Stainless Steel Microwaves
Stainless steel microwaves earn their place because they wipe clean, sit beside hobs and ovens without clashing, and tend to be the finish brands push their better internals into. Solo, solo with grill, combination and built-in formats are all in the mix here, from compact 17L up to roomy 44L cavities.
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- Price: High - Low
Combination Microwave • Capacity: 28 L • Power: 900 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 27 L • Power: 1000 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Combination Microwave • Capacity: 34 L • Power: 1000 W
Combination Microwave • Capacity: 44 L • Power: 900 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 32 L • Power: 1000 W
Combination Microwave • Capacity: 27 L • Power: 1000 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Combination Microwave • Capacity: 43 L • Power: 1000 W
Combination Microwave • Capacity: 44 L • Power: 900 W
Combination Microwave • Capacity: 40 L • Power: 900 W
Solo Microwave with grill • Capacity: 36 L • Power: 1000 W
Combination Microwave • Capacity: 27 L • Power: 1000 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 20 L • Power: 800 W
Combination Microwave • Capacity: 43 L • Power: 1000 W
Solo Microwave with grill • Capacity: 25 L • Power: 900 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 25 L • Power: 900 W
Combination Microwave • Capacity: 43 L • Power: 1000 W
Solo Microwave with grill • Capacity: 23 L • Power: 1000 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 17 L • Power: 700 W
Combination Microwave • Capacity: 32 L • Power: 900 W
Combination Microwave • Capacity: 28 L • Power: 900 W
Solo Microwave • Capacity: 23 L • Power: 1000 W
Solo Microwave with grill • Capacity: 31 L • Power: 1000 W
Solo Microwave with grill • Capacity: 25 L • Power: 900 W
Solo Microwave with grill • Capacity: 40 L • Power: 900 W
Solo Microwave with grill • Capacity: 22 L • Power: 750 W
Looking beyond stainless steel? See all microwave deals and current prices across brands, sizes and features.
Solo, grill or combination, what actually suits how you cook?
A solo microwave heats, defrosts and reheats. That's the whole job. If you're warming leftovers, melting butter and reheating soup, a solo unit at 700W to 900W does the work and keeps the worktop tidy. Read More...
A solo microwave with grill adds a top element, so you can finish cheese on toast, brown a jacket potato or crisp the top of a pasta bake. It's the cheapest way to add a second cooking mode without committing to a combi.
A combination microwave adds proper convection-style oven heat plus grill, so it can bake, roast small joints and cook from frozen as a backup oven. Combis cost more, draw more power and take more space, but if you're in a flat without a full oven, or you want a second oven for Christmas, a combi earns its keep.
Built-in or freestanding, where will it actually live?
Built-in microwaves drop into a tower housing alongside an oven, sit flush, and look like part of the kitchen. They need an exact aperture (most around 38cm tall, 56cm wide, 32cm or so deep) and proper ventilation. Once installed they free worktop space and keep the run looking joined-up.
Freestanding microwaves plug in and go. They're cheaper, easier to replace, and you can take them when you move. The trade-off is worktop footprint and cables on show.
How big is big enough?
Capacity is measured in litres and roughly tracks turntable diameter. 17L to 20L suits one or two people and small plates. 23L to 25L is the family sweet spot, a dinner plate fits without skimming the walls. 27L to 32L handles a casserole dish or pyrex roaster. 40L plus is combination territory, where the cavity also has to fit a small chicken or a baking tray.
Why power matters more than you'd think
Wattage decides reheat time and how evenly things cook. 700W is fine for ready meals if you can spare an extra minute. 800W to 900W is the realistic everyday baseline. 1000W reheats fast and gives combination models the headroom to brown without drying things out. Worth checking the back-of-pack instructions on ready meals, they're written for 800W and 900W.
Stainless steel inside or just on the outside?
A stainless steel exterior wipes clean and resists fingerprints better than gloss black. A stainless steel interior is a different feature: it shrugs off curry stains, takes a damp cloth without scratching, and tends to be the choice on combination and grill models because painted enamel discolours under repeated grill heat. If you cook anything tomato-based weekly, the steel interior pays off.
Brands worth knowing
Brands you'll typically see across this finish include Panasonic, Sharp, Bosch, Neff, AEG, Samsung, Hotpoint, Indesit, Beko, Zanussi, Russell Hobbs, Toshiba, CDA, Candy, Hoover and Haden. Panasonic and Sharp dominate the freestanding side, Bosch, Neff, AEG, Hotpoint and Indesit own most of the built-in tower-fit units.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes if you grill, reheat saucy food regularly, or use a combination mode. The interior takes heat and acidic splatter without yellowing or chipping the way painted enamel can. For a strict reheat-only kitchen, a painted cavity is fine and saves money.
Only if the aperture matches. Most built-in microwaves sit in either a 38cm or 45cm tall housing, 56cm wide and 55 to 56cm deep. Measure the cut-out, not the unit it's replacing, and check the brand's installation diagram before you order. Built-in models also need a power socket inside or beside the housing.
Solo only microwaves. Solo with grill adds a top heating element for browning and crisping. Combination adds convection-style oven heat as well, so it can bake and roast. Combination units cost more and take longer to learn, but replace a small second oven.
For everyday reheating and defrosting, 800W to 900W is the sensible floor. Ready-meal instructions are written for that band. 1000W is faster and useful in combination models where you want browning without drying. 700W works but expect to add time.
A 25 to 26cm dinner plate fits comfortably from about 23L upwards. Below 20L the turntable starts skimming the rim. If you reheat casserole dishes or pyrex roasters, aim 27L or higher.
Not quite. Stainless steel is the metal itself, brushed or polished, and feels cool to the touch. Silver-finish microwaves are usually painted or plastic-clad in a silver tone to match. They look similar on the shelf but stainless wipes cleaner and ages better around the door handle and control knob.
Brushed stainless hides marks much better than mirror-polished. Most appliance brands now use a brushed or anti-fingerprint coating. A microfibre cloth and a drop of washing-up liquid clears any residue without streaking.
For one or two people, often yes. A combi at 1000W with a 40L plus cavity can roast a small chicken, bake a tray of cookies and cook a jacket potato without preheating for as long as a full oven. It won't replace a 60cm oven for a Sunday roast for six, but as a flat oven or a second oven, it pulls its weight.