AmazonBasics Microwave 0.7 Review

Pros: Inexpensive, smart home integration, compact
Cons: Low power, Echo device required for some functions
Manufacturer: Amazon
Our Verdict
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AmazonBasics Microwave 0.7 | |||||
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Price | $60 List $59.99 at Amazon | $112 List $109.58 at Amazon | $170 List $149.99 at Amazon | $100 List | $100 List $99.95 at Amazon |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Inexpensive, smart home integration, compact | Excellent with packaged frozen foods, compact, very easy to use | Excellent at defrosting, convenient | Good at reheating, does well with premade frozen foods | Good at defrosting meat |
Cons | Low power, Echo device required for some functions | So-so with mixed leftovers | Large, expensive | Didn’t defrost frozen turkey well | Not the most convenient to use, heating performance could be better |
Bottom Line | If you are searching for a new appliance without spending a bunch of cash, then we think this is one of the best options out there | If you have a smaller kitchen and are looking for a top-tier appliance, then we think this is one of the best options out there | This appliance is a fantastic choice for anyone who want a larger model and predominantly is heating up frozen foods | While this appliance did alright in our rankings, we didn’t feel that it can quite match some of the better ones we have seen | While this appliance did deliver some great results in a few of our tests, it overall finished in the middle of the group |
Rating Categories | AmazonBasics... | Kenmore 70929 | Toshiba EM131A5C | BLACK+DECKER... | Panasonic NN-SB458S |
Heating (40%) | |||||
Frozen Foods (30%) | |||||
Defrosting (20%) | |||||
Ease Of Use (10%) | |||||
Specs | AmazonBasics... | Kenmore 70929 | Toshiba EM131A5C | BLACK+DECKER... | Panasonic NN-SB458S |
Watts | 700 | 900 | 1100 | 1000 | 900 |
Cubic Feet | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 |
Dimensions | 17.3" x 10.1" x 14.1" | 14.5" x 17.7" x 11" | 20.5" x 17.1" x 12.8" | 20.2" x 15.6" x 12.1" | 19.1" x 11.5" x 14.8" |
Turntable Diameter | 10" | 11.2" | 12.4" | 12.4" | 10.6" |
Internal Dimentions | 10.9" x 6.9" x 10" | 9.3" x 12.4" x 13.6" | 13.1" x 15" x 9.5" | 13.9" x 14.5" x 9.1" | 12.4"x 13.9" x 8.1" |
Warranty | 1 year limited | 1 year limited | 1 year limited | 1 year limited | 1 year parts and labor 5 year magnetron |
Child lock | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Our Analysis and Test Results
This is one of the smallest products that we have tested, making it a great option for cramped kitchens. However, it only has a 10" turntable, limiting what will fit inside, but we think it's a great bargain option if you are OK with that.
Performance Comparison
Heating
Our first metric looked at how quickly and evenly the AmazonBasics 0.7 heated up food, using both a variety of food, a heat map, and a controlled volume of water. It did decently well, scoring well in most of the tests.
This microwave did about average in our heat map test, with the inner and center parts of the marshmallow fluff getting fully cooked and blackened. The outer ring was only lightly browned with large sections of completely uncooked fluff.
It continued its middle-of-the-road results in our speed test, raising the temperature of the small beaker of water by 70.1°F after 45 seconds of heating.
The AmazonBasics 0.7 did much better with the plate of leftovers, heating up the green beans, sausage, and potatoes all to the proper serving temperature. The sausage did come out about 35°F than the potatoes and the green beans but we found it to be more than good enough for serving.
It continued its solid performance into the next test, heating up the soup to the correct serving temperature when heated following the instructions. Unfortunately, the performance of this product dropped a bit with our last test, delivering somewhat lackluster results when reheating two slices of pizza.
Both slices were just barely warmed, with the centers a little cooler than the outside.
Frozen Foods
The relative performance of the AmazonBasics 0.7 improved going into our next metric, scoring quite above average. We used Hot Pockets, frozen burritos, and an individual serving of mini-lasagna as our test items, heating them up following the manufacturers' instructions and then using a set of thermometers to measure the temperature in various zones to see how evenly each item was heated by the microwave.
The AmazonBasics 0.7 did a fantastic job with both the frozen burrito and the Hot Pocket but faltered a bit with the miniature lasagna. The Hot Pocket only had an average temperature variation of 3°F between the left, right, and center regions. The burrito heated up a little more unevenly but not by much, only showing a discrepancy of around 7°F.
The lasagna showed a bit more of a temperature change across the different areas, with an average temperature difference of 21°F. It also failed to heat the lasagna to a suitable serving temperature when following the directions and had some very extreme differences, with the largest being 44°F.
Defrosting
After all of the pre-prepared frozen foods, we moved on to rating and ranking how the AmazonBasics 0.7 did at defrosting a 1 lb. square of frozen ground turkey This microwave's performance dropped just a little bit but still did well above average.
We liked that this product does notify you to flip the meat halfway through cooking but only a little more than half of the meat was completely defrosted — about 9.5 ounces. The remainder was still quite frozen, to the point where we felt that it needed to go back in the microwave for a bit longer before we could break it up enough to go to the stovetop.
Ease of Use
Our fourth and final metric evaluated how convenient and easy to use the AmazonBasics 0.7 and all the other microwaves are to use. We awarded points based on the preset functions and quick features, as well as the amount of light and how resistant to movement each product is on smooth countertops. The AmazonBasics 0.7 finished out with another above average performance.
This product does have a +30 seconds button but you do need to press it twice to get the microwave to actually start. It has decent lighting and doesn't slide around on the counter at all but you do need to have the Echo/Alexa set up properly to use many of the quick functions.
However, we did find the preset functions to work very well, with the popcorn button leaving behind very few unpopped kernels and didn't burn any.
Value
This microwave held its own against models that cost significantly more, making it a great bargain option and one we highly recommend if you are shopping on a budget.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a compact bargain microwave or an appliance that can integrate with your Alexa smart home, then the AmazonBasics 0.7 is a great option. It heats ups most food fairly evenly and doesn't take up a ton of countertop space, plus the added bonus of being able to command your microwave by voice to make you some popcorn is a fun feature.
— David Wise and Austin Palmer