees, I asked him to use the microwave for himself only. So, the microwave is in use almost everyday since July 12 and we are completely satisfied with it.

Some people have complained about paint inside of the microwave start peeling after one year but my microwave doesn’t have any paint issue yet.

#8. Panasonic 0.8 Cu Ft Microwave Oven

Specification:

Microwave Dimensions	19.2“W x 14.81“D x 11“H
Energy Consumption	950W
Power Levels	10 Power Levels
Auto-Cook Menus	6+ Preset Menus
Five Star Ratings	66%

Panasonic 0.8 Cu Ft Microwave is the last smallest microwave oven in my collection. It comes with inverter technology to provide even cooking and keep the soup/beverage warm until they are ready to serve. It uses 950W power which is highest in all 8 microwave ovens in the list.

It comes with 6+ auto cook settings for pizza, pasta, popcorn, oatmeal, soup, frozen veggies and many more. It also provides 10 various power levels to let you adjust heat as needed for different food items.

The inverter technology provides turbo defrost for thawing frozen meals faster and more effectively. Its built-in genius sensor detects food as you put it inside and adjusts the heat level automatically to cook it properly. It saves your time yet cooks your food evenly, on time.

Its beep sound is not too loud, so you won’t need to silence it even if you cook at late nights. It also has child safety lock to prevent unauthorized access by children. The bright LED display shows clock, timer and other important stuff about microwave settings.

My Personal Experience:

The Panasonic Microwave with Inverter Technology offers more interior space than all 7 small microwave ovens above. I selected this microwave for the canteen at my workplace. With 0.8 cubic foot space, it can accommodate up to 4 people’s meal at once.

My boss asked me to get a microwave for canteen in September 2021. It’s been 16+ months and there is no complaint from my boss or canteen chef. So, the Panasonic microwave oven is really good.

I liked its genius sensor that detects food condition for setting power level and timer automatically. Its LED display is less visible if there is sunlight around it otherwise it is a perfect microwave oven for everyday use.

Is a Small Microwave Oven Worth It?

Yes, a small microwave oven is worth it because it is as good as a standard microwave oven. It is just smaller in size but it can cook all types of food items of all conditions. You can use it for cooking daily meals, thawing frozen meat or chicken and reheating leftovers.

The small microwave saves space, saves energy and saves money. So, it is the best option for people with limited usage of the microwave or have limited counter space in their kitchen.

Who Should Get the Smallest Microwave Oven?

Any person of family who want to save space and money should get the smallest microwave oven for their kitchen. Due to compact size, such a microwave can fit easily in tight spaces, so you can install it on a small part or corner of your kitchen counter to save space for other appliances.

The need of a small microwave is not about lack of space or low budget only. If you have a small family or you live alone then you should get a small microwave oven over any standard microwave. Because there is no need to get a large microwave if you want to cook food for 1, 2 or 3 persons only.

In this way, the small microwaves are designed for small families and families with small kitchens or limited counter space. By choosing a small microwave, you can fulfill your daily cooking need yet save space and reduce electricity bills.

FAQs about Smallest Microwave Oven

The small microwave ovens are popular among people who have limited space and low budget. Here I provide some FAQs about

Q.1 What is the smallest size microwave oven?

The smallest microwave oven is a combination of low wattage, limited food capacity, compact size, lightweight and affordable price yet capable to cook all types of food dishes.

Q.2 Can a microwave fit in a 12-inch cabinet?

Yes, a microwave can fit in a 12-inch cabinet but make sure that you provide enough clearance space for ventilation.

Q.3 Will a smallest microwave fit a dinner plate?

Yes, a smallest microwave will easily fit a dinner plate to let you heat up your whole dinner at once. You can pick any of the 8 microwave ovens given above and use it to reheat your dinner plate everyday.

The bottom line:

People with small kitchens often aim for the smallest microwave oven that can save space yet have all necessary functions.

The small microwaves are underrated because of their size and low food capacity. But people with small kitchens or small families believe that they don’t need a large microwave oven that occupies more counter space and high electricity.

Therefore they prefer a smallest microwave for tight spaces to fulfill their daily cooking needs.