Best Over-the-Range Microwaves of 2025
These cabinet-mounted models help clear your counters and increase your space for heating food
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An over-the-range microwave oven is a good choice if you have limited counter space or prefer a built-in appliance that complements the rest of your kitchen’s aesthetic. These sleek appliances not only save you counter space but also generally offer more space to heat up your food than countertop models (even if our in-lab measurements indicate that over-the-range microwaves often have only 40 to 50 percent of their advertised capacity).
However, over-the-range (OTR) microwaves may be more expensive than countertop models. While there is a wide price range among models in our ratings, several cost more than $1,000, and installation can cost several hundred dollars more.
Aside from the added expense of OTRs, there are other drawbacks worth noting. Although over-the-range microwaves have built-in exhaust fans, they don’t vent cooking gases as well as dedicated range hoods. You might also find it challenging to remove a piping-hot bowl of soup from a microwave mounted at least 18 inches above your stovetop.
“Some newer over-the-range microwaves are very squat and might be difficult to reach when you open the door or press buttons,” says Ginny Lui, who leads microwave testing at Consumer Reports. “Make sure to consider the size of the current microwave in your kitchen before you buy one.”
If you’re trying to decide whether to repair or replace your current OTR microwave, CR’s interactive tool leverages product costs, depreciation rates, and survey data to help you make the right choice. If you decide to replace your microwave, there are more than 90 over-the-range microwave ovens (and 80 countertop models) in our ratings.
Best Over-the-Range Microwaves
Here, listed in alphabetical order, are 10 OTR microwaves that deliver outstanding performance in our lab tests. For more information on choosing a microwave, see our microwave buying guide.
The snazzy Café CVM721M2NS5 cooks well, earning an excellent rating in our defrosting evenness test and a very good rating for speed of heating. It’s not quite as good at heating evenly, however. The model has a recessed handle and hidden digital controls that run along the bottom. It earns a top score for ease of use: When you tap on the glass touchscreen, options for time and cooking modes appear. A similar scoring model, the Café CVM521P2MS1, heats more evenly but not as fast. In our latest member survey, Café over-the-range microwaves earn a very good and middling score for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction, respectively.
The GE JNM7196SKSS performs its duties effectively in our tests, earning an excellent rating for evenly defrosting a pound of frozen ground chuck. It also aces our test for ease of use and gets very good scores for heating evenness, venting, and microwaving noise (its venting function is noisier). But its speed of heating is only average. GE earns an average score for predicted reliability and a below-average score for owner satisfaction.
The KitchenAid KMHS120ESS is a solid all-around choice. It earns an excellent rating in our defrosting test, in which we defrost 1 pound of ground chuck. This KitchenAid also performs well in our heating evenness test and is extremely quiet. It features a cooking sensor and includes a rack, allowing you to cook two dishes simultaneously. KitchenAid’s over-the-range microwaves receive a moderate rating for both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction in our latest member survey.
The high-performing LG MHEC1737F showcases excellent defrosting capabilities in our tests. It earns a middling rating for heating speed, so it may take a while to heat up food. But it delivers evenly heated mashed potatoes with above-average performance in our heating evenness test. This model also features a convection mode, which circulates heat around your food to warm it evenly. The LG Studio MHES1738F performs similarly to this model, although it comes with convection cooking and a considerably larger price tag.
The LG MVEF1323F is notably one of the quietest microwaves in our ratings, earning a top-notch score in our microwave noise tests (its venting noise is just middling). While its scores for heating evenness and speed of heating don’t impress us much, it aces our tests for defrosting evenness. It’s also very easy to use and has an airflow score that places it near the top. This model lacks a sensor, so heating your food might require a little more attention compared with those that have one.
We found that the LG MVEF1337F did an excellent job defrosting a pound of frozen ground chuck evenly. It also vents well, receiving an airflow score that stands out among the OTR models we’ve tested. While the model heats quite evenly, it is on the slower side. This model features a sensor that automatically shuts off the microwave when it detects that your food is ready.
The sleek LG MVEL2033F boasts top-notch heating uniformity and defrosting capabilities. With controls that light up when you touch the screen, it’s also a cinch to use. It operates quietly and vents fairly well for an OTR model. A sensor prevents you from overcooking your food. One small drawback is its so-so heating speed, but if you’re willing to wait a little longer for your food to heat up, it’s not a deal breaker.
The LG MVEL2125F tops our ratings with stellar performance in our heating and defrosting evenness tests. While fairly quiet, the microwave falls in the middle of the pack in terms of heating speed and venting. Its touchpad controls make it easy to use, and the microwave comes with a sensor that prevents overcooking.
The Thermador MU30WSU earns top marks for heating evenness and very good ratings for speed of heating and defrosting evenness in our tests. This model comes with a sensor that prevents overcooking and a wire rack for bi-level cooking. In our surveys, Thermador over-the-range microwaves receive midlevel marks for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.
The Whirlpool WMH78519LZ earns excellent ratings in our defrosting and microwaving noise tests. It also does very well in our heating evenness assessment, meaning a dish of cold mashed potatoes has few cold spots after microwaving. Unlike the other models in this roundup, it doesn’t have a sensor to stop the appliance when your meal is done, but it does have a convection mode, and our testers also found it very easy to use. In our most recent member survey, Whirlpool over-the-range microwaves received a very good rating for predicted reliability and a midrange score for owner satisfaction.
How CR Tests Over-the-Range Microwaves
In our lab, we assess how fast and how evenly microwaves heat. A microwave’s heating speed score is based on how quickly it heats a 1-liter bowl of room-temperature water. To test how evenly a microwave heats, we heat a bowl of cold mashed potatoes for 10 minutes and then insert thermocouples that take temperature readings in 20 spots.
We also judge how quietly a microwave operates and how easy it is to use without consulting the manual. Finally, we perform a venting test—measuring the volume of air drawn in by the OTR’s internal fan on its highest setting—to see how effectively the microwave removes cooking gases.
In addition to these performance tests, we incorporate ratings for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction, using results from surveys of CR members who purchased 38,349 new over-the-range microwaves between 2014 and 2024.
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