Best 2021 microwave: Top selections for fast cooking, heating and defrosting

 

(Pocket-lint) - If you think about it compared to how long it was around for the microwave is a bit of a magical thing. For decades, we have been enjoying low-effort cooking with microwaves, but over the years, they have gotten better and better.

It's also one of those appliances that's a little hard to shop for-they mostly all look the same, and when you're trying to choose between different brands and models, it can be pretty hard to know what to look for beyond price.

We've rounded up the best models on the market for you with that in mind to give you a peek at some of the very best choices. To find out what made the cut, read on.

Our pick of the best microwaves to buy today

Panasonic NN-SF464MBPQ

We start with an instant twist of what you're expecting from the microwave. Instead of enabling you to place your food anywhere inside it while still having an even cooking treatment, this great model from Panasonic ditches the age-old tray. It has a capacity of 27 litres, more than enough for us.

The key advantage here is the extra room you gain from not depending on a tray, but it's also simple to use and has enough smarts to give a variety of auto-cooking and defrosting features. Like all the brands we've chosen, it has durability, too. What more could you have wanted?

Sage by Heston Blumenthal Quick Touch Crisp

However, if you want more of a personal touch on the computer that you carry into your kitchen, Sage may have the answer for you. The signature of Heston Blumenthal brings a bit of class to this microwave and oven combination. It can defrost your food, microwave it and even grill it and is pleasant and solid, resulting in shorter cooking times.

The controls are also quick and easy to use, despite having fairly complex choices if you want them, which is a perfect combination. Of course, considering Heston's pedigree, as you would imagine, it is not a cheap choice by any stretch.

Samsung MS28J5215AS

Samsung's microwave is a simple, cheerful choice if you want to spend a little less and don't mind that a celebrity chef has had a little input on its design. It's much less expensive, but it still has a good capacity of 28 litres and a variety of functions, including a plate warming option that we love (please start doing so if you're not warming your plates before eating hot food).

Given the price, its design is fairly slick, and may even give off the appearance of a larger investment than you have actually made, which is always welcome.

Russell Hobbs RHM2031

Russell Hobbs has made a great microwave here with a classic stainless steel build, and also packed pared-back controls, and managed to fit a grill in, too at a price that wouldn't typically get you extra features.

This makes it perfect and beneficial for various forms of cooking and finishing. Its 20-litre size for a microwave is also on the generous end, and a little extra space never hurts anyone in this town. One small function we're fond of is the delay timer, which allows you to put your dish in but stop it from starting for a period of time, helpful during the plating-up rush for preparing meals in advance and not having to think.

Alexa Smart Oven

Smart devices may often sound like answers to questions no one asked, a bit like, "What if a microwave could have Alexa?" Amazon was obliged to release the Alexa Smart Oven, but for now only in the US.

It makes this list in fairness, not for innovation, but because it is truly smart, allowing you to ask for unique cooking styles with your voice, and packing the package with convection oven, air fryer and food warming software. A temperature probe also allows you to check when items are cooked through, making for an almost unprecedented feature set. It's going to take some getting used to, though because you're going to have to deal with Alexa's definition of knowing what you're eating and when.

Bosch Serie 2 HMT72M450B

We have stripped it down to the simplest controls we have seen almost everywhere on the market for our final choice (with quality to go with them). This Bosch oven gives you a timer and a power dial, nothing more. The fact that both are analogue dials means that occasionally you will feel in the lap of the gods, however we believe it may be worth it for the simplicity you achieve.

Whatever your ready meal tells you to use, obey those directions, settings-wise, and you're away. There's just no need to make life more difficult sometimes.