Compact Microwaves

Small and Compact Microwaves

A small microwave is bought for the space it does not take up, and at 17 to 20 litres it is the size that fits a flat, a bedsit, a caravan, a static home, an office kitchen, a student room or any fitted kitchen where the worktop is already full. The thing worth knowing is that a mini microwave is not a compromised one. A 17 litre cavity still takes a standard dinner plate, and reheating a meal, defrosting mince or warming milk works exactly the same as it does in a machine twice the size. What you give up is the ability to fit a large casserole dish, and a little speed.

Power is where the real difference sits at this size. A 700W microwave is the cheapest to buy and completely adequate for reheating, defrosting and warming, but packet instructions are generally written for 800W, so a 700W model wants roughly a quarter longer on most things. An 800W compact costs a little more and cooks noticeably faster, which is worth it if the microwave is doing real work rather than occasional duty. Controls are the other choice: manual dials are simpler, cheaper and have less to go wrong, while digital models add weight-based auto programmes, a clock and a timer, and are easier to set precisely.

Measure before ordering. A compact microwave still needs clearance at the back and both sides for its vents, so the gap in the units has to be larger than the machine. Check the interior finish as well, since a stainless steel cavity wipes clean far more easily than painted enamel and matters more in a small machine that gets used constantly. Colour is a genuine consideration at this size because the microwave is usually on display rather than tucked away, and black, white, silver, cream, red, grey and matte finishes are all stocked.

Russell Hobbs covers 17 litre 700W models through the Inspire and RHMM ranges in black, white, cream, grey and red, and the 20 litre 800W Bronte in matte black. Dimplex supplies 20 litre 800W microwaves in black, white and silver, manual and digital, with stainless steel interiors. Morphy Richards brings the Cassini digital range at 20 litres and 700W in olivine, outer space and moonless night, and the Felspar Clay range at 800W in china white, brown and flint grey. Sharp covers 20 litre 800W solo digital models in black and white, with Sona and Studio Collection on 700W manual microwaves in black, white and silver. For larger cavities see 23 litre and larger microwaves, and for the full range with buying guidance see microwaves.

A cheap microwave at this size is genuinely not a compromised one, because the technology is mature and a 20 litre 800W solo model does the same job at any price, which makes a sale the right moment to buy rather than a risk. Prices are live all year, so see what is reduced now on microwaves on sale.