800w Microwaves

800W sits in the middle of the domestic microwave range. It is the wattage most ready-meal cooking instructions are written against, so you will rarely need to recalculate timings. If you mainly reheat leftovers, defrost, soften butter and steam veg, 800W does the job without drama. Where you might feel the difference is reheating two plated meals at once or warming a large casserole from cold, where 900W or 1000W shaves a minute or two off. For one or two person households and student kitchens, 800W is usually the right call. Read More...

Capacity is measured in litres and tells you what fits on the turntable, not how much counter space you will lose. 17L is genuinely compact, suiting a small flat or a caravan, but a dinner plate is a tight squeeze. 20L is the volume most people end up with: a standard dinner plate spins freely and a casserole dish from a 4-person oven set will fit. 23L gives you room for a larger Pyrex or a takeaway tray without rotating awkwardly. Measure your worktop depth before buying, and leave at least 10cm clearance at the back and 5cm above for ventilation.

A solo microwave does one job: microwave cooking and reheating. That is what most shoppers actually need, and solos are the cheapest to run and replace. A grill model adds an overhead heating element so you can brown cheese on toast or finish a jacket potato skin, useful if you do not have a separate grill or want to save oven energy on small jobs. Built-in 800W microwaves slot into a tower housing in fitted kitchens, sitting flush with eye-level ovens. They cost more because of the trim kit and ventilation engineering, and the cabinetry needs to match the spec sheet exactly, so check the cut-out dimensions before you commit.

Samsung and Panasonic are the volume names at 800W, with reliable interiors and clear digital controls. Bosch and AEG show up mainly in built-in form, where the build quality earns its premium. Sharp and Hisense compete hard on price for solo freestanding units. Swan, Tower, Haden and Daewoo lean into looks and colour, useful if the microwave needs to match a kettle and toaster set rather than disappear into the wall.

Black is now the default in modern fitted kitchens, with stainless steel still strong for a more utilitarian look. White remains a safe match for traditional units. Silver, grey and charcoal sit in between. If you are styling a coordinated worktop, sage and blue options exist from the design-led brands. Whatever you pick, check the door finish separately from the body. Glossy black hides marks better than brushed stainless, which shows fingerprints fast.

An 800W microwave draws roughly 1.2kW from the wall to deliver 800W of cooking power, so it can share a kitchen ring without issue. Look for an Eco or standby-saver mode if you leave it plugged in all day. Check the turntable diameter against your largest plate, and the door swing against the wall it will sit next to, especially in a galley kitchen where a left-hinge model can be the difference between usable and infuriating.