As budgets are also being impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, many households are looking for alternative and cheaper cooking methods. Microwave cooking is a brilliant, energy-efficient option, as there’s no need to wait for the oven to heat up or to turn on the hob – making it a more sustainable option in some cases. To help you with your choice, we’ve highlighted the wattage of each microwave in this list too.
We’ve been gathering deals on plenty more kitchen appliances too: check out our pick of the best air-fryer deals, coffee machine deals and fridge-freezer deals for more savings.
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For recipes, resources and ideas for how to eat well on a budget, discover our Cook Smart campaign. Or visit our reviews section for more than 600 practical buyers’ guides offering unbiased advice on what equipment is worth investing in. Find everything from the best food processors to other energy efficient kit such as the best air-fryers and best slow cookers.
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Microwave deals at a glance
- Amazon – Spring Deals Days are live, ending 25 March
- Currys – get up to 30% off thousands of products
- Very – 100s of deals across home and electricals
- Hughes – microwaves from £69 with free delivery
- Harts of Stur – savings on the RRP of top-rated microwaves
- John Lewis and Partners – up to £60 off selected microwaves
- JD Williams – deals on top-rated products from Sharp, Swan and Russell Hobbs
- Robert Dyas – up to 25% off small cooking appliances
- Appliances Direct – save up to 40% on microwaves, kettles and toasters
- Boots Kitchen Appliances – deals across dishwashers, fridge freezers and more
- Argos – Easter offers on air-fryers, microwaves, toasters and more
- AO.com – save on large appliances, including fridge-freezers and ovens
All of these brands are competing for your attention, so they’ll be watching their rival brands’ deals and discounts closely and adjusting their prices accordingly. We’ve also seen brands like John Lewis and Partners, AO and Currys offering a price-match promise in the past. Keep an eye out for added extras on prices that appeal to you, such as free delivery.
Microwave deals 2024
Sharp digital combination microwave
Best flatbed microwave
Star rating: 4.5/5
Wattage: 900W
With a 25-litre capacity, this flatbed microwave has a large footprint but is impressively versatile. It comes with grill, convection and defrost settings alongside its standard microwave function, and a baking tray and grill rack are also included.
The microwave hums quietly in use and retains heat well, and the flatbed interior is easy to wipe down. We also achieved great results when using the jacket potato preset – our potato had crisp skin and was soft and fluffy in the centre.
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Sage The Combi Wave 3-in-1 microwave oven
Best combination microwave overall
Star rating: 5/5
Wattage: 1100W
This microwave is ideal for families with endless clever functions and is easy to use. It’s not only handsome looking, but solidly built with a self-closing door, which is a game-changer. The 3-in-1 model merges air-frying, convection and microwaving cooking, making it a breeze to cook with different methods and the Element iQ inverter system cleverly diverts power to where it’s needed most.
Read the full Sage The Combi Wave 3-in-1 microwave oven review.
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Russell Hobbs RHM1731 Inspire microwave
Best value microwave
Star rating: 4.5/5
Wattage: 700W
Available in three colours, this compact microwave comes with five power levels and a defrost function. It’s also lightweight and easy on the eye, and we liked the textured dial and panel along the right-hand side.
Because this model uses a dial, the timings are less precise than you might get with a digital timer. It also slides across the worktop a little too easily, particularly when you pull the door open. On the plus side, it cooked our jacket potato very well and speedily defrosted a frozen chicken in just five minutes.
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Panasonic 4-in-1 combination microwave NN-DS59NBBPQ
Best combination microwave for families
Star rating: 4.5/5
Wattage: 1000W (microwave), 1350W (grill)
This chunky appliance is expensive but incredibly versatile, and now is the perfect time to make a saving on it. It has microwave, fan convection and grilling functionalities, not to mention an excellent steam setting and easy-to-use control panel.
We also loved the flexibility of having two levels to cook, and the rapid cooking results were equally impressive. While less suitable for a smaller kitchen, if you have the space it will make a valuable addition to your countertop.
Read the full Panasonic 4-in-1 combination microwave review.
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Samsung combination microwave MC28M6055CK
Star rating: 4.5/5
Wattage: 900W
This versatile microwave from Samsung comes with a range of features not often found on microwaves, including specific settings for proving dough and making yogurt. There are also options for cooking spinach, grilled salmon, and quinoa, ‘Slim Fry’ presets for onion rings and fries, and auto-reheat settings for dishes like frozen pizza. It has a large footprint and can be noisy during use, but it performed well when cooking and defrosting and the manual is impressively thorough.
Read our full Samsung combination microwave review.
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Beko Solo digital touch microwave MOC20130SF
Best microwave for medium-sized households
Star rating: 4/5
Wattage: 700W
Ideal for a household of three or four, this 22-litre Beko microwave comes with a variety of functions for specific tasks, including melting chocolate and reheating drinks. There are presets for pizza, pasta, fish, rice, steak and veggies, too, though we had to rely on the manual to identify some of the icons.
We liked its sleek touchscreen display and understated design, and though some of our cooking results were mixed, this model’s defrost setting was impressively speedy – and it consistently heated soup without splattering at all.
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Russell Hobbs Buckingham digital microwave
Best microwave for ease of use
Star rating: 4/5
Wattage: 700W
This Russell Hobbs Buckingham microwave got the basics right. For everyday defrosting and reheating tasks, this is a basic but sturdy and reliable option.
There are eight auto-cook functions for everything from reheating pizza, cooking pasta to cooking that microwave staple, a jacket potato. There are also useful child lock and auto-start functions.
Read our full Russell Hobbs Buckingham microwave review.
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Swan Retro digital microwave
Best microwave for small spaces
Wattage: 800W
Star rating: 4/5
This microwave is perfect for a smaller space and looks great on a countertop with its retro style and large choice of colours.
It comes with several additional functions such as defrosting by weight between 0.1 and 2kgs. It also has 12 auto-cooking programmes each with additional choices.
Read our full Swan Retro Digital microwave review.
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Russell Hobbs RHMD714G Scandi microwave
Best budget microwave
Star rating: 4/5
Wattage: 700W
Featuring soft-touch, wood-effect accents and a shiny mirrored door, this offering from Russell Hobbs is a fantastic model for those on a budget.
For basic microwaving tasks, this Russell Hobbs model did a pretty good job. Its 700-watt motor struggled to defrost chicken as quickly as we’d have liked, but if you’re looking for something on the more energy-efficient side, it’s worth considering.
Read our full Russell Hobbs Scandi microwave review.
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Sharp R959SLMAA combination microwave oven
Star rating: 4/5
Wattage: 900W
At 40 litres, this large multi-functional microwave is ideal for large households in need of extra cooking space. There are two cooking trays and two racks of different heights provided, alongside a large instruction manual with cooking and defrosting charts and 120 recipes.
All three main functions – cooking, grilling, and microwaving – performed well in testing, and we liked that the baked potato function allows you to input the number of potatoes you want to cook (rather than just weight).
The auto-cook functions for dishes like pizza and ready meals are also listed on the control panel, so you don’t need to keep referring back to the manual. Read our full Sharp combination microwave oven.
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Swan Nordic digital microwave
Best microwave for Scandi kitchens
Star rating: 3.5/5
This microwave has a matte finish which would make a stylish addition to any kitchen. With a 20-litre capacity this isn’t one for larger families but would work well for individuals, couples or small groups and, with a compact footprint, takes up minimal countertop space.
The microwave comes with eight pre-settings including pizza cooking, popcorn and reheating, and on test we found it intuitive and easy to use.
Read our full Swan Nordic digital microwave review.
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How to shop safely online
It’s easy to get swayed by a good deal, but if a price feels too good to be true, there’s a good chance that it is. When shopping online, try to avoid purchasing from sellers or websites you don’t recognise, or that have been suggested to you via social media – this way, you can reduce the risk of being duped by scams.
Rest assured, we will only ever add links to this page unless we’re 100 per cent familiar and comfortable with the brand. Try to always use the recommended secure payment methods when making your purchase, too, and avoid giving away personal data similar to security questions (such as the name of your first pet), as these can be used to guess passwords. Read more in our guide on how to avoid online scams.
Standard vs combination microwaves: what’s the difference?
If you’re undecided about whether to invest in a standard microwave or a combination model, here are a few key differences to consider:
Functionality: Combination (or combi) microwaves are essentially miniature ovens that allow you to cook, bake, or sometimes even air-fry – which means they tend to be more versatile. However, if all you need your microwave to do is reheat, fast-bake, or defrost, a standard model might be the way to go.
Size: Because most combi microwaves can do so much more than standard models, they tend to be quite a bit larger – which means they’re better suited to those with bigger kitchens. Standard microwaves are usually more compact, which is more convenient if you have limited countertop space.
Efficiency: By their very nature, combination microwaves tend to be more expensive to run because they need more energy to power all the different functions they can perform. That said, if you’re looking to buy one to replace your oven, a combi model could help you save money in the long-run, as they’re capable of heating more quickly.
How do we find microwave deals?
When looking for microwave deals, we explore a wide range of retailer websites to see what discounts they’re offering. As brands compete with one another, we’ve noticed that often prices can vary throughout the day. As such, we track all prices and keep this page up to date with the newest deals.
But our deals searches aren’t just reserved for the larger sites, we also look at smaller ones too. Often they’re able to offer a price that the larger retailers simply cannot. Our aim is to help you make informed purchasing decisions and find the best price, whatever the retailer.
How do we select microwave deals?
You’ll spot plenty of microwave deals around and it’s easy to become overwhelmed. But with Good Food, you can rest assured that we will never recommend a product we’ve not tested ourselves. All recommendations are for products we feel are genuinely worth buying.
Each microwave was put to the test by Good Food reviews experts, using triple tested recipes to find out whether the microwaves were able to perform everyday tasks. Head over to our guide to the best microwaves to find which models made the list, as well as lots of useful buyer’s information.
How to get a good microwave deal
- Head to the reviews: it’s easy to quickly buy a microwave with an impressive discount, but there’s every chance the model you’re looking at is a poor performer. The best way to figure out whether a model is going to give you what you want is buy reading reviews. At Good Food, we’ve tested a range of both combination and standard microwaves to let you know what’s really worth buying.
- Stick to a budget: before you even begin on your research journey, work out how much you’re willing to spend. It’s great to be able to save money during sales, but the only way to really make the most of them is to stick to your budget.
- Buy when the price is right: many deals may only be around for a limited period of time, so once you’ve found a price you like: buy.
- Use tools to find out if you’re getting a good deal: CamelCamelCamel will let you know the price history of Amazon products.
All savings percentages have been rounded up or down to the nearest whole number.
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