Which microwave should you choose?

Luuk11 NOVEMBER 2025

Content

Types of microwaves
Key features

A microwave with a digital clock displaying 13:21, buttons for smart cook, power, and a start button on a gray background.

What should you look for when buying a microwave? Are you looking for a solo microwave, a microwave with grill, or a combi microwave? MediaMarkt helps you find the microwave that suits you.

Types of microwaves

A microwave is handy when you want to heat up and defrost food quickly, but you can also cook, bake and grill with a microwave. The power output, number of cooking programmes and extra features differ per microwave. If you’re going to buy a microwave, it’s important to ask yourself what you want to use it for.

A microwave sits on a speckled countertop, next to a bowl of carrots and lettuce. A white wall is in the background.

Solo microwave

Do you mainly use the microwave to heat or defrost food? Then a solo microwave is a good choice. A solo microwave can defrost and heat at different settings. Operation is very simple: you only need to set the power and the time. More premium solo microwaves have a higher power output, a timer function and often a slightly larger capacity. Some also look a bit more premium because the exterior is made of stainless steel. There are solo microwaves that go a step further and offer automatic programmes. In that case, you choose the type of product and possibly the weight. The microwave then sets the best time and setting to defrost, cook or heat the product.

Pros of a solo microwave:

Easy to use.
Entry-level models are relatively inexpensive.

A disadvantage of a solo microwave is the limited functionality.

View all solo microwaves

Open microwave shows pizza on a white plate. Knobs on the black microwave control power and timer.

Microwave with grill function

A microwave with grill can defrost, cook, heat and grill. The grill is useful if you want to roast meat, fish or chicken while heating at the same time. You can also gratin dishes, for example with cheese. A microwave with grill does not have a fan-assisted oven function. Therefore, it’s not suitable for baking a cake, for example.

Pros of a microwave with grill:

Grill function for roasted meat and gratinated cheese.
Some microwaves come with a grill rack included.

A disadvantage of this type of microwave is that it isn’t a full-fledged oven.

The image displays a variety of dishes, including chicken, pizza, steak, and cupcakes. Cooking method icons are interspersed among the food.

Combi microwaves

A combi microwave is a full microwave with both grill and fan-assisted oven functions. A combi microwave is suitable if you mainly want to heat and defrost food and occasionally bake and grill. A combi microwave is very versatile. Thanks to the combination of fan heat and grill, you can also bake, roast and cook through. Because fan heat is present, the microwave can heat food evenly at a low temperature for a long time. Premium models build on this with extensive programmes such as fermenting, allowing you to prove bread or make yoghurt in the microwave itself.

Pros of a combi microwave:

Saves space.
Grill function for roasted meat and crispy crusts.
Often has automatic programmes.
Some combi microwaves come with a grill rack and baking rack included.

A disadvantage of a combi microwave is that it isn’t a full-fledged oven.

View all combi microwaves

Key features

The differences between microwaves lie in the power output, cooking options, type of control panel and the size of the microwave’s capacity. Below you can read what you need to know so you can choose the microwave that suits you.

Power output

A microwave’s power output generally ranges from around 600 to 1200 watts. The higher the power, the more powerful the microwave and the faster a dish can be heated. For defrosting you need a lower power than for cooking a meal. If the microwave is set to 1000 watts and the packaging states the dish should be heated at 500 watts, you should halve the cooking time yourself.

A white microwave oven with an open door. A person is holding a clear bowl of food inside the appliance.

Cooking options

Microwaves with grill and combi microwaves have different cooking modes. In addition to the microwave mode, these include fan heat and grilling. Defrosting is often indicated as a separate option, but it’s something every microwave can do.

In addition to cooking modes, many microwaves have separate buttons for baking, roasting, roasting chicken and much more. Premium microwaves sometimes have as many as 25 automatic programmes, such as heating soup, proving dough and even making yoghurt. Automatic programmes and preset modes are all combinations of the cooking options, power and time settings.

Type of controls

It entirely depends on your personal preference whether you prefer rotary knobs, push buttons or touch controls. Opening the microwave also differs per appliance. Some microwaves open with a push button, others with a handle.

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Microwave capacity

Capacity is expressed in litres. Here’s what to expect from a microwave based on its capacity:

Small microwaves: less than 20 litres.
Compact microwaves: 20–24 litres.
Medium microwaves: 25–29 litres.
Spacious microwaves: 30–39 litres.
Very spacious microwaves: more than 40 litres.

An advantage of a microwave with a large capacity is that you can easily place square oven dishes and plates inside. With some combi microwaves you can stop the turntable. This means that even in more compact microwaves, the space is used optimally. Look out for this option when purchasing.