For reheating and defrosting in a kitchenette, start with a standard microwave. A grill is useful if you regularly want to brown the top of a dish; a combination model is worth considering if you also plan to cook food using oven-style settings and don’t have a conventional oven, as UFC-Que Choisir explains. Whichever type you choose, check how much space the appliance takes up, how its door opens and the clearances required in the instruction manual.
If the appliance could get in the way when you’re preparing meals, measure the space first and check the installation and ventilation requirements. For reheating and defrosting, a standard model may cover your needs without adding cooking functions you won’t use.
If you reheat meals but also want to brown the top regularly, look at models with a grill function. This doesn’t mean the appliance offers the same cooking modes as an oven.
If you want to cook simple meals as well as reheat food, check the oven-style settings on a combination model and its external dimensions. Whether it’s worth combining several functions in one appliance depends on how much space it will actually take up.
In a kitchenette, start with the cooking you’ll actually do, then compare each type of appliance with the space you have available.
Choose this if: you mainly reheat and defrost portions, and don’t regularly need to brown dishes.
Bear in mind: it doesn’t have a grill or oven-style cooking settings.
Choose this if: browning or crisping the top of a dish is part of your regular cooking routine.
Bear in mind: a grill on its own doesn’t replace the other cooking modes of an oven.
Choose this if: you don’t have a usable oven and plan to use oven-style cooking functions regularly.
Bear in mind: its size and installation requirements may make it harder to fit into a small kitchenette.
| Criteria | What to check | What consumers prioritise |
|---|---|---|
| Space and installation | External dimensions, door clearance and the clearances required in the instruction manual. | When my worktop also doubles as a food-preparation area, I want to fit the appliance without blocking that space. Around 42% of consumers would prioritise its footprint and installation. |
| Reheating and defrosting | The size of your usual dishes, turntable size and defrost controls. | If most of my meals are portions to reheat or defrost, I look for functions suited to those everyday tasks. Reheating and defrosting would be the main priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Additional cooking | Whether it has a grill or oven-style settings for the recipes you plan to make, and whether accessories are needed. | Without a usable oven, I want to know whether I only need to brown dishes or also cook them using another setting. For around 33% of consumers, this cooking option would come first. |
The cavity capacity doesn’t tell you whether your dishes will turn freely or whether the appliance will fit where you plan to put it. For example, a combination model listed by a French retailer is 54 cm deep.
Measure the space and your usual dishes, then compare the external dimensions, turntable and clearances specified in the instruction manual.
Extra functions are only worth paying for if you plan to use them.
Think about the meals you usually prepare: if you mainly reheat and defrost, start with standard models. Choose a grill or combination model when you have a specific cooking need in mind.
Whirlpool says that blocking the ventilation openings can cause the appliance to overheat.
Place it on a flat surface and follow the clearances specified in the instruction manual for your model, without covering the vents.
In France, the statutory guarantee of conformity applies to goods sold by a business to a consumer, according to the Ministry of the Economy. A commercial warranty is separate.
Before taking out a commercial warranty, check what additional cover it provides and keep the documents describing the appliance you bought.
Whirlpool’s French range includes freestanding standard microwaves, models with a grill and combination models.
In its French guide, Samsung groups models into standard, grill and combination types according to their cooking uses.
In France, Candy offers standard, grill and combination models, either freestanding or built-in depending on the model.
Panasonic offers combination models with several cooking functions, depending on the model.
These models are suited to reheating and defrosting; the two grill models can also brown the top of dishes. If you want to cook using oven-style settings, look at the functions offered by a combination model instead.
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For reheating and defrosting, without the need for a grill function.
Power stated in the product title: 700 W. Check the instruction manual for the space needed to open the door and allow ventilation.
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For reheating meals when you’d also like the option to brown the top of a dish.
Power stated in the product title: 700 W. A grill doesn’t mean the appliance has oven-style cooking settings; check the clearances and door opening space before choosing where to put it.
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For reheating and defrosting portions, without a grill function.
The product title lists six power levels and a 30-minute timer. Check the turntable size against your dishes, then check the clearances required for installation.
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For reheating and defrosting, if an appliance of this capacity will fit in your chosen space.
The product title mentions quick defrost and 1150 W, but doesn’t specify what this power rating refers to. Check the dimensions, door clearance and ventilation requirements in the instruction manual.
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For reheating and defrosting, with the option to brown the top of dishes regularly.
The product title lists 800 W. Measure the space carefully and check the instruction manual for door clearance and ventilation requirements.
It can cover some oven uses if you choose a model with the cooking settings your recipes require. UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes these functions from those of a standard microwave; check the available settings, accessories and space needed to install the combination model.
Measure the width, height and depth of the space, remembering to allow enough room to open the door. Then check the model’s external dimensions and the ventilation clearances listed in its instruction manual.
According to the Ministry of the Economy, the statutory guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a business to a consumer. If the appliance doesn’t match its description or has a conformity defect, contact the business that sold it to discuss the remedies available.
You can take a microwave you no longer need to a collection point at a shop or to a household waste and recycling centre, where it will be handled as waste electrical and electronic equipment, as advised by ADEME. Check the arrangements at your chosen collection point before you go.