800w Microwaves
An 800W microwave hits the sweet spot for most UK kitchens: enough power to reheat and defrost properly without tripping the consumer unit, and small enough to live on a worktop. Solo models dominate, with a few grill and built-in options if you need them.
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Solo Microwave • Capacity: 23 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 23 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 17 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 23 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 23 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave with grill • Capacity: 23 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 23 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 17 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 23 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 23 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave with grill • Capacity: 17 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Not fixed on 800 W? See all microwave deals and current prices across sizes, brands and features.
Is 800W actually enough power?
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...
How big should it be inside and out?
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.
Solo, grill or built-in, which one suits you?
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.
Which brands are worth knowing?
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.
Finish and colour, beyond plain white
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.
Running costs and the small print
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Most UK ready meal packaging gives timings for 800W as the reference wattage, so you can follow the box without conversion. Higher wattages cook faster but can leave edges hot and centres cool if the food is dense.
A solo only uses microwave energy, which heats food from the inside out. A grill model adds a top element that browns and crisps the surface, so you can do cheese on toast or finish a jacket potato skin without firing up the main oven.
A 20L cavity comfortably fits a 26 to 27cm dinner plate on the turntable. If you regularly reheat from larger oven dishes or use a 30cm plate, step up to 23L so the turntable can rotate without catching the door.
Allow at least 10cm at the back, 5cm at the top and a few centimetres each side for ventilation. Built-in models have stricter cut-out tolerances, so always work from the manufacturer's installation diagram rather than rough measurements.
Only if you are fitting a new kitchen or replacing a like-for-like unit in a tower housing. The cooking performance is the same. You are paying for the trim kit, the flush fit and the matched finish with your oven, which is an aesthetic decision rather than a functional one.
Most digital models do. Auto programmes are pre-set time and power combinations for things like popcorn, pizza, frozen veg or defrost by weight. Mechanical dial models tend to skip these, so if you want one-touch reheat, check the spec sheet for an auto menu.
It is safer not to. An 800W microwave draws around 1.2kW and a kettle draws around 3kW, which can overload a shared extension lead. Use separate wall sockets where possible, especially on a kitchen ring with other heavy appliances.
A reasonable expectation is six to ten years of daily use. Keep the interior clean, avoid running it empty, and replace the turntable coupling if it starts squealing rather than ignoring it. The magnetron is the part that usually fails first, and it is rarely worth repairing on a sub-£150 unit.