The 5 Best Grill Microwaves for Quicker, Healthier, Better Cooking

The problem with appliances like a microwave is they’re all so damn similar! It’s hard to be certain about which one’s the right choice. Which makes it easy to be stuck with indecision and waste time trying to compare tiny details.

I find the best solution is to consider what you need. Think about each of the following categories. What is most important to you? What do you not care about? Knowing this can make it 10x easier to spot which microwave suits your kitchen the most.

Looks

Let’s start with the obvious. If any of these options doesn’t make you go “Yes! That’s exactly what I want in my kitchen” – then don’t buy them. I know it’s just a microwave, but there’s no point paying good money for something that you feel is below your standards. It will just annoy you over time.

Size

Microwaves come in many sizes, but thankfully this is a little easier for grill microwaves. To include the grill element, they all tend to be quite large – over 1 cubic ft. (ca. 28 l). Typically, anything up to 1.2cf is about mid-sized, and beyond that becomes big enough to cook for the whole family. My largest recommendation is a whopping 1.5 cubic ft (ca. 42 l) of cooking space.

Power

The watt rating of microwaves often confuses people. It’s simply a measure of how powerful the cooking capacity is. If you’re looking to cook larger dishes or proteins like chicken or steak, then you’ll need the microwave to pack a punch. Generally:

• 500–600 Watts is just suitable for reheating food or melting cheese, chocolate, etc.
• 600–800 Watts is good enough for light microwavable meals.
• 800–1000 Watts can handle cooking full meals from scratch.
• Over 1000 Watts is practically a stove! Ideal for casseroles, but can overdo small dishes.

Heating Functionality

In the microwaves below, there’s 2 models that have a grill only and 3 others with a grill AND convection. Convection is an additional method of cooking circulating hot air within the microwave – just like an oven.

Having both of these extra features will cost more than just a grill, so think about what would be more important.

Warranty

My one gripe with modern appliance makers is the short warranties they use. Unfortunately, most appliances only come with a 1-year standard warranty. Longer is usually a good signal of better customer care and confidence in their product, which is why I’ve included a ‘Best Warranty’ recommendation below.

Price

I’ve put the price last, partly because it’s the most obvious. Try to have a number in mind that you’d max out at, and don’t consider anything that’s a lot higher. It’ll be likely you’ll end up resenting the purchase, even if it’s a great model.

Unfortunately, we’re not allowed to display actual prices here in the event that they’re changed by the manufacturer. If you want to see the latest prices just click the link below each recommendation.

Other Functions

Do you have young, curious kids? Then make sure to get an oven with a child lock! Would you make use of a programmable timer? (These let you set everything up and delay the start for a few hours – meaning you can have food ready for when you get home).

How much would it help if the microwave had a sensor to automatically adjust cooking time/power?

Each of these functions typically adds a little to the cost but can give huge savings on stress, time, and convenience. Just a little ‘food for thought’. If any of these functions are present, I’ve presented them in the ‘pros and cons’ of each model.