7 Best Stainless Steel Microwave 2022 [Durable & Sturdy]

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Ask kitchen enthusiasts what the perfect kitchen microwave is; you are most likely to get 100 various replies. But every chef or novice cook will agree on one thing – the endless charm of stainless steel.

When it comes to microwaves, those microwaves that wear the stainless steel demeanor always dominate the market with sleekness and their natural strength to endure heat and remain unscathed and non-corrosive.

Most microwaves have frontal stainless steel trims, and the microwave interior uses powder-coated stainless steel that gives the microwave their due long-lasting lifeline.

The microwave ovens that use stainless exterior and interior as opposed to powder coating are not a dime a dozen; therefore may not be affordable by everyone. Here, our focus will be on the best stainless steel microwaves that are not exorbitant and are highly budget friendly. Also check our top recommendations for the best budget microwave under $100.

7 Best Stainless Steel Microwave 2022 [Durable & Sturdy]

As promised, KitchenUnder100.Com brings you top performing microwaves with stainless steel body that are budget friendly and highly affordable. If you are in a hurry, below comparison table will help you in quick decision making.

IMAGE PRODUCT FEATURES PRICE
Our Top Pick

Toshiba EM925A5A Under $100 Microwave

1. Toshiba EC042A5C-SS

Rating: 9.1/10

  • The quietest stainless steel machine is equipped with mute and ECO function.
  • Dimensions: 21.77 x 21.5 x 12.99 inches
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Black & Decker EM925AB9 900 Watts Microwave 2. Black & Decker EM031MB11

Rating: 9.2/10

  • Reheat and defrost faster. Pre-programmed cooking option is appraisable.
  • Dimensions: 20.2 x 15.6 x 12.1 inches
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COMFEE EM720CPL-PMB for Small Countertop 3. COMFEE EM720CPL-PMB

Rating: 9.2/10

  • Additional mute option and ECO mode other than all basic features and satisfying performance.
  • Dimensions: 17.3 x 13 x 10.2 inches
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Farberware Classic FMO07AHTBKJ 700 Watts Microwave 4. Farberware Classic FMO07AHTBKJ

Rating: 9.0/10

  • Intuitive interface combined with convenience of standard features, the microwave doesn’t fail to perform.
  • Dimensions: 17.3 x 12.99 x 10.14 inches
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Hamilton Beach 1000 Watts Microwave 5. Hamilton Beach

Rating: 9.1/10

  • Reheats and defrosts fast and evenly, thanks to 1000 watts power output.
  • Dimensions: 22.5 x 18 x 14 inches
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GE Appliances JES1095DMBB for Home Use 6. GE Appliances JES1095DMBB

Rating: 9.0/10

  • Compact enough to fit on the countertop yet spacious inside for large dinner plates and bowls.
  • Dimensions: 19 x 14.5 x 11.5 inches
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Danby DBMW0721BBS Cheap Stainless Steel Oven 7. Danby DBMW0721BBS

Rating: 8.9/10

  • Great for dorm rooms and small spaces with reasonable power and essential features.
  • Dimensions: 17.31 x 13 x 10.19 inches
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1. Toshiba EC042A5C-SS – Best 1000 Watt Microwave

Toshiba EC042A5C-SS - Best 1000 Watt MicrowaveOne look at Toshiba’s stainless steel microwave, and it will remind you of retro-style television sets but with midget legs at the bottom.

This Toshiba model is not only available in conventional silver stainless steel color but also in contemporary-style and trendy black stainless steel too. Having a black finish, it’s less prone to fingerprints, smudges, and water spots.

After admiring the beauteous look of the microwave, let’s talk about its functionality. This 1.5 cubic feet, 1000 watt microwave oven is befitted for jam-packed spaces and small families.

Even after being on the smaller spectrum of microwaves, Toshiba is surprisingly spacious and can easily house 10 inches dinner plates on a 13.6 inches turntable.

What we liked the most is that it’s not a chirpy machine that hums and buzzes during the microwaving process. Instead, it is a very quiet microwave oven and features a sound on/off button to avoid the high-pitched beeps.

It is also equipped with the standard auto-cook controls that make cooking tasks more manageable.

The control panel is intuitive with easy-to-read buttons. When it comes to performance, this microwave is exceptionally well in reheating, defrosting, and making popcorn too.

Apart from a flickering LED light inside the microwave, which too happens only occasionally, we found it one of the best microwaves to give the best bang for your bucks.

PROS
  • Powerful yet quiet microwave
  • Beep sound can be muted
  • Equipped with energy saving mode
  • Solid stainless steel built
CONS
  • Sometimes its LED light start flickering
  • Steam doesn’t vent well

Check Reviews on Amazon

2. BLACK+DECKER EM031MB11 – Microwave with LED Digital Display

BLACK+DECKER EM031MB11 - Microwave with LED Digital DisplayFlaunting a no-nonsense look in a stainless steel exterior, Black + Decker EM031MB11 is one of the most powerful microwaves for home.

With 1.1 cubic ft. internal capacity, it has a roomy interior cavity that can take up a good quantity of food to be reheated in a single batch. A 12.4 inches turntable in 15.6 inches wide interior can effectively fit dinner plates. Removable turntable is also easy to clean.

This 1000 watt microwave oven expresses its impressive performance that is evident in fast reheating, defrosting, and cooking. It’s a microwave having only bare-bone features and no-frills, but it gets the job done efficiently and reliably.

The high-rated microwave offers the usual auto cook features to spare you from entering time and power level. Speaking of power level, the varied ten power levels of a Black+Decker microwave let you have control over your cooking process.

Although the frontal panel is intuitive to use, we found the buttons are a bit problematic to read. You won’t find a mute function in that, but the microwave has the child-lock feature, a must-have feature if you have kids at home and that’s what differentiates it from Toshiba EC042A5C-SS.

The push-button for door release is entirely a matter of preference as we found that both types of microwaves usually require the support of the hand to stop the microwave from sliding.

PROS
  • Quick re-heat and defrosting
  • Child lock for kids safety
  • 10 adjustable power settings
  • Suitable for large dinner plates
CONS
  • Buttons text is difficult to read
  • A bit loud when re-heating food

Check Reviews on Amazon

3. COMFEE EM720CPL-PMB – Best Microwave Under $100

COMFEE EM720CPL-PMB Best Microwave for Small CountertopCompared to the other two microwaves, Comfee is a more compact stainless steel microwave. But it has managed to capture the attention of the users for all the right reasons.

First, the microwave is the one that will give you the feeling that you have obtained a good bargain every time you set your eyes on it.

Second, having a small footprint, the solo microwave can take only a small space on the countertop and is a perfect option for a small family or college student.

Most importantly, it includes all those essential features that you find in mid-range microwave oven for home use. Yes, you won’t only find cooking presets, express cooking, memory, or child lock options; you will also get to see mute function and eco-function.

This easy-to-operate machine is not a super-fast appliance considering it only has 700 watts of power but manages to operate quite satisfactorily.

The black stainless steel exterior of the microwave has a light-colored interior that improves the visibility of food processing in it in the presence of LED light inside it.

After our experience, we recommend a good old hack of using a furniture pad beneath the microwave. This will be required to prevent the microwave sliding issue that occurs while opening its door.

P.S. Don’t be mistaken about its size, it’s a small appliance and won’t accommodate 11 inches plates.

PROS
  • Beep sound can be ON/OFF
  • Less power consumption in standby mode
  • 11 easy to adjust power levels
  • Highly budget friendly
CONS
  • Large plates doesn’t fit well
  • A bit slow in re-heating food

Check Reviews on Amazon

4. Farberware Classic FMO07AHTBKJ – Best 700 Watts

Farberware Classic FMO07AHTBKJ Best 700 Watts MicrowaveAfter you are done admiring the non-reflexive and dull brush stainless steel finish of the microwave, you will appreciate its compact size thinking about how easily you can place it on your not-so-spacious countertop.

The Farberware Classic microwave’s interior capacity is 0.7 cubic ft., so you shouldn’t expect bigger plates to fit in the microwave. Even after being a low-wattage microwave, it has managed to position itself under one of the best 700 watts microwave ovens.

From reheating leftover dinner and stew to popping popcorn and baking potatoes, Farberware performed reasonably well in all facets.

Defrosting option also serves adequately well without any frozen center part or cooking the thawed food. For more handiness, defrosting can be done by inputting the time or weight.

Ten adjustable power levels make it more convenient and reliable to control the microwaving process and avoid burnt food. LED lighting lights up the interior to let you peek through the microwave window.

However, the condensation accumulates inside the microwave, which needs to be cleaned.

PROS
  • Very solid and sturdy design
  • Reheat food quickly and evenly
  • Large plates fits fine
  • Has a small footprint
CONS
  • Offers poor visibility of food inside

Check Reviews on Amazon

5. Hamilton Beach – Best for Small Countertop

Hamilton Beach Best 1000 Watts MicrowaveClassified as a budget friendly microwave, Hamilton Beach is a mid-size microwave with a sophisticated stainless steel exterior and interior. The classy and aesthetical stainless steel edges blend with your kitchen interior and give it a fashion-forward feel.

Having 1.1 cubic ft. interior capacity and output power of 1000 wattages, it unquestionably doesn’t come under small 1000 watts microwaves. Microwave’s functionality is compatible with every family’s needs who don’t want flashy features in their microwave.

No, it doesn’t take too much space on the counter with roughly 20 inches width, 17 inches depth, and 12 inches height.

With a price of under 100 dollars, you will not find such a power-packed microwave with all the presets, defrost and express cooking options.

Ten power levels that maximize 1000 watts are enough to reheat pizza or a hot and steaming lunch. Not just that, the rotating turntable ensures evenly heated food is completely thawed to the core.

The Child Lock function adds a bonus point from a security point of view and preventing kids from manipulating the cooking time.

On the flip side, this machine is beepy! It beeps and makes humming noises while working, it reminds you of the food in the microwave oven.

On the downside, its buttons start to peel off after being used for some time. Other than that, it sure deserves to be the best microwave under $100 with stainless steel interior and exterior.

PROS
  • Excellent in re-heating and de-frosting
  • Has a solid stainless steel built
  • Most inexpensive 1000 watt microwave
CONS
  • No way to stop the beep sound

Check Reviews on Amazon

6. GE Appliances JES1095DMBB – Best for Home Use

GE Appliances JES1095DMBB Best Microwave for Home UseThe all-black and sleek GE microwave is neither an underpowered microwave nor a high-powered microwave. It sits in the middle yet has an adequate power range (900 watts) and a perfect microwave for home use.

It is surprisingly roomy from the inside with a 0.9 cubic ft. internal cavity but doesn’t take too much space on the counter.

The carousel rotates at constant velocity without jitters and evenly distributes the microwaves for reheating without hot and cold spots. Other than this, it also features a child lock function, defrosts by weight and time, clock, and kitchen timer.

As far as its cooking performance is concerned, it does an excellent job with its six standard presets, express cooking option, and 30-second button.

The power is enough so you won’t have to wait endlessly to get your food heated or defrosted. It pops the kernels without burning them.

However, the control panel would do well with backlight as the buttons are grey and difficult to read in low-light conditions.

The microwave needs a bit of time to grasp its functionality wholly, but once you familiarize yourself with the control panel’s working and inputting time and power, you will be good to go.

PROS
  • Compact size occupy less space on countertop
  • Automatic de-frosting option
  • Re-heat the food without leaving cold spots
  • Child safety lock to restrict kids access
CONS
  • Not an intuitive control panel
  • Buttons don’t have LED light

Check Reviews on Amazon

7. Danby DBMW0721BBS – Best Cheap Stainless Steel Oven

Danby DBMW0721BBS Best Cheap Stainless Steel Microwave OvenAhh yes! Another 700 cubic ft. microwave. We don’t call a 700 wattage microwave the lazy microwave; instead, we call it an essential and indispensable microwave that most US citizens prefer to buy.

What could be better if you find it in a stainless steel finish with a trend-setting style of no-door handle. Instead, it flaunts a push-button to open the door to avoid the thumping sound of handling the door.

Equipped with all-essential, no-frill and no-showy features, you will find every function easily accessible and understandable. Thankfully, the control panel buttons are easy to read, and the functions are simpler to understand.

From preset buttons, express cooking, defrosting to selecting power levels from 1 to 10, you will find every feature and option to help get your microwaving needs fulfilled. Surprisingly, it pops the popcorn efficiently too.

It’s a compact and a lightweight microwave meant to fit in cramped spaces. Due to its portable design it may move and slide during handling, but rubber pads would let it stick in its place.

On a side note, the turntable is 10 inches, so obviously, you shouldn’t try and fit an 11 inches dinner plate in it.

PROS
  • Excellent microwave for small kitchen
  • 10 adjustable power levels
  • One touch popcorn, potato, pizza cooking
  • Offers multiple de-frosting options
CONS
  • Take a little longer to re-heat

Check Reviews on Amazon

A must read guide to understand microwave watts usage – How Many Watts Does a Microwave Use?

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

What are the best stainless steel microwave under 100 dollars?

  1. Toshiba EC042A5C-SS – 1000 Watt Microwave
  2. BLACK+DECKER EM031MB11 – Microwave with LED Digital Display
  3. COMFEE EM720CPL-PMB – Best for Small Countertop
  4. Farberware Classic FMO07AHTBKJ – Best 700 Watts
  5. Hamilton Beach – Best for Small Countertop
  6. GE Appliances JES1095DMBB – Best for Home Use
  7. Danby DBMW0721BBS – Best Cheap Stainless Steel Oven

Is the stainless steel microwave better?

Yes, a stainless steel microwave is better for many reasons. Microwave with a stainless steel exterior gives your kitchen a trendy and modern vibe and blends with the kitchen’s other appliances. They don’t have the cheap-appliance feel. Stainless steel microwaves are robust, long-lasting and corrosion-resistant. They don’t show wear and tear signs easily and can withstand heat and other damages. Overall, we can say that it’s worth the price you pay for it.

Which is a better ceramic or stainless steel microwave?

A microwave with a ceramic interior cavity is easier to clean due to the non-stick surface, so the food doesn’t get stuck to it. Additionally, ceramic enamel coating is also bacteria-resistant, but it takes more time to reheat the food.

On the other hand, stainless steel is a good conductor of electricity with a better reflective power, so it reheats faster. From a safety point of view, stainless steel is better as it prevents the dreadful microwave rays, which can be hazardous if they escaped from the microwave. Also, it is an energy-saving appliance and reduces electricity cost.

So, in our opinion, stainless steel is better than ceramic microwaves. But if you want an easy to clean appliance, then ceramic is the way to go.

How do you remove rust from a stainless steel microwave?

Stainless steel microwave ovens can also get rusted if the top layer of stainless steel contains chromium and prevents moisture from getting damaged. Fortunately, you can treat the rust by following two methods.

Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply on the rustic spot; leave it for a few minutes. Then either clean it directly with a damp cloth or lightly scrub the rust with a soft bristle brush to remove rust.

The second method involves applying a rust removal cleaner or any cleaner that contains oxalic acid. Apply the solution to the rust and let it sit. Next, using a sponge, clean the rust in the direction of the grit. And then wipe it clean with a damp cloth.

Why can’t I put stainless steel in a stainless steel microwave?

The food in the microwave is heated when the microwaves get absorbed in the food. These microwaves vibrate the food molecules to produce heat. However, the problem with stainless steel is that microwaves don’t get absorbed by the steel and bounce back. The microwave’s walls are already made of stainless steel (to confine the radiation to the microwave’s cavity only). When two metal pieces are kept so close together, the bouncing microwaves can create so much heat that they can ignite sparks by ionizing the air. This ignition not only burns the food but can also cause a fire.

What is black stainless steel?

Black stainless steel is nothing but the traditional silver stainless steel coated with protective polymer-based paint. The core materials are similar with a mixture of iron, silicon, chromium, nickel, and carbon. The black coating, which gives the stainless steel a more futuristic feel, is as long-lasting as the traditional stainless steel.

Wrapping Up!

So many microwaves that are practically identical to each other! Creating a state of consumer confusion that multiplies when we can’t interpret the appliance and tell the differences apart. Adding to the confusion is the fact that we can’t decide on the appliance’s make, which solely defines its durability and performance. While stainless steel microwaves are considered a premium buy, we can’t pay heftily to buy an appliance; we need only for basic microwaving needs. To ease your selection process, we have extensively researched and reviewed the stainless steel microwaves in the hope that you can buy an appliance that is not too costly and has a better make.

About Uzma Abu Baker

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