Kitchen Appliances
Countertop microwaves from a compact 20 L solo to a flatbed combination oven, each matched to its exact Amazon.co.uk listing and checked against the manufacturer’s own documents. Choose the type first: solo models reheat and defrost, a grill adds browning, and a combination model also bakes. Then compare the interior with your biggest dish. Shopicks has not tested any of them.
Our editorial choice to illustrate this subcategory. Featured picks are not a ranking and are not the result of side-by-side testing.
A conventional-size solo microwave with six power levels and a ceramic enamel cavity, for reheating, defrosting and simple cooking.
Featured as the solo example because Samsung UK prints the microwave output, the electrical power consumption, the cavity size and the turntable diameter side by side, which makes it easy to judge against your own worktop and dishes. It illustrates the basic solo layout and is not a ranking.
May suit: People who mainly reheat, defrost and cook simple meals and want a conventional-size microwave without a grill.
Worth checking: Amazon.co.uk’s detail rows quote 800 W for power consumption and one power level, while Samsung UK prints 1150 W and six levels, so we quote only Samsung’s figures. Samsung gives the outside size as 489 x 275 x 374 mm: measure your worktop and the gap under any wall cupboard.
Checked against: Samsung UK (opens in a new tab)
Showing 10 of 10 products
A conventional-size solo microwave with six power levels and a ceramic enamel cavity, for reheating, defrosting and simple cooking.
A compact 20 L touch-control solo microwave for a small kitchen, with a 255 mm turntable and nine auto programmes.
A 25 L grill microwave with Smart Inverter power control and a touch panel, for browning without moving up to a combination model.
A compact 20 L freestanding microwave with a 1 kW grill, a rotary dial and a control-panel lock.
A large 28 L grill microwave with full digital controls, for people who want more cavity space and a grill for browning.
A compact 20 L grill microwave with fully digital controls, for a smaller kitchen that still wants browning.
A compact 20 L grill microwave with a touch control panel and an EasyClean interior, for reheating with occasional browning.
A 27 L combination microwave with inverter power, a quartz grill and fan-assisted convection, for baking and roasting as well as reheating.
A 27 L combination microwave that adds an air fry mode and basket to an inverter microwave, a quartz grill and convection.
A compact flatbed combination oven with no turntable, an inverter microwave, a grill and a 30 to 200 °C oven, for rectangular dishes and trays.
Before you buy
A solo microwave heats, reheats and defrosts, and the Samsung MS23K3513AK and Panasonic NN-E27JWMBBQ listed here are of this kind. A grill model, such as the LG MH6535GIS, the Bosch FEL023MS2B or the Sharp YC-MG81U-S, adds a grill element for browning. Which? says grill models are usually the same size as solo ones and cost less than combination models.
A combination model adds an oven function as well, so it may bake and roast, and the heating method varies by model. Panasonic lists a 100 to 220 °C fan-assisted convection oven for the NN-CD58JSBPQ, and the NN-CT56RBBPQ adds an air fry mode and basket. The NN-DF38PBBPQ is a flatbed combination with no turntable and a drop-down door, which Panasonic says suits rectangular cookware, and its oven heats from top and bottom elements rather than listing convection. The cost is worktop space: Panasonic lists the NN-CD58JSBPQ at 520 x 395 x 310 mm and 13.8 kg.
A litre figure is a volume. Which? points out that a manufacturer’s capacity does not tell you what size of dish will fit, so compare the interior dimensions and the turntable instead. Samsung lists the MS23K3513AK cavity as 330 x 211 x 324 mm with a 288 mm turntable, while Panasonic lists the NN-E27JWMBBQ interior as 306 x 308 x 214 mm with a 255 mm turntable.
Manufacturers print dimensions in different orders, so the cards quote them with the axes the maker gives. Hold your largest plate and your deepest dish against the figures, and remember that a turntable has to be able to turn.
Microwave output is the energy delivered to the food. Power consumption is what the appliance takes from the socket, and it is higher. Samsung prints an 800 W output and a 1150 W consumption for the MS23K3513AK, LG prints a 1000 W output and a 1150 W microwave consumption for the MH6535GIS and a 700 W output against 1000 W for the MH6042D, and Bosch lists an 800 W top level against a 1270 W connection rating for the FEL023MS2B.
Do not read a bigger output figure as faster cooking, or a smaller one as a lower bill. Which? says it has found 700 W microwaves that cook as well and as quickly as 1,000 W models, and the cards do not compare running costs. Where a manufacturer’s own page gave conflicting wattages, as Panasonic’s does for the NN-DF38PBBPQ, we quote none.
Controls differ more than the specifications suggest: Bosch lists a rotary dial with membrane keys, Samsung, Panasonic and LG list tact or touch panels, and Sharp lists full digital control. A flatbed has no plate to lift out, and Panasonic says that makes the NN-DF38PBBPQ interior easy to wipe down. Samsung describes the ceramic enamel cavity of the MS23K3513AK as easy to keep clean.
Electrical Safety First says a countertop microwave must have a UK 3-pin plug with a fuse, should not run from an extension lead, and needs its vents kept clear with nothing stored on top. Bosch’s manual says to observe the ventilation clearances when fitting a freestanding model into a unit, so read the manual for the exact model instead of relying on a general figure. Use only microwave-safe containers, and follow each manual on metal: Bosch’s says never to use metal containers in microwave-only operation.
We chose countertop models that show different types, sizes and controls, not different colours of the same model, and we left out any model whose exact Amazon.co.uk listing or manufacturer specification we could not confirm. Panasonic’s UK site blocks automated access, so its pages were read from archived copies. The two Sharp models rest on Sharp’s UK datasheets and operating manual, read on 19 October 2026, plus its UK product page for the YC-MG81U-S.
The list is not a ranking and makes no claim about sales or value. One card is marked as a featured example to illustrate the page, and the card says why. Prices, stock, star ratings and review counts are not shown because Amazon only permits them from its own site, so each button takes you to Amazon.co.uk to check the current price and availability.
UK 3-pin plug and fuse, extension leads, clear vents, defective doors and seals, microwave-safe containers and metal.
Solo, grill and combination types, flatbeds, capacity versus dish size, and the finding that some 700 W microwaves cook as well as 1,000 W models.
Each card’s source links are recorded in the Kitchen Appliances evidence dataset; Panasonic’s pages were read from Internet Archive copies.
Specifications and features for the two exact UK models; the manual and datasheets are linked from Sharp Consumer UK’s support library and are recorded in the Kitchen Appliances evidence dataset.
Buying guide
A research-based UK microwave guide explaining solo, grill, combination and flatbed models, capacity, wattage and ventilation, with five examples checked against manufacturer documents.
That depends on what you cook. A solo model covers reheating and defrosting, a grill model adds browning, and a combination model also bakes and roasts but needs more room. The buying guide sets out the trade-offs, and this list does not rank the models.
Freestanding countertop models only. Built-in microwaves differ in installation, dimensions and electrical requirements, and Electrical Safety First advises using a competent installer for one, so they are a different purchase and are not listed here.
Amazon only permits prices, ratings and review counts to be shown from its own site or API, and a stale value would mislead you. Each button links to the Amazon.co.uk listing, where you can see the current price, availability and customer reviews.
No. The cards are based on each manufacturer’s own product page, specification sheet or manual, matched to the Amazon.co.uk listing. We do not describe cooking results we have not seen.