Five microwaves, from a compact solo to a flatbed combination oven, researched from manufacturer documents, with plain explanations of type, size, wattage and fitting.
Choosing a microwave comes down to a few practical questions. What do you want it to do beyond reheating? Will your biggest plate and dish fit inside, and turn? Does the number on the box mean what you think it means? And is there room on the worktop, with a UK plug close by and clear air around it? Those questions matter more than most feature lists.
This guide takes five countertop models as worked examples of the main choices: a compact solo, a standard solo, a grill model with inverter power, a combination model with convection, and a flatbed combination. They were chosen because the manufacturer’s own documents are clear and each one matches an exact Amazon.co.uk listing, not because they are the best of their kind. They are not a ranking. Our Microwaves listing covers more models, with a short card for each.
Shopicks has not tested any of them. Everything here comes from manufacturer pages, specification sheets and manuals read on 14 October 2026, plus UK safety advice, and the guide says where a figure is missing or contested rather than guessing.
Compact solo
Panasonic
A small touch-control solo microwave. Panasonic says its compact outside size and 255 mm glass turntable can still handle large plates and standard dishware.
Research-based assessment
Our assessment is based on product specifications, manufacturer information, market research and comparison with competing products. We have not physically tested this product.
One or two people with a small kitchen who mostly reheat, defrost and cook simple meals.
Panasonic UK’s page for the NN-E27JW range prints the power levels, both sets of dimensions and the turntable size, and the Amazon.co.uk listing carries the NN-E27JWMBBQ model number. It represents the compact solo in this guide. Panasonic’s site blocks automated access, so we read an archived copy from 27 February 2026. We have not tested how it heats compared with other microwaves.
Standard solo
Samsung
A conventional-size solo microwave whose specification separates the 800 W it delivers to food from the 1150 W it draws, which makes it a clear worked example of the wattage question.
Research-based assessment
Our assessment is based on product specifications, manufacturer information, market research and comparison with competing products. We have not physically tested this product.
Households that want a conventional-size solo microwave for reheating, defrosting and simple cooking.
Samsung UK’s page lists the output, the consumption, the cavity, the turntable and the outside size, and the Amazon.co.uk listing carries the MS23K3513AK model number. It represents the standard solo. The listing’s own detail rows disagree with Samsung on power consumption and power levels, so we quote only Samsung’s figures. We have not tested it against other solo models.
Grill with inverter
LG
A 25 L grill microwave with a touch panel and Smart Inverter power control. LG lists the microwave, grill and combined consumption separately, so you can see how the three figures relate.
Research-based assessment
Our assessment is based on product specifications, manufacturer information, market research and comparison with competing products. We have not physically tested this product.
People who want browning and crisping and a clearly documented inverter, without the size of a combination model.
LG UK’s page has a full specification grid, and the Amazon.co.uk listing carries the MH 6535 GIS model number, although its title is only that code. It represents the grill-plus-inverter choice. We have not compared how evenly it heats with other microwaves.
Combination with convection
Panasonic
A 27 L combination microwave that adds a quartz grill and a fan-assisted oven to an inverter microwave, which is the route to baking and roasting in a microwave-sized appliance.
Research-based assessment
Our assessment is based on product specifications, manufacturer information, market research and comparison with competing products. We have not physically tested this product.
People with the worktop space who want to bake, roast and grill from one appliance as well as reheat.
Panasonic UK’s page lists the microwave, grill and convection specifications separately, which is what a combination model needs, and the Amazon.co.uk listing carries the NN-CD58JSBPQ model number. It represents the combination choice. We read an archived copy from 29 November 2025, and we do not quote Panasonic’s energy and time-saving percentages, which compare it with built-in ovens under Panasonic’s own tests. We have not tested it.
Flatbed combination
Panasonic
A flatbed combination oven with a drop-down door and no turntable, so the whole floor of the cavity is usable. Panasonic lists an inverter microwave, a grill and a 30 to 200 °C oven that heats from the top and bottom elements, with no convection oven listed.
Research-based assessment
Our assessment is based on product specifications, manufacturer information, market research and comparison with competing products. We have not physically tested this product.
People who cook from trays and rectangular dishes and want a flatbed with grill and oven modes.
Panasonic UK’s page documents the flatbed layout, the oven range, the accessories and the dimensions, and the Amazon.co.uk listing carries the NN-DF38PBBPQ model number. It represents the flatbed choice. The page contradicts itself on microwave and grill wattage, which is why none is quoted, and we read an archived copy from 22 November 2025. We have not tested it.
| Panasonic NN-E27JWMBBQ | Samsung MS23K3513AK | LG MH6535GIS | Panasonic NN-CD58JSBPQ | Panasonic NN-DF38PBBPQ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Solo | Solo | Grill, inverter | Combination, inverter | Flatbed combination, inverter |
| Capacity | 20 L | 23 L | 25 L | 27 L | 23 L |
| Microwave output | 800 W | 800 W | 1000 W | 1000 W | Conflicting figures |
| Power consumption | Not printed | 1150 W | 1150 W microwave | Not printed | Not printed |
| Grill and oven | None | None | Grill (900 W consumption) | 1300 W quartz grill; 100 to 220 °C convection | Grill; 30 to 200 °C oven |
| Microwave power levels | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Turntable | 255 mm | 288 mm | 292 mm | 340 mm | Flatbed |
| Interior (as printed) | 306 x 308 x 214 mm (W x D x H) | 330 x 211 x 324 mm (W x H x D) | 322 x 223 x 334 mm (W x H x D) | 359 x 352 x 217 mm (W x D x H) | Not quoted |
| Outside (as printed) | 443 x 330 x 258 mm (W x D x H) | 489 x 275 x 374 mm (W x H x D) | 476 x 272 x 387 mm (W x H x D) | 520 x 395 x 310 mm (W x D x H) | 483 x 412 x 313 mm (W x D x H) |
| Net weight | 11 kg | 12.0 kg | 8.90 kg | 13.8 kg | 18.0 kg |
| May suit | A small kitchen and simple reheating | A conventional solo for everyday use | Browning without a combination model | Baking and roasting with the space | Trays and rectangular dishes |
A solo microwave heats, reheats and defrosts, and cannot brown food. A grill microwave adds a grill element, so it can crisp the top of a dish or toast bread as well. A combination microwave adds an oven function on top of that, and manufacturers build it in different ways: some use convection, which is fanned hot air as in a fan oven, while others use another system such as top and bottom heating elements. Which? describes the same three types and says combination models can roast, crisp and brown like conventional ovens, so confirm the heating method in the documentation for the exact model.
The trade is size and complexity. Which? says grill models are usually the same size as solo ones and cost less than combination models, and combinations are larger. The Panasonic NN-CD58JSBPQ lists 520 x 395 x 310 mm and 13.8 kg against 443 x 330 x 258 mm and 11 kg for the compact solo above. Choose a combination model if you would genuinely bake or roast in it, and a solo or grill model if you mostly reheat.
A grill model is not a cut-down combination model. LG’s grid for the MH6535GIS lists Convection Bake as ‘No’, and Bosch lists the FEL023MS2B as a microwave with grill and gives no convection mode, so neither is described as baking the way the Panasonic NN-CD58JSBPQ is. Even among combination models the oven differs: Panasonic lists a 100 to 220 °C fan-assisted convection oven for the NN-CD58JSBPQ and convection and air fry modes for the NN-CT56RBBPQ, but for the flatbed NN-DF38PBBPQ it lists a 30 to 200 °C oven with top and bottom heating and no convection oven.
Start with who you cook for and what you cook. Reheating a plate of food for one or two people rarely needs more than the smaller sizes. A household that heats a casserole dish or cooks a roast in a combination model will want more room. Which? notes that some models ‘will struggle to squeeze in a 28cm-wide plate’, so trying your own plate for size is a better test than any litre figure.
A litre figure is a volume. Which? says a manufacturer’s capacity does not tell you what size of dishes will fit, and the manufacturers’ own dimensions show why. The compact solo is listed at 20 L with an interior 306 mm wide and 214 mm high, the Samsung at 23 L with 330 mm by 211 mm, the LG at 25 L with 322 mm by 223 mm and the Panasonic combination at 27 L with 359 mm by 217 mm. Across those four, the heights vary by only 12 mm while the widths vary by 53 mm, so extra litres come mostly from width and depth, not height, which does not help a tall dish.
Compare the turntable too. A plate has to be able to rotate, so a 255 mm turntable limits the plate you can spin more than a 340 mm one. Makers print dimensions in different orders, so check the axes before comparing, as the table above does.
Two wattage figures can appear on one microwave. Output, or cooking power, is the microwave energy delivered to the food. Power consumption is what the appliance draws from the socket, and it is higher because the magnetron, fan, light and controls all take power. Samsung prints an 800 W output and a 1150 W consumption for the MS23K3513AK, and LG prints a 1000 W output and a 1150 W microwave consumption for the MH6535GIS. Bosch lists an 800 W top microwave level against a 1270 W connection rating for the FEL023MS2B.
Do not treat the two as the same, and do not use one to guess the other. A higher output does not automatically mean faster cooking, either: Which? says it has found 700 W microwaves that cook as well and as quickly as 1,000 W models, and that tested output can differ from the rating. Nor can you tell from a lower output figure that a microwave costs less to run, so this guide makes no running-cost comparison and quotes no tariffs.
For combination models, keep the figures apart as well. Panasonic lists a 1000 W microwave, a separate 1300 W quartz grill and a 100 to 220 °C convection oven for the NN-CD58JSBPQ, and those are three different functions. Where a manufacturer’s own page disagrees with itself, as Panasonic’s does for the NN-DF38PBBPQ, the honest answer is that the wattage is unclear until you see the rating label or the manual.
A turntable spins the dish through the microwave field and has a plate to lift out and wash. A flatbed has no turntable, so the cavity floor is flat and a rectangular dish is not limited by a spinning plate. Which? lists extra cooking space as the main advantage of a flatbed and says flatbeds are on average more expensive. Panasonic says the NN-DF38PBBPQ has no turntable, so you can use its enamel tray or rectangular cookware, and that the flat interior can simply be wiped down.
Inverter is a separate feature. It is about how the microwave power is controlled, not the cavity shape, and either layout can have it. Panasonic and LG both say inverter power control gives more even heating or defrosting, and LG says its Smart Inverter gives power control from 1,000 W down to 300 W. Those are manufacturers’ claims and we have not tested them. Bosch adds a footnote that its inverter technology regulates output to 600 W in longer operation, which shows why the headline wattage is not the whole story.
Controls come in three styles. Mechanical dials are simple and are used by some basic models. Digital or touch controls offer more programmes and finer power levels. Hybrid models, such as the Bosch FEL023MS2B with its rotary dial and membrane keys, put a dial and buttons on the same panel. Which? describes the same three styles. A button you can find without looking matters more day to day than a long programme list.
Check the features you would really use. Defrost is the one most people need: Samsung says the MS23K3513AK’s Quick Defrost calculates a time for five common food types, and the Panasonic NN-E27JWMBBQ has three auto defrost programmes. A child lock or control-panel lock, which Samsung, Panasonic, LG and Bosch all list, stops the settings being changed by accident. It is a feature of the appliance, and is not a safety certification.
Measure the worktop and the gap under any wall cupboard before you compare features. Which? says the smallest models are about 30 cm deep, while most fall between 35 and 45 cm and the largest combination models can pass 50 cm. The manufacturers’ outside depths above, from 330 mm to 412 mm, sit in the same range.
Ventilation is a matter for the manual, not a general rule. Bosch’s manual for the FEL023MS2B says to observe the ventilation clearances when fitting it into a unit, and Electrical Safety First says to keep a microwave’s vents clear and not to store anything on top of it. This guide does not give a clearance distance, because it differs by model: read the manual for the one you buy.
Electrical Safety First says a countertop microwave must have a UK 3-pin plug with a fuse and should not be run from an extension lead. Check where the socket is and how long the cord is: Bosch lists a 130 cm cable for the FEL023MS2B. This guide covers freestanding models only: Electrical Safety First advises using a competent installer for a built-in microwave, which is a different purchase.
The first mistake is comparing litres alone: a bigger litre figure can come from a deeper cavity that does nothing for the dish you want to fit. Compare the interior dimensions and the turntable with your plate. The second is reading output wattage as speed or as running cost, as the wattage section above explains. The third is forgetting the space around the appliance, including the cupboard above, the cable and the vents.
A fourth is paying for modes you will not use. A combination microwave has more to learn and more to clean, and the extra capability only pays off if you will bake or roast in it. A fifth is assuming that metal is allowed. Electrical Safety First says never to put metal objects in a microwave, and Bosch’s manual says never to use metal containers in microwave-only operation. Supplied racks and trays are for the modes named in the manual, so follow it for each cooking mode.
The last is treating a feature as a safety guarantee. A child lock, a door switch or an ECO mode is a feature. It tells you nothing about certification, and Shopicks has not checked these models against recall notices, so register the one you buy with the manufacturer and use Electrical Safety First’s recall checker.
Electrical Safety First says to use only containers marked microwave safe, to avoid foam trays and plastic bags not made for microwave use, to clean the oven and turntable regularly, and to replace or repair the oven if the door or its seal is defective. Never leave food cooking unattended.
The Food Standards Agency says microwaved food can be very hot at the edges and still cold in the centre, that microwaves can heat in pockets, and that stirring or turning the food helps. It advises following the packaging or the microwave manufacturer’s guidance on stirring and standing, heating leftovers until they are steaming hot throughout, and reheating leftovers only once.
Our assessment is based on product specifications, manufacturer information, market research and comparison with competing products. The products on this page have not been physically tested by Shopicks.
A grill microwave adds a grill element for browning, so it can crisp and toast. A combination microwave adds an oven function as well, so it may also bake and roast, but it is larger and has more modes to learn. How that oven heats varies by model: some use convection, which is fanned hot air, and others use another system, such as the top and bottom heating elements on the Panasonic NN-DF38PBBPQ, so confirm the method in the manufacturer’s documentation for the exact model. Of the models researched here, the LG MH6535GIS is a grill model, and the Panasonic NN-CD58JSBPQ, NN-CT56RBBPQ and NN-DF38PBBPQ are combination models.
For one or two people reheating and defrosting, often yes, but check the interior size and the turntable against your largest plate. Panasonic lists the NN-E27JWMBBQ at 20 L with a 255 mm turntable and a 214 mm interior height, while the listed 23 L and 25 L examples have interior heights of 211 mm and 223 mm, within about a centimetre of it.
Not necessarily. Which? says it has found 700 W microwaves that cook as well and as quickly as 1,000 W models. The figure on the box is also usually the output, which is different from the power the appliance draws from the socket.
A flatbed has no rotating plate, so the cavity floor is flat and a rectangular dish is not limited by a turntable. Which? gives extra cooking space as the main advantage. The Panasonic NN-DF38PBBPQ is a flatbed combination model.
Follow the manual for the exact model. Electrical Safety First says never to put metal objects in a microwave, and Bosch’s manual says never to use metal containers in microwave-only operation. Combination models supply racks and trays for the modes the manual names, so do not assume they are safe in every mode.
No. This guide is based on manufacturer documentation and says so on every pick. Shopicks does not describe results it has not seen.
UK 3-pin plug and fuse, extension leads, clear vents, defective doors and seals, microwave-safe containers, metal, cleaning, registration and recall checking, and built-in installation.
Reheating leftovers: steaming hot throughout, reheat once, stir, hot edges and cold centres, and following the microwave manufacturer’s guidance on stirring and standing. The FSA’s older address, food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/cooking-your-food, redirects to this publication.
Solo, grill and combination types, checking that a plate fits, worktop depths, clearance under cupboards, flatbeds and control styles. Published 14 May 2020.
Grill and combination models compared, flatbeds, why stated capacity does not show dish size, and the finding that some 700 W microwaves cook as well as 1,000 W models.
Read from Internet Archive copies captured 27 February 2026 (NN-E27JW), 29 November 2025 (NN-CD58JSBPQ) and 22 November 2025 (NN-DF38PBBPQ), because Panasonic’s site refuses automated access. The NN-DF38PBBPQ copy was read again on 19 October 2026 to confirm its oven heats from top and bottom elements and lists no convection oven. The other two pages are in the Kitchen Appliances evidence dataset.
800 W output, 1150 W power consumption, six power levels, turntable, cavity and outside dimensions, weight and features.
Output, microwave, grill and combined consumption, Smart Inverter description, turntable, dimensions and weight.
Power levels, connection rating, inverter footnote, cable length, controls, and the manual’s advice on ventilation clearances and metal.
Used only to confirm the title, manufacturer and model number behind each ASIN. No Amazon prices, ratings, images or descriptions are used.
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