| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Chefman Countertop Microwave 1.1 Cu. Ft. | 1000 W, 10 power levels, 6 presets, child lock |
| Chefman Countertop Microwave 0.7 Cu. Ft. (compact) | 700 W, 0.7 cu. ft., ~24 lb |
| Toshiba EM131A5C-SS countertop | 1000 W output / 1600 W input, humidity sensor, 12 auto menus |
| Sharp SMD2470ASY drawer microwave | 24-inch, 1.2 cu. ft., 950 W, opens to 45 degrees, ~74 lb |
| Toshiba Air Fryer Combo 8-in-1 | 1.0 cu. ft., 1000 W, microwave + convection + air fry + broil |
| Toshiba ML-EM62P convection | 2.2 cu. ft., 1200 W, fits a 16-inch pizza |
| FDA radiation-leakage limit (21 CFR 1030.10) | 5 mW/cm2 at 2 inches, over the product lifetime |
| FDA microwave oven regulation in effect since | 1971 |
The main types of microwaves explained, at a glance
Microwaves come in five practical formats: countertop, small/compact, built-in drawer, over-the-range, and convection or combo. They differ less in how they cook and more in where they mount, how much they hold, and whether they add real heat on top of microwave energy.
Shopping for a specific model? See top-rated microwaves models — 10 models compared on the specs that decide it.
All microwaves work the same way underneath. The FDA describes it plainly: microwaves are reflected by metal, pass through glass, paper, and plastic, and are absorbed by food, where they make water molecules vibrate and generate the friction that heats your meal. Every unit on the market does that. What actually separates the types of microwaves is the cabinet around that magnetron and where it lives in your kitchen.
A countertop model is the box most people picture, sitting on a counter and plugging into a wall outlet. Compact units are the same idea shrunk down for cramped spaces. Drawer microwaves flip the format on its head and install below the counter, sliding open like a kitchen drawer. Over-the-range models mount above a cooktop and double as a vent hood. Convection and combo microwaves add a heating element and a fan, so they brown and crisp instead of only reheating.
The honest way to shop is to settle the format question before you compare wattage or presets, because format decides install cost, counter space, and whether you can bake in the thing at all. Our full microwave buying guide ranks specific models once you know which of these categories fits your kitchen. The rest of this piece walks through each type using real units from our comparison database rather than marketing copy.
Countertop microwaves: the all-purpose default
A countertop microwave is a self-contained box that sits on the counter and needs only a power outlet, which makes it the cheapest and simplest format to buy, move, and replace.
This is the format most households actually own. The Chefman Countertop Microwave Oven 1.1 Cu. Ft. is a representative middle-of-the-road pick: a 1000-watt unit with 10 power levels, six one-touch presets for popcorn, pizza, beverages, veggies, potatoes, and leftovers, plus a child safety lock on the handle and a mute button for the beeps. It weighs about 31 pounds and takes up a slice of counter, and that is roughly the whole story: you plug it in, you use it.
Step up in the same category and you get sensor cooking. The Toshiba EM131A5C-SS runs 1000 watts of output from 1600 watts of input, and its smart humidity sensor adjusts time and power automatically based on the steam coming off the food, so you are not guessing at reheat times. It carries a 12.4-inch removable turntable, 12 auto menus, and an eco mode. That humidity sensor is the single feature most worth paying up for here, because guessing reheat times is where countertop microwaves frustrate people most.
The tradeoff of the countertop format is obvious once you own one: it permanently occupies counter real estate you might want for prep. That is the exact itch the drawer and over-the-range formats scratch. Of all the types of microwaves, this is the one to start with if cost and simplicity matter most, because for renters, first apartments, or anyone who wants a microwave they can unplug and take with them, nothing beats a countertop box. Our dedicated countertop microwave guide compares these models head to head on power and sensor features.
Small and compact microwaves for tight spaces
A small microwave is a lower-capacity countertop unit, typically 0.7 to 0.9 cubic feet, built to fit a dorm room, office break area, RV, or a cramped apartment counter where a full-size box will not go.
Compact is really a size tier within the countertop family, not a separate mounting style, but it gets treated as its own type because the buyer's problem is different: the question is not what can it cook but will it physically fit. The Chefman Countertop Microwave Oven 0.7 Cu. Ft. is a clean example, running a 700-watt motor with the same 10 power levels and six presets as its bigger sibling, at roughly 24 pounds and a footprint that clears a shelf. There is also a 0.9 Cu. Ft. Chefman at 900 watts for buyers who want a little more room without going full size.
The honest cost of going small is power and interior room. A 700-watt compact reheats and defrosts fine, but it works slower than a 1000-watt unit and a large dinner plate can crowd the turntable. For one person heating a single meal, that tradeoff is invisible; for a household reheating platefuls of leftovers, it shows up as longer cook times and food that heats unevenly around the edges.
Wattage is the spec to watch here, not just cubic feet. Two compact microwaves with identical interior volume can behave very differently if one runs 700 watts and the other 900, so read the output number, not only the size on the box. If a tight footprint is your main constraint, our small microwave guide sorts these compact units by capacity and power so you can match one to the exact space you have.
Built-in drawer microwaves: clearing the counter entirely
A drawer microwave installs below the countertop and pulls open like a kitchen drawer, freeing your counter completely, but it is the most expensive format to buy and requires professional installation into a cabinet cutout.
Drawer microwaves are the premium end of the category, and the spec sheets show why. The Sharp SMD2470ASY, a 24-inch unit with 1.2 cubic feet of interior and a 950-watt output, has a concealed control panel and opens to a 45-degree angle for hands-free access; its interior is large enough for a 4-quart casserole dish or a 20-ounce beverage standing upright. It weighs about 74 pounds, which tells you immediately this is a fixed installation, not something you set on a counter and move later.
Budget-friendlier drawer options exist. The GASLAND 24 Inch Microwave Drawer offers 1000 watts across 11 power levels with a one-touch auto-open drawer and a silent mode aimed at open-plan kitchens, and it fits a 12-inch pizza or a full-size dinner plate. The KoolMore 24 Inch Stainless-Steel Microwave Drawer runs a 1000-watt, 120-volt design with a flat bottom and a one-touch open with slow-close door. All of them share the format's core appeal: the microwave disappears below the counter, and reaching down into a drawer is easier than lifting a hot dish out of a unit mounted at eye level.
The catch is what you sign up for. Drawer units cost several times what a countertop box does, they need a cabinet cutout and often professional installation, and replacing one later means matching the old model's cutout dimensions. For a renter that is a non-starter; for a remodel where counter space and a clean built-in look matter, it can be the right call. Our drawer microwave guide compares Sharp, GASLAND, and KoolMore units on capacity, power, and install requirements.
Convection and combo microwaves: adding real heat
A convection or combo microwave pairs standard microwave energy with a heating element and a fan, so it can bake, roast, broil, and air-fry rather than only reheat, at the cost of a bigger footprint and a higher price.
This is the type that changes what a microwave can do, not just where it sits. A plain microwave never browns food; a convection combo adds a heating element that circulates hot air, so it can crisp and brown the way an oven does. The Toshiba Air Fryer Combo 8-in-1 Countertop Microwave Oven is a good example, folding microwave, air fry, convection bake, broil, a combination mode, low-temperature cooking, and odor removal into one 1.0-cubic-foot unit at 1000 watts, with a 12.4-inch turntable that fits a whole roasted chicken or a 12-inch pizza.
Some combos push into large-capacity territory. The Toshiba ML-EM62P is a 2.2-cubic-foot, 1200-watt unit that fits a 16-inch pizza or a whole chicken, with a smart sensor and a 16.5-inch turntable. There are also dedicated air-fryer toaster ovens that lean convection-first, like the Nuwave Bravo XL Pro, a 30-quart machine with a dozen cooking functions and a 50-to-500-degree-Fahrenheit range, for people who want one appliance to replace several.
The reason to buy a combo is genuine: one unit that reheats leftovers and also crisps fries without turning the crust soggy earns its counter space in a small kitchen. The reason to hesitate is equally real: combo units are larger, pricier, and have more parts to learn, and if you only ever warm up coffee and leftovers, you are paying for capability you will not touch. Our convection microwave guide sorts these combo units by cooking modes and capacity so you can decide whether the extra functions justify the size.
Over-the-range microwaves and how format affects safety
Over-the-range microwaves mount above a stovetop and double as a vent hood, saving counter space but requiring installation and a nearby outlet; regardless of format, every U.S. microwave must meet the same federal radiation-leakage limit.
The over-the-range format solves the counter-space problem differently than a drawer does: it hangs the microwave above your cooktop, where it also vents steam and smoke from the range below. It is a fixed install, so it is not renter-friendly, and reaching up to a hot dish above a running stove is a real ergonomic downside the drawer format avoids.
Safety is one place where the format barely matters, because federal rules apply to all of them equally. The FDA has regulated microwave oven manufacture since 1971, and under 21 CFR 1030.10 every unit sold in the U.S. must limit microwave leakage to 5 milliwatts per square centimeter measured about 2 inches from the surface across the product's entire lifetime, a level the FDA notes is far below what is known to harm people. All the types of microwaves above - countertop, compact, drawer, over-the-range, and combo - clear that same bar.
What you can do matters more than the format you pick. The FDA advises against operating an oven if the door does not close firmly or is bent or damaged, since the door interlocks are what stop the microwave energy the instant the door opens. Worth noting on the running-cost side: the Department of Energy sets energy-conservation standards for microwave ovens, with amended standards that took effect in 2023 and full compliance required in 2026, so newer units of any type are held to a common efficiency floor. Match the format to your kitchen first, then compare specific models in the guides linked above.