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If you’re looking for the best budget solo microwave then you’ve come to the right place. Just because you want the what is a solo microwave doesn’t mean you should have to compromise on the quality and the performance of the microwave you are getting.
#1 – Best Budget Solo Microwave: Daewoo KOR6M17R – Best Value For Money
Best Budget Solo Microwave: Daewoo KOR6M17R
Top of our list for the best budget solo microwave is the truly excellent Daewoo KOR6M17R.
Despite the razzmatazz of many new microwave models, the best performers tend to be the ones that keep things simple. This is definitely the case with the Daewoo KOR6M17R.
By focusing on simplicity with little fuss, Daewoo have produced an absolute winner of a microwave. If you need a microwave that will cook, re-heat and defrost your food effectively, is easy to use and offers excellent value for money then look no further than the Daewoo KOR6M17R.
Sometimes in life you get lucky and get much more value out of something than the money you paid. The Daewoo Manual Control microwave is one of those times. One of the reasons the Daewoo KOR6M17R is one of the best selling microwaves on Amazon is the fact it offers excellent value for money. For the relatively low amount you pay compared to other models of the same size (check the latest price on Amazon), you get a very reliable microwave that performs excellently and comes very highly rated.
Let’s start with its cooking prowess. Delivering 700Watts of power the Daewoo KOR6M17R provides quick and evenly cooked food.
You get a choice of 7 power levels, including defrost, to make full use of the range of power and cater to exactly the level you need to deliver the best tasting food.
As well as food that’s cooked quickly, one of the things you see mentioned the most from users of the Daewoo KOR6M17R is the fact food is heated evenly. Nobody likes cold spots. With the Daewoo KOR6M17R that’s something you needn’t worry about. It’s concave reflex technology system means the microwaves are more evenly distributed within the cooking cavity resulting in the elimination of random cold spots.
A great cooking microwave is no use of its too complicated to use. Fortunately the Daewoo KOR6M17R has that covered; it is very easy to use and is one of the many reasons so many users rave about it. The main functions are based around two manual dials on the control panel. One wheel allows you to select the power level you need whilst the other lets you set the timer up to 35minutes. It couldn’t get any easier to use the machine and its simplicity is only surpassed by how well the machine goes on to do its job.
At 20 litre capacity this microwave would work well for smaller households or couples and single occupants. Equally it’s had great reviews from restaurant users and offices using it in their canteens.
Crucially although this is a nice and compact microwave the turntable is still 25cm which means it can take a standard sized plate.
The Daewoo KOR7M17R comes in white with nice smooth edges which give it a welcomed classic feel.
To sum up if you opt for the Daewoo KOR6M17R you’ll be getting a highly effective microwave that comes with rave reviews and a track record of great performance. For the money you pay, you are unlikely to finder a cheaper model that gives you so much value.
Key Features
- 700W of power for quick and easy cooking
- 7 power levels to cater to your needs
- Easy to use, manual dials
- 20litre capacity
- Available Colours: White
- Dimensions: W44.9cm x H25.9cm x D31.8cm
- Type: solo microwave
#2 – Best Budget Solo Microwave: Russell Hobbs RHM2076S – Best For Ease of Use
#2 – Best Budget Solo Microwave
The Russell Hobbs RH2076 is a very close 2nd on our list for the best budget solo microwave. Simply put this is an all-round excellent offering. You get excellent value for money as your cash is stretched so far with this microwave. You’ll get microwave that cooks evenly and quickly; is super-easy to use (5 buttons and a wheel!) and to top it all off looks highly appealing.
Russell Hobbs seem to know how to make appliances that are very easy to use, perform excellently and offer really good value for money. The Russell Hobbs RHM2076 is no exception.
When we say value for money we mean getting the very best product you can at a price that would usually be reserved for items of lower performance (high quality/performance/rating vs low price). As an example of what we mean consider the fact that the Russell Hobbs RHM2076 is one of the most highly rated solo microwaves on Amazon yet also one of the lowest priced models available. This is a perfect cross of value for money.
With this very highly rated solo microwave with a digital display you get a microwave that does an excellent job of heating, cooking and defrosting your food whilst giving you a highly attractive addition to your kitchen counter. Best of all it does this whilst ensuring that you get truly great value for money.
One of the first things you’ll notice is how simple the control panel is. At a time when many new microwaves seem to come with more and more unnecessary functions, the Russell Hobbs RHM2076 gets straight to the point. A welcomed change.
It has 5 buttons and a hand-wheel for selecting weight, setting the timer and using the auto menu. With the 5 buttons you’ll be able to select the power level you need, use the defrost function, set the clock, stop/clear a cycle and lastly start or add 30 seconds to a cycle as. The interface has clearly been made with clarity and ease of use in mind.
For what is an excellent price you will get a powerful microwave with 800W of cooking strength. This is a high power output and means that your food can be cooked quickly and without fuss.
To give you the full range of the power that you will need to make the most out of your new microwave, it comes with 5 different power levels. This will ensure that you can cook your meals to the exact settings they call for.
The Russell Hobbs RHM2076 also comes with a useful auto defrost function allowing you to enter the weight of your food and then automatically calculating how much time and power is needed for defrosting. This is a handy feature as it takes the annoying guesswork when trying to figure out how long your food will need to defrost.
The Russell Hobbs RHM2076 packs style in abundance. One of the reasons it sells so well is the fact that it looks way more polished than its price would otherwise suggest. In this model Russell Hobbs have somehow managed to combine a very good microwave that also happens to look really stylish and offers great value for money all in one package.
This model comes with a black mirror finish to the door and it looks fantastic. It gives it a real modern and sleek feel that will have you feeling very good every time you consider how much you paid for it.
With a 20litre capacity this microwave provides a good amount of cooking space.
This size would suit a household with a small family down to single occupants and couples as it can fit standard dinner plates and other dishes.
Quite helpfully it has a dishwasher safe turntable which will make cleaning the microwave quite easy.
Whilst on the subject of cleaning one of the minor drawbacks of this microwave is the fact that the mirror door finish can sometimes be easy to smudge with your fingerprints. This is a fairly minor issue and can easily be wiped down. In addition you always have the handle to avoid getting the mirror grubby.
For the family users, there’s a useful child lock feature which will ensure the door can not be opened whilst the microwave is operating.
All in all we’re big fans of the Russell Hobbs RHM2076 along with many others who enjoy its ease of use, stylish presentation, excellent functionality and best of all great value for money. If you need an everyday workhorse for your heating and defrosting needs that’s highly rated but won’t cost you a ton, this is the microwave for you.
Key Features
- Easy to use with just 5 simple buttons and a hand-wheel
- Slick mirror finish door
- 20litre capacity
- 800W of cooking power for a wide range of needs
- Available Colours: Black & Silver
- Dimensions: H25.8cm x W44.0cm x D35.9cm
#3 – Best Budget Solo Microwave: Toshiba MM-EM20P(WH)
Not content with making excellent TVs and laptops as well as a whole host of other well-loved appliances, Toshiba put their reliable touch on microwaves.
The Toshiba MM-EM20P(WH) has a lot going for it and makes it onto our list as our #3 pick for the best budget solo microwave.
Firstly let’s talk about the excellent value for money it offers. When we talk about value for money what we mean is paying for a product and finding you get a whole lot more benefits than the price you pay would otherwise suggest you should. This is definitely the case with the Toshiba MM-EM20P(WH). It’s hard to find microwaves of a similar price (check latest price on Amazon) that offer a combination of brilliant performance, compact size with great capacity, appealing design as well as rave reviews.
It’s hard not to notice how appealing the Toshiba MM-EM20P(WH) looks. The white colour really suits the design and the contrasting black panel and cooking window give it a real edgy feel.
For a microwave that looks so slick and has several options on the control panel , this is surprisingly easy to use.
It has several one-touch preprogrammed menu options to help you get your favourite foods made quickly and conveniently. These include auto programmes for cooking popcorn, potatos and pizza.
In addition it quite helpfully has two defrost settings; one that auto calculates the time needed for defrosting based on weight and the other simply based on the time you want.
One of the best cooking features of the Toshiba MM-EM20P(WH) is the excellent multi-stage cooking programme. This will allow you to select up to two different cooking settings in one cycle. For example you could easily cook something at 80% power for 5 minutes and then finish on 50% power for 10 minutes. The idea is that this allows you to simulate what a gas fired oven might be able to do and it works well.
The Toshiba MM-EM20P(WH) is rated at 800W of maximum power and it cooks quickly and evenly. You get a full range of cooking powers with 11 different levels available from 100% down to 0%.
The Toshiba MM-EM20P(WH) is equipped with a digital control panel which helps to add to its appealing exterior and gives you a range of cooking options.
These include 6 preset cooking programmes including pizza, potatoes and popcorn.
At 800W of power the Toshiba MM-EM20P(WH) gets the job done quickly and effectively. You get a wide range of 11 different power levels to give you far more flexibility in selecting power levels than you would normally on most microwaves that have 3 – 7 power levels.
If you’re in a rush or just need to quickly reheat food which how most people use the microwave, you can simply whack your food in and select the time you need between 1 to 6 minutes and select start. You can also select 30 seconds of maximum power cooking power as well. This is a great function if you simply need to heat up some food quickly.
Witha 20litre capacity this microwave would work best for smaller households as well as couples and single occupied homes.
Part of what helps the Toshiba MM-EM20P(WH) to really stand out from the crowd is that although it has ample cooking capacity it is still a neat and compact unit. With dimensions of W44cm x H25.8cm x D32.5cm it leaves a relatively small footprint but still manages to fit in a standard sized dinner plate.
The Toshiba MM-EM20P(WH) comes with a few nice bonuses chief among them being a child safety lock for the control panel and a clock display.
One of the best things about the Toshiba MM-EM20P(WH) for long-term maintenance is the fact it’s fairly easy to clean. The paint-finish interior makes it easy to wipe down with a damp cloth and the turntable can be easily removed for washing in hot soapy water.
Overall the Toshiba MM-EM20P(WH) solo microwave provides excellent value for money from a highly reliable brand and a microwave that does it’s job very well.
Key Features
- 800W of power for fast and effective cooking
- 11 power levels
- 20 Litre capacity
- Available colours: White
- Dimensions: W44cm x H25.8cm x D32.5cm
#4 – Best Budget Solo Microwave: Russell Hobbs RHM2064C
#4 – Best Budget Solo Microwave: Russell Hobbs RHM2064C
There are some products that come define an entire category and the Russell Hobbs RHM2064C Heritage digital microwave is one of those. This microwave does its job in an excellent fashion and with little fuss.
The Russell Hobbs RHM2064C looks and feels like it has been designed with style, ease of use, and functionality.
At 20litre capacity the Russell Hobbs RHM2064C is perfect for smaller households as well as single occupant homes. The 20litre capacity will comfortably take a standard size dinner plate giving you a good range of flexibility for your cooking and reheating needs at home.
Lets start with the style and that lovely cream coating. It’s not easy to pull off a cream colour in an appliance and still manage to make it look modern as well as sleek but the Russell Hobbs RHM2064C does just that. The cream finish gives it a real quality feel and is easy to match up with other products in the Russell Hobbs range like kettles and toasters.
To add to the modern look the door has an appealing mirror finish which gives the machine yet more elegance. Though mirror doors can sometimes be prone to showing smudges, this is fairly easy to clean.
One of the first things that strikes you about the Russell Hobbs RHM2064C is how easy it is to use. The control panel is limited to 5 simple and clearly labelled buttons, a hand dial for selecting time, weight and auto programmes and the door button. Control panels do not come any easier than this (well maybe except for the Russell Hobbs RHEM2301B with its staggering 4 buttons).
At 800watts the Russell Hobbs RHM2064C will cook your food quickly and efficiently. It has 5 different power levels to choose from covering the full spectrum your likely to need from “P10” which is 10% of the power through to “P100” =100%.
It also quite helpfully has an automatic weight defrost programme meaning all you need to do is enter the weight of the item you need to defrost and the machine will do the job of selecting the best defrost time saving you the headache. And just in case you don’t know the weight of your frozen leftovers from the other day or if that’s too much work for you, you can simply use the defrost function by selecting the time you need up to 95 minutes.
Another really useful feature of the Russell Hobbs RHM2064C is its “multi-stage cooking” which lets you enter two settings in one go so you don’t have to come back later after the first. So for example if you wanted to defrost some rice then cook it for 7 minutes you have the option of setting both at the start and then not needing to interfere until it’s done. This is a great function that should save you some time and fiddling about once your food has defrosted but still needs to be warmed up.
The Russell Hobbs RHM2064C comes with 8 automatic cooking programmes including settings for cooking fish, pasta, vegetables, meat, soup and pizza.
For added peace of mind in your kitchen, there’s a child lock setting which will allow you to keep the machine on lock down and stop anyone from tampering with it.
Overall this is a nice and compact unit (External Dimensions: H25.8cm x W44cm x D34cm; Turntable diameter: 25.5cm) which won’t take up too much space on your counter. Though you will need to bear in mind that you’ll need at least 20cm of clearance between the microwave and any adjacent walls. In addition you’ll need 30cm of clearance above the unit whilst the rear should be placed against a wall.
Though turntable microwaves can sometimes be tricky to clean, the plate in the Russell Hobbs RHM2064C is dishwasher safe which will make life even easier.
Overall the Russell Hobbs RHM2064C would make a classy addition to your kitchen whilst providing you with a highly rated microwave that looks great. It is one of the most well-renowned solo microwaves on the market and offers excellent value for money.
Key Features
- 20 Litre Capacity
- 800Watts of power
- 5 Power Levels
- Available Colours: Cream
- Type: Solo microwave
- Mirror Finish Door
- Dimensions: H25.8cm x W44cm x D34cm
#5 – Best Budget Solo Microwave: Russell Hobbs RHFM2001B
#5 – Best Budget Solo Microwave: Russell Hobbs RHFM2001B – Best Budget Solo Flatbed Microwave
The price of the Russell Hobbs RHFM2001B flatbed microwave may suggest this is a budget option but that’s where it stops; everything else about this microwave is premium only. That’s why it features on our list for the best budget solo microwave as our top flatbed option.
There are some microwaves that heat, cook and defrost their way through life so brilliantly you’d think they were made for it right from the start. The Russell Hobbs RHF2001B flatbed solo microwave is one of those microwaves.
As well as doing its job perfectly, it also looks amazing doing it and offers excellent value for money.
Let’s start with just how gorgeous this microwave looks. If there are more eye-catching appliances in your kitchen than the Russell Hobbs RHF2001B, then you must have hard time remembering what you went into the kitchen to do.
The Russell Hobbs RHF2001B has a smooth and contemporary design enhanced by its black mirror finish. It also has two control dials in lovely silver which standout yet complement the overall design of the front.
As if the looks were not enough, the Russell Hobbs RHF2001B does an excellent job of cooking, reheating and defrosting. At 700W it cooks food very quickly and also quite importantly evenly. This is helped by the flatbed design (no turntable) and its internal diamond cavity structure which enhances the reflecting of the microwaves and means the power is distributed more evenly. This leaves you with no more annoying cold spots.
In fact the cooking prowess of the Russell Hobbs RHF2001B is one of things that you’ll notice most frequently mentioned by users.
The flatbed design provides several advantages to the Russell Hobbs RHF2001B.
One of the best things is the fact you can get larger and more awkward shaped dishes into the microwave than you could with the same capacity turntable design.
The flat surface also makes it a lot easier to clean spills and splatters inside the microwave. No more awkward moments trying to handle and clean the glass turntable.
If you want a smaller than average microwave that can still fit a standard size dinner plate then the Russell Hobbs RHF2001B fits the bill. Though it has a nice compact footprint, you can still easily fit standard dinner plates through the door.
Something that you see mentioned frequently and that you’ll quickly notice, is how easy it is to use the Russell Hobbs RHF2001B microwave. With the two dials you can select pretty much all the functions that you’ll need to get the most out this excellent microwave.
With a 19litre capacity the Russell Hobbs RHFM2001B would be perfectly suited to smaller households as well as singles and couples.
To give you a wider range of choice this model is available in silver (Russell Hobbs RHFM2001S).
Overall the Russell Hobbs RHFM2001B is so highly rated by users as it offers excellent value for money, an easy to use interface, cooks brilliantly and to top it all off looks great. You will be hard pressed to find a better option for the best budget solo microwave with a flatbed design than the Russell Hobbs RHFM2001B.
Key Features
- Flatbed design for no fuss cleaning and more space
- Diamond cavity for even cooking
- 700W of power for great convenience
- Available colours: (i) Black and (ii) Silver
- Dimensions: W48.8cm x H41.4cm x D33.4cm
Best Budget Solo Microwave: Let us know what you think in the comments
