I know three things for certain. First, I love my RV. Second I love food. Third, I’m a lousy cook!
For all three reasons, I knew I needed the best RV microwave money could buy. Like most people, sometimes I just don’t want to turn on the stove or oven to make dinner.
Some nights I want to easily make popcorn to watch a sunset or a movie with my family after a long day outside. It just makes sense to have a microwave in the RV!
With so many options available, however, selecting the right one proved challenging. How can you know which microwave will work best for you?
Nobody wants a microwave that doesn’t last or won’t heat thoroughly! So I gathered the five best I could find and did a side by side comparison, so you don’t have to.
I’ve tried to give you a glimpse into the technical specifications of each, why I liked or disliked them and the pros and cons of each model.
Here are the five RV microwaves I tried and what I thought of them.
COMPARISON CHART
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1. Westinghouse Counter Top Rotary
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2. Danby DBMW0920BBB Countertop Microwave
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3. Toshiba EC042A5C-SS Countertop Microwave Oven with Convection
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4. Toshiba EM925A5A-BS
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5. Panasonic NE-1054F
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OUR TOP 5 PICKS
#1 Westinghouse Counter Top Rotary
Specifications
Power Wattage | 600 Watts |
Power Levels | 6 |
Outer Dimensions | 17.75 x 12.5 x 10.25 inches |
Interior Capacity and Turntable Size | 0.6 cubic feet/9.5 inches |
Appearance | Available in black or white |
Warranty | 12 months |
Features
The Westinghouse Counter Top Rotary Microwave Oven may not have all the bells and whistles of other microwaves, but it has everything that you need in your home away from home. With space always valuable in your RV, you won’t get frustrated with this smaller size.
You will find it easy to operate, and great at warming up or preparing small dishes and meals. You won’t fit large platters in this unit, but most microwave safe plates, cups and dishes will fit without issue.
You can clean it easily, and since the Westinghouse has no electronic controls, it uses no electricity when not heating food. The different power levels give you the option to defrost, reheat, or prepare a frozen dinner depending on your needs.
You adjust the power level and cook time by turning dials, which makes for incredibly simple use. It easily mounts in cabinets or takes up little space on the counter.
- WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
- PROS/CONS OVERVIEW
Because this unit doesn’t have any digital buttons or screens, it draws no power when not in operation, and doesn’t eat up too much power even when you do run it! I don’t want to use my generator if I don’t have to, and less power draw helps.
Despite its small size, it stays put — no sliding around on the counter when you open the door to put things in or take them out. The simple design makes it easy for anyone to use; no complicated programming or extra buttons!
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#2 Danby 1.1 cu.ft. Countertop Microwave
Specifications
Material | Glass |
Installation Type | Freestanding |
Capacity | 0.9 Cubic Feet |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 14.94 x 19.13 x 11.56 inches |
Item Weight | 28.66 Pounds |
Features
If you prefer a one-touch cooking experience, you may like this Danby Microwave Oven. It offers six different automatic settings for popular uses, as well as three specialty programs.
These options let you decide if you would like to cook your food by weight, defrost by weight, or even speed defrost your food. You have a little more size in the Danby, so if you cook with larger dishes, this can benefit you.
Operating at 700 watts, this microwave still doesn’t draw too much power, but the LED clock and timer will use a small amount of electricity at all times.
- WHAT WE LIKE
- WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
Pros
Cons
#3 Toshiba EC042A5C-SS Countertop Microwave Oven with Convection
Specifications
Color | Silver |
Material | Stainless Steel |
Human Interface Input: | Keypad, Buttons |
Installation Type: | Countertop |
Capacity | 1.5 Cubic Feet |
Item Dimensions LxWxH: | 21.77 x 21.5 x 12.99 inches |
Item Weight: | 44.8 Pounds |
Lock Type | Child Lock Available |
Energy Use | 1500 Watts |
Capacity | 1.5 Cubic Feet |
Energy Consumption Hot Air (if existing) | 1.75 Kilowatt Hours |
Features
The Toshiba EC042A5C-SS Countertop Microwave Oven with Convection is the perfect addition to any kitchen. With its sleek Stainless Steel finish and timeless look, this microwave oven can match any kitchen style.
- WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
- PROS/CONS OVERVIEW
It features a convection function with 4 auto bake menus and 4 Auto roast menus, as well as a sensor function with 13 auto menus. The one touch popcorn button makes it easy to pop popcorn at the push of a button, and the easy defrosting by weight/time function is perfect for those quick meals. The microwave also has 10 power levels, warm hold function, express cook buttons for 1-6 minutes, and memory function. The bright LED digital display and easy-to-
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#4 Toshiba EM925A5A-BS
Specifications
Power Wattage | 900 Watts |
Power Levels | 10 |
Outer Dimensions | 19.2 x 15.9 x 11.5 inches |
Interior Capacity and Turntable Size | 0.9 cubic feet/10.6 inches |
Appearance | Available in black stainless steel or stainless steel |
Warranty | 12 months |
Features
If you have a little more space, more power available and have more cooking needs for your microwave, this Toshiba might work for you! While larger than the previously reviewed models, it still fits well in smaller spaces especially if you have extra counter space.
The digital display and interior lighting are supplied by LEDs, which require less power to operate. You have the option of using the standby mode if you want to, and can silence the alert tone if you prefer, which families will appreciate.
At 900 watts, this microwave cooks more quickly than previously reviewed models, but does draw more power when used at higher settings. Six programmed functions provide easy use for popular options, and ten power settings let you determine how much heat you use.
- WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
- PROS/CONS OVERVIEW
The Toshiba cooks very evenly, and more quickly than other options. The programmed functions work as intended without having to make too many adjustments.
You can turn off the tone that alerts you when the microwave finishes cooking, which is great in a small shared space, like an RV. The child lock works well at keeping kids from getting into hot food.
I like that the power save mode is optional, and that the interior lighting is a power-saving LED. These give me options for reducing power consumption, but let me decide how to use them.
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#5 Panasonic Countertop NE-1054F
Specifications
Power Wattage | 1000 Watts |
Power Levels | 6 |
Outer Dimensions | 12 x 20.125 x 16.5 inches |
Interior Capacity and Turntable Size | 0.8 cubic feet |
Appearance | Stainless steel |
Warranty | 12 months |
Features
Right away I noticed that the Panasonic had no turntable! Confused at first, I quickly realized that this microwave works differently. The Panasonic has no need to rotate your food using a tray, instead it uses a bottom energy feed system meant to have better and quicker results.
This microwave comes with ten preset timer settings, various program buttons available, and ten programmable memory pads so that you can have a setting for your favorite foods. The Panasonic has a little more size and weight than other models, weighing in at almost 40 pounds.
This microwave is meant more for commercial or communal use, but I’ve heard good things and wanted to give it a try.
- WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
- PROS/CONS OVERVIEW
The Panasonic cooks quickly and evenly. While thrown off by the lack of a turntable at first, I’ve come to like the fact that it doesn’t need one — that’s one less thing to clean or worry about!
The touch screen reacts very well to light pressure, and the preset timer settings have been very handy for general heating and light cooking.
While the unit has more weight, it feels heavy duty and I don’t feel like I need to worry about it incurring any damage.
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BUYER'S GUIDE
People have a lot of questions about microwaves for their RVs! I can’t blame them either, with so many options available I too found myself confused about what I needed.
To help you make your decision a little easier, I’ve answered a few questions that I frequently get asked regarding microwaves for RVs.
- Can a household microwave be used in RVs?
You absolutely can use a household microwave in your RV, but you do need to consider how much power it uses and how much power you can provide.
If you have a dedicated circuit for the microwave, you have fewer worries. If not, I’d recommend limiting using other appliances while using your microwave. No blow dryers or air conditioning, or else you may find yourself flipping breakers!
I’ve tried to limit the microwaves in this review to models that don’t draw huge amounts of power so that they will work well in a number of different RV classes.
- Is an RV microwave just for a little reheating or can I cook with it?
This depends on a few factors, including the microwave you select, how much power you provide, and cook times. All microwaves will do a solid job of reheating leftovers, and all of the ones in this review will do a good job of basic cooking, though you may need to increase the cooking time.
I’ve found that smaller microwaves, like you would want in your RV, do a fine job cooking — they just do it a little bit slower than the larger, more powerful microwaves we typically have in our houses.
- Does an RV microwave need to sit on a countertop or can it be added to a built-in cabinet?
I have seen microwaves in both positions in RVs, and have experimented with both. I prefer them in a built-in cabinet because it prevents them from moving, and frees up additional counter space.
You can mount a microwave to the counter like you would in a cabinet, but I prefer not to. If I need to move the microwave, the mounting hole remains.
- Do you need a certain type of cookware?
Your RV microwave will work like any other microwave you’ve used. You can cook in any microwave safe dishes or cookware. Size will be a bigger factor in your RV, however, so make sure that your dishes will fit in your microwave.
CONCLUSION
I know how hard it can be trying to find the best RV microwave — I struggled with it myself! That’s why I wanted to do a comparison of these options. I love my RV life, but I want to make sure I don’t always have to turn on the oven or stove, especially on those hot summer days!
All of the reviewed microwaves have their pros and cons, but if I had to recommend just one, I’d go with the Westinghouse Counter Top! It provides reliable cooking in a small package, and size remains a huge deciding factor for most RV owners.
Though it lacks the power of some other models, it also requires a lot less electricity than other microwaves, and uses none when not in operation — without relying on a complicated standby system. It’s simple, easy to use and heats food evenly and reliably. All of which makes it the best RV microwave I would recommend.