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Best Microwave For Family:
1 – Best Microwave For Family of 5 – Sharp R959SLMAA
The brilliant Sharp R959SLMAA is our top pick for the best microwave for family of 5. If you’re looking for a high capacity microwave with excellent features that’s easy to use then this is it.
The Sharp R959SLMAA is by far the best microwave for a family of 5 that we have come across. Its extra large 40 litre capacity means you can easily cater to the needs of your household and make large dishes with no trouble.
In addition the large size means it can take large dinner plates with no problem. It’s easy to see why it’s been chosen best microwave for family of 5.
We’ve also seen great reviews noting how well suited this model is for families of 5. Best microwave for family of 5? Absolutely!
This awesome machine is a combination microwave, oven and grill all in one brillaint device. This will give you lots of versatility in your cooking.
This 900W machine comes with 5 power levels giving you lots of options when cooking. At the same time you also have access to 8 preset cooking modes taking the guesswork out of getting your food exactly how you want it. These include options for cooking pizza, ready meals, rice/pasta and cake.
The 900W grill is equipped with quartz technology. The quartz heating elements get hot very quickly making them perfect for cooking and browning foods such as pizzas, grilled cheese sandiches and sausages.
The convection oven can reach temperatures up to 250°C. With ten different temperature settings ranging between 40°C and 250°C, you’ll have plenty of options for making the perfect meal for your family of 5.
To help you get the most out of your various functions the Sharp R959SLMAA also has a combination (“COMBI”) mode allowing you to combine the microwave with either the grill or convection oven. This reduces cooking time and also means your food can come out with a crispy brown finish.
Quite helpfully instructions pop up on the control panel screen prompting you take action as it’s needed.
The silver trim finish gives this unit a real smart feel.
The Sharp R959SLMAA is designed for use on counter-tops or for built-in installation, rare versatility.
Whilst this is definitely our first choice for best microwave for family of 5, due to its large capacity and size it does mean that it takes up a lot of space.
So if you are tight for space in your kitchen then you may need to look elsewhere like the Panasonic NN-CT57JMBPQ Slimline below or checkout our picks of the best flatbed microwaves for another option.
Quite helpfully thought the minimum clearance above the oven unit is 13cm which compares well to a lot of other microwaves which need at least 30cm. This should give you some more flexibility if you are tight for space in your kitchen.
There is also an installation kit available from Sharp that allows the oven to be fitted within a kitchen unit. The oven also has an energy save mode allowing you to save on electricity when the oven is not in use.
Key Benefits
| Extra large 40 litre capacity microwave | ? |
| Microwave, convection oven, grill and combination | ? |
| Quick and convenient cooking with 900W of power | ? |
| Modern and stylish silver finish with a stainless steel finish | ? |
| Dimensions: Outside dimension-W55cm x H36.8cm x D53.7cm Inside dimension W37.5cm x H27.2cm x D39.5. | ? |
2 – Best Microwave For Family of 5 With Small Kitchen – Panasonic NN-CT57JMBPQ Slimline
The Panasonic NN-CT57JMBPQ Slimline Combination Microwave Oven is our pick for best microwave for family of 5 with small kitchen as well as our number 2 pick for the best microwave for family of 5.
It combines lots of cooking space with a microwave, oven and grill. In addition you also get a well thought out design that saves you lots of counter-space. That’s why this is the best microwave for a family of 5 with a small kitchen.
This is a 3-in-1 combination microwave, oven and grill – giving you everything you need for cooking for your family all in one great appliance. The combination is a great space saver as well as money saver.
One of the best things about the Panasonic NN-CT57JMBPQ is the inverter technology. Most conventional microwave ovens use a method of cooking which means the power is at 100% all the time and simply alternates between on and off during a cycle.
With Panasonic’s inverter technology on the other hand, the power is steady. For example if you set it to 50%, the power will be maintained at that level for the whole time.
This precise power controls results in foods cooked exactly how you want them and much more evenly.
The technology also means you do not have to deal with cold spots when heating food and defrosting is done a lot more efficiently.
It also cooks and heats foods much more quickly than a conventional microwave oven. These benefits are all evident with the Panasonic NN-CT57JMBPQ.
At 1000Watts you will also have a very powerful microwave oven that can have your food cooked quickly.
In conventional microwave ovens the cooling fan is located at the back of the machine. In the Panasonic NN-CT57JMBPQ, the fan has been moved to the top of the oven resulting in a much smaller footprint (39.5cm depth). This leaves you with far more countertop space perfect for smaller kitchens. It also goes along way to making this model the best microwave for a family of 5 with a small kitchen.
Internally Panasonic have found a way to give you more space as well with a 34cm turntable meaning you can get even the biggest of dishes into the oven.
Overall you get 27Litre cooking capacity. If you have a large family (then this is one of the Best Microwave for Family of 5, it can also accomodate food for 7 or 8 people). This is one of the key reasons we think this is the best microwave for a family of 5 with a small kitchen.
The machine comes equipped with plenty of pre-set cooking programmes including a kids menu to encourage healthy eating. You simply enter the weight of the food and the oven does the rest.
Quite helpfully the control panel is wipe clean meaning even if it does get smudged or grubby whilst using, its an easy job to wipe it down.
In all we think the Panasonic NN-CT57JMBPQ would make a great addition to your kitchen especially if you have a large family but are tight on space.
Key Benefits
| Inverter cooking technology for precise and evenly cooked food | ? |
| Large capacity (27L) for meeting your family needs | ? |
| Small footprint – great for small kitchens or tight spaces | ? |
| 1000W of power for quick and easy meals | ? |
| Dimensions: D39.5cm x W52cm x H31cm | ? |
3 – Best Flatbed Microwave For Family of 5 – Panasonic NN-SF464MBPQ
The Panasonic NN-SF464MBPQ flatbed microwave oven is our pick for best flatbed microwave for family of 5 and our 3rd pick for best microwave for family of 5.
This excellent model is equipped with Panasonic’s inverter technology giving you evenly cooked food with less power usage than conventional microwave ovens. Your food will come out evenly cooked with no annoying cold spots. The inverter technology allows you to control the power to get the food exactly how you want it
The inverter technology coupled with 1000Watts of power means you can cook your food quickly and evenly.
Quite helpfully the Panasonic NN-SF464MBPQ comes equipped with 5 power levels from gentle defrosting through to cooking full on dishes.
It has an incredible 18 auto programmes which gives you a wide range of options when it comes to making your food exactly how you like it without any of the guess work.
The control panel is touch operated which makes the unit feel all the more slick alongside the overall neat design. This combined with the stainless steel silver finish gives it a modern feel that would be welcomed in most kitchens.
It also makes cleaning quite straightforward as you can just wipe down the flat surface. The flatbed base also makes the job of cleaning relatively easy.
This is a solo microwave take a look here if you’re after the best flatbed combination microwaves meaning there’s no grill or oven function. This would suit a household that uses the microwave predominantly for heating and defrosting food rather than cooking complex meals. It would also work well for meals such as rice, pasta, jacket potatoes and the like.
The flatbed design means there is no turntable leaving with you with much for space for large awkward dishes that otherwise would not fit.
This model also features a child lock which is particularly useful if your family includes young children.
You’d have to look hard for drawbacks to this machine and the best you’d come up with is possibly a slightly dim LED light when in operation but this really is scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Overall this is an excellent Panasonic product if you are looking for a flatbed microwave that will cook your food evenly and efficiently, is easy to clean and get to grips with. It is our pick for best flatbed microwave for family of 5.
Key Benefits
| Flatbed design giving you more space and an easier time cleaning | ? |
| Inverter cooking technology for precise and evenly cooked food | ? |
| Plenty of cooking capacity (27Litre) | ? |
| 1000W of power for quick and easy meals | ? |
| Dimensions: D42.2cm x W52.9cm x H32.6cm | ? |
4 – Best Microwave For Family of 5 – Panasonic NN-CF873SBPQ Premium Combination Oven
If you like your food cooked in the future then you’ll love the high grade Panasonic NN-CF873SBPQ premium combination microwave oven. The Panasonic NN-CF873SBPQ Premium Combination Flatbed Microwave Oven is our 4th pick for the best microwave for family of 5 and our top option for best microwave oven for family of 5.
One of the most advanced combination microwaves oven on the market, the NN-CF873SBPQ is a real high grade option for a family of 5 if you have the budget.
It has a 1000W inverter microwave alongside an excellenct convection oven and a 1300W quartz grill. This machine really does have it all covered when it comes to the cooking needs of your family of 5. With this model you can microwave, roast, bake and grill your way to the perfect dinner.
When you’re trying to make multiple dishes with an oven, the Panasonic NN-CF873SBPQ will have you covered. It has a brilliant convection oven allowing you to cook on two levels at the same time letting you get dinner made for the whole family in one go. This is one of many reasons why it’s on our list for the best microwave oven for family of 5. The convection oven works by circulating heated air evenly around the interior of the microwave. Unlike conventional ovens where you need to rely on the air rising, by passing hot air over the food it cooks more evenly across all levels and in a much faster time-frame.
To make the most of the versatility you have with cooking options, the model comes with an enamel shelf, a wire shelf and a glass shelf.
The Panasonic NN-CF873SBPQ has a flatbed design which means there is no turntable, unlike the traditional microwaves. Doing away with the turntable leaves you with far more space inside the microwave meaning you can fit larger sized dishes and more awkward shapes into the unit.
In total you are dealing with a 32Litre capacity unit which gives you a good amount of space for catering to your family.
You’ll enjoy the modern feel of the touch operated control panel, even if you may need to read up on the various icons. The touch panel is incoporated to the ultra slick glass front door. The exterior really does look like it has been designed with luxury in mind and the overall feel of the Panasonic NN-CF873SBPQ is likely to attract attention in your kitchen for its looks as well as its cooking prowess.
When it comes to easy cleaning, this unit has you covered. The back and top surfaces use ‘Catalytic Self Cleaning Plates’ meaning once you are done cooking, you can simply take a cloth to the grease on these surfaces and wipe them away. The sides of the oven have an easy to clean top coating all of which meaning cleaning the microwave is much easier task than traditional ovens. These features combined with the flatbed design make cleaning a much more straightforward prospect.
Overall the Panasonic NN-CF873SBPQ Premium Combination Oven is a fantastic microwave oven and sits well on our list of the best microwave for family of 5. It combines a highly effective convection oven with a grill as well as a flatbed microwave with a sleek and modern design. There are less expensive alternatives on the market that may not do everything quite as well but if you’re budget can stretch this far then this definitely one to look at.
Key Benefits
| Cook on two levels at the same time with convection oven | ? |
| 1000W microwave for fast and easy meals | ? |
| Large cooking capacity (32Litre) | ? |
| Flatbed design for easy cleaning | ? |
| Dimensions: D43.8cm x W49.4 cm x H39cm | ? |
5 – Best Solo Microwave For Family of 5 – Bosch Series 2 HMT84M461B
The Bosch Series 2 HMT84M461B solo microwave combines excellent build quality, lots of useful features, great performance and high user satisfaction to make it on to our list of best microwave for family of 5 as our pick for the best solo microwave for family of 5.
Coming in black and white options, it may not have the glitzy colours of some other models but what you get is powerful and reliable machine from a world-renowned German engineering brand.
This is a solo microwave (meaning there’s no oven or grill) and it does the job perfectly. This model would be best for a large families that need to mostly heat and defrost their food as well as cook items such as rice and potatoes.
With a 25Litre capacity it has a fairly generous capacity whilst a 315mm turntable means you can get large plates and dishes into the microwave. These features make it a great fit for families as well those looking for a solo microwave that’s larger than the average size.
The Bosch Series 2 HMT84M461B is a powerful unit coming in at 900W which comes in handy when you need to quickly heat your food. It has 5 power levels which are easy to select with 5 clearly labelled corresponding buttons on the control panel (90, 180, 360, 600, 900 Watts). This gives you a great range in cooking flexibility from a low 90W which is recommended for defrosting delicate items to a blistering 900 W best for heating up liquids.
In fact the simplicity of the control panel is one of the best features of the Bosch Series 2 HMT84M461B. You can tell it has been designed with making life as simple as possible. It comes with a retractable rotary know for making your selections.
It makes it easy if you’re just looking for a quick re-heat option but it also has 7 pre-set automatic programmes. These include options for cooking rice, potatoes and vegetables as well as defrosting meat, poultry and bread.
It is also equipped with a dial that allows you to select the weight of your food and let the machine do the rest.
Quite helpfully it also comes with a timer which can run up to 99 minutes which can be handy for dishes that need to be slow cooked. A nice added bonus for the settings is the fact this model has a memory function that will allow you to create your own program. This is pearticuarly useful if you have one dish you tend to cook or heat up regularly.
The control panel is equipped with an LED display which is clearly visible from meters away. It can also be used as a clock when not in use which can be surprisingly handy in the kitchen.
The great visibility also goes for the internal light which makes it easy for you to keep an eye on your food whilst it is cooking.
Another great benefit with this unit is the fact it comes with ample information and cooking guides to help you find the best ways to make the most of the power you are getting.
Something else you don’t often see is the possibility of changing the duration of the beeping when the timer comes to an end. You can choose a short duration of 3 beeps or a much longer duration of 30 beeps.
One thing to bear in mind for where you place the microwave on your kitchen counter is that it needs a minimum of 30cm clearance above the unit.
Overall the Bosch Series 2 HMT84M461B is one of the most highly rated solo microwaves on the market and easily makes our list for the best microwave for family of 5 as the best solo option.
Key Benefits
| Easy to use control panel | ? |
| 900W of power for fast and efficient heating and cooking | ? |
| Good cooking capacity (25L) and large width for big plates | ? |
| Dimensions: D40.8 cm x W51.3cm x H30.5cm | ? |