Because of these strict criteria, less than 10% of the microwaves we've tested get an Eco Buy recommendation. or High Ideal for anything with a high water content and the best setting for steaming. It’s also good for reheating ready-made meals, soups, canned foods, cold coffee and tea, mince or tender meat, poultry, fish, cooked pasta, and most vegetables.

Whether you’re replacing an old appliance, or you’ve just moved house and need the lot, you’ll find all the appliances you’ll need to kit out your kitchen in style. From air fryers to slow cookers, and food processers to panini presses, we’ve got you sorted. Microwaves are a good way to cut your energy costs as they use significantly less energy than other cooking appliances. Start your day right with a good cuppa. We’ve got kettles in all colours so you can brew your favourite teawith ease. You may need to cook your food for longer than recommended to make sure it’s piping hot all the way through. Are microwaves energy efficient? Cooking certain foods at full power will dry them out or burn the outside before the middle is done. And you’ll use more energy doing so, too.

All the microwaves we've tested have been given a heating category of E by the manufacturer, which means they're supposed to cook at between 741 and 800W, but this isn’t always the case. Fill a microwave-safe bowl with water, white vinegar and sliced citrus fruits (lemon, lime or orange) These tips will help you to save even more money when using your microwave. Choose the correct power setting for your dish A microwave's power is measured in watts - and generally, the higher the wattage, the faster your food cooks. Six evenly spaced vents in the top let steam escape without letting all the moisture out of your carefully prepared meal, and deep finger grips in the centre make it easy to lift on and off the plate.

If not, they should have standout features, such as one-touch sensor cooking, which works out what's needed for you – all you need to do is put your food in and press the start button – or a built-in steamer.

Some models at this price will come with other extras such as delayed start and multi-stage cooking (to automatically switch between heating modes such as defrosting and heating). If your family regularly has latecomers to dinner, or if you often dish up a meal for someone to enjoy when they arrive home from a late shift at work, cover their plated food with our Microwave Plate Cover and, when they’re ready to eat, it can go straight from the fridge to the microwave. It’ll help keep the moisture in their meal and – equally as importantly – keep any splatters contained so the inside of your microwave oven stays clean. Auto defrost Most microwaves offer an auto-defrost setting that uses bursts of low heat to defrost based on the weight of the food. Some come with settings for specific foods. Touch-panel controls These take far less effort to press than push-button controls. If you do go for button controls, they should be large, easy to press and not too close together. Half of those we’ve tested need at least 30cm above them, but we’ve found plenty that only need between 10cm and 20cm.

Large door Wide-opening or dropdown doors make it much easier to get heavy or hot dishes in and out of the microwave, especially if you have reduced strength or dexterity.

Questions & Answers

or Medium High Reheating single-serving leftovers, casseroles, stews, ribs, and foods with cheese. You can also use it to warm milk but be sure to stir it every 15 seconds so you don't end up with a thin film on top.