Most and Least Reliable Microwave Brands
Here are the reliable ones, based on CR members’ experiences with more than 74,000 countertop and over-the-range models
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Buying a microwave from a reliable brand increases the odds that the one you choose will last longer than a model made by a less reliable brand. That means you won’t be forced into paying for a new one prematurely and contributing to e-waste by kicking a broken countertop model to the curb or tearing out an over-the-range microwave that no longer works.
Consumer Reports identified the brands that make microwaves most likely to last and those most likely to develop problems, based on our members’ experiences with 37,845 countertop microwaves and 36,707 over-the-range models purchased new between 2015 and 2025.
Most Common Microwave Flaws
The most common complaints reported by owners of countertop and over-the-range microwaves were excessive noise, control panel buttons breaking, and uneven heating.
Among countertop microwave manufacturers, KitchenAid’s microwaves were four times more likely than other brands to have problems with control panel buttons breaking (14 percent, while the median problem rate for all brands was 3 percent) and doors not locking or closing properly (8 percent vs. 2 percent). Whirlpool microwaves were three times more likely than other brands to have control panel button problems (9 percent vs. 3 percent) and door problems (7 percent vs. 2 percent). Breville microwaves were four times as likely to have issues with doors not locking or closing (7 percent vs. 2 percent).
In our survey, 6 percent of over-the-range microwaves had a problem with noise, and 6 percent had broken control panels. After that, the two most common problems reported for OTRs by our members were microwave doors that didn’t close or lock properly (4 percent) and that food was heated unevenly (4 percent).
Among brands that make over-the-range microwaves, Bosch stood out for being three times as likely as most other OTR brands to have problems with the turntable ceasing to turn (6 percent, while the median problem rate for all brands was 2 percent), and Kenmore was three times as likely to have issues with broken door handles (6 percent vs. 2 percent).
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