Top 10 Best Microwave 1.2 Cu Ft Countertop for Quality & Performance

“I’ve been using this microwave for over a year now, and it still works like new. Heats food evenly and the child lock gives me peace of mind with my kids around.”

“Great value for the price. I replaced an older model, and this one heats faster and quieter than my last microwave.”

“This microwave has transformed my meal prep routine. The sensor feature actually works—no more cold spots or overcooked edges!”

“Love the size and power. Fits in my small kitchen but can handle a whole pizza and still reheat dinner easily.”

Had this about a year now, like it a lot. I was coming from a much larger and more powerful Panasonic microwave that gave out after 10+ years, so I was a bit worried about the difference in size and capability with this Toshiba, but it’s performed very well and having less power actually hasn’t been a negative at all, it’s easier to not torch your food while reheating.It’s relatively quiet, all the functions work like they should, it looks nice (especially for the price,) and I love the feature that allows you to silence the beeping when programming or when the timer hits zero, which frankly should be an option on every microwave.

Allow me to paint you a story of our time before this microwave.My husband and I have gone through exactly 2 microwaves in our 11 year relationship before landing on this one. Our first was a tiny thing made in 2004 that could barely manage cup o’ noodle. It finally died sounding like the cries of a thousand whales back in late 2017. It had a good long life of burnt popcorn and cold reheated food.We went without a microwave because we were dirt broke at the time from finally becoming homeowners (oof our savings), and then my in-laws graced us with their microwave that *they* had gotten as a wedding gift in Canada in.. 1988. I used to say that the microwave was almost as old as I was until we found the manufacturing date was April 1988. Dang, the microwave was now officially one month older than me. Still had to deal with uneven cooking, burnt popcorn or half popped bags, and a defrost function that only seemed to work half the time and literally cook the food the other half. This beast of a microwave is an enigma in the fact that it has somehow survived all these years without even needing anything replaced. Honestly the microwave still “works”. I can relate heavily to this microwave.After the last few years of me completely swearing off of trying to make microwave popcorn, my husband complaining about even more burnt popcorn and unpopped kernels at the same time, I finally asked if we could manage to scrape some money together to get an actual working microwave. After much debating, I was tasked with researching a good microwave that was big enough and mostly inexpensive enough. I had heard a bit about this microwave and a few others and ultimately decided on this one. The price was right, the size was perfect, the functionality was great, being able to turn off literally all the beeping was fantastic. Unfortunately the first one we got was mostly DOA and it was really disappointing, especially since I had to move a microwave that I’m sure weighed about 50lbs, I wish I was joking. Amazon took care of the return and replacement real easy and quick, and the new-new microwave came today.The first test was popcorn. Oh boy. Since everyone says “don’t use the popcorn button”, I definitely didn’t. Unfortunately the microwave did burn the bag of popcorn at full power. So, I decided to actually use the popcorn button. I hit the popcorn button twice (setting for a 3oz bag) just to make sure it would have enough time to heat up and pop. Oh boy. I was not prepared for what happened. The popcorn actually popped! And it only took maybe a minute and a half! No burnt popcorn *and* most of the kernels were popped. Our toddler rejoiced that mommy had actually popped a bag of popcorn, “Yay! You did it mommy!”Second, I defrosted a 1lb package of frozen ground beef. Woo, that was a breeze. Set the defrost for the weight and let it go, though it did warm the edges a bit too much but it was quick and didn’t cook it like our last microwaves.Third and most terrifying. Before this microwave, I had gotten used to putting a mug of coffee/tea/water/whatever to heat/reheat for a minute or more and it not even being hot-hot. I stuck a mug of water (with a few tapioca pearls in it) in the microwave to test and set it for one minute, after a short time I glanced into the microwave and discovered it was actually boiling. A very loud proclamation of “Oh my god!” rang from myself in the kitchen. I promptly called my husband over to also observe what the mug of water was doing. He also loudly proclaimed “Oh my god!”In short: I can’t believe what I used to consider “normal” for a microwave. This one is more than leaps and bounds better than what we “had to just deal with” in a time of penny pinching and saving money. We’re finally mostly comfortable and were in desperate need of a good quality microwave.In very short: I love this microwave.

“I live in a studio apartment and this microwave does everything I need—bake, fry, reheat, broil. The convection really makes a difference in texture.”

“So quiet! I can run it overnight while sleeping without disturbance. Love the air fry setting for healthier snacks.”

So far, so good, it’s a powerful, and consistent microwave. The reason I went with this model is becuse of the overall height of it, I have tiled shelfs that is more like a cabinet and is hard to find a microwave that will fit onto a 12 ½ inch tall opening. The room inside the microwave is still spacious.

wow..so QUIET! Love that you can mute the beeps. Cooks and Heats up Great. Stable carousel platter, much better than other brands, stays in place. Child Lock handle on Door, is a no brainer….. it is very easy to use. Attractive design. great buy!

“The inverter feature really shines when defrosting meat—it’s gentle and thorough without cooking the edges. Love the sensor settings!”

“Big enough for my Thanksgiving turkey leftovers and still has room for dessert plates. Heats quickly and quietly.”

“The memory turntable is genius—no more fumbling to open the door after rotating the tray. Huge improvement over older models.”

“Heats fast and evenly. The popcorn button actually works without burning. Great value for the size.”

“Perfect for my dorm room—small, quiet, and gets the job done. The eco mode helps keep my electricity usage down.”

“Love the memory button—I saved my coffee reheat time and it’s super convenient. Solid build for the price.”

I am going from an OLD B&D 1000w, 1.1CuFt microwave to this new Sharp unit. I am amazed at how quiet it works and how much more powerful this new unit is in comparison to the old. I also noticed the carousel tray rotates at a faster speed, if that even matters. The functionality of this unit overall is excellent in all ways.This well built, solid microwave is good looking with its sleek lines and simple interface. The push button door opener is new to me also and I like it better than having a grab handle. The child-lock is SUPER easy to disable and Sharp has placed instructions on a label attached to the outside of the door. This child-lock feature is a LAW and obviously, Sharp understands that nobody actually uses it and provides these simple instructions conspicuously on the door.For those that it matters: I have a very specific cabinet shelf that is sized rather tight. I needed a microwave that was no taller than 12″ and needed to sit on a 12″ deep shelf. This unit DOES NOT meet this need. The height is fine at 11.8″ but the feet on the underside need a depth of 13″ to sit properly. I am a woodworker and was able to easily add an extra 1 1/4″ to my shelf, but I didn’t want to do this and was hoping this unit would fit. It does not. The advertised dimensions otherwise are spot on.In closing, this is an excellent microwave that works great and is easy to operate.An Excellent Value For The Money – Highly Recommended

If you’re looking for a brand name that offers longevity, Sharp is the brand for you. My last Sharp microwave lasted from 1985 until this past summer. I missed it so much that I decided to shop for a Sharp and saw this stainless steel appliance matching decor model that I purchased. It works extremely well and cooks even better. It gives off no odors and fits well in the kitchen where my larger Sharp convection microwave stood for many years. Once you get used to the buttons and know that if you have an exact numeral cook, just press in the time. If it’s a minute and seconds cook, First press the time cook button, and then put in the time you need to cook your food. For example, if the food calls for five minutes and 15 seconds first hit time cook and then the three numerals. It’s that simple! I’m very happy with this purchase!

“The inverter really makes a difference—my soufflés come out perfect now. No more guessing or burning!”

“Defrosts meat like a dream. No more microwaving one side and leaving ice crystals on the other.”