Half of those we’ve tested need at least 30cm above them, but we’ve found plenty that only need between 10cm and 20cm. Keeping your microwave clean will help to reduce energy costs too because bits of food, grime, and spills will add a couple more seconds to the cooking time of your food. If this seems like too much effort, look for a microwave with auto programs that'll set the time and power level for you. Switch it off at the wall

Auto reheat Enter the weight of the food and the microwave automatically calculates how long it should take to reheat. Better microwaves let you select what it is you're cooking, rather than giving one cooking time for every type of food. Our Eco Buy models are also excellent at the key tasks, scoring 65% and above, so you get the best of both worlds. or High Ideal for anything with a high water content and the best setting for steaming. It’s also good for reheating ready-made meals, soups, canned foods, cold coffee and tea, mince or tender meat, poultry, fish, cooked pasta, and most vegetables. Auto cook programs Enter the type and weight of food, and the microwave will automatically set the time and power needed to cook it. Premium models can offer up to 30 programs, including specialised ones for popcorn or roasts. Look for a microwave with a selection of auto programs (to automatically set the weight and time for specific foods), digital displays and easy-to-use push-button or touch panel controls.

These tips will help you to save even more money when using your microwave. Choose the correct power setting for your dish Six evenly spaced vents in the top let steam escape without letting all the moisture out of your carefully prepared meal, and deep finger grips in the centre make it easy to lift on and off the plate. A microwave's power is measured in watts - and generally, the higher the wattage, the faster your food cooks. You can wipe down greasy, smudged viewing windows with a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water, before rinsing and leaving to air-dry. Your best bet for getting the gunk out of the rubber door seals is a damp cloth dipped in a little bicarbonate of soda. Where to buy a microwave

Microwaves come in all sizes, ranging from small, compact models to large, bulkier machines that will take up much more space. Multi-step programming This allows you to program different cooking modes in sequence, to automatically switch between defrosting and cooking your dinner, for example.Sometimes called 'solo' microwaves, these are the most basic. They're great for simple tasks such as warming soup, heating ready meals or defrosting food. If your family regularly has latecomers to dinner, or if you often dish up a meal for someone to enjoy when they arrive home from a late shift at work, cover their plated food with our Microwave Plate Cover and, when they’re ready to eat, it can go straight from the fridge to the microwave. It’ll help keep the moisture in their meal and – equally as importantly – keep any splatters contained so the inside of your microwave oven stays clean. You may need to cook your food for longer than recommended to make sure it’s piping hot all the way through. Are microwaves energy efficient? Touch-panel controls These take far less effort to press than push-button controls. If you do go for button controls, they should be large, easy to press and not too close together.

Clear labelling Controls should be clearly labelled with a large font size. Digital displays should be brightly lit and easy to read. If you're visually impaired, consider one that beeps when you make a selection.Fill a microwave-safe bowl with water, white vinegar and sliced citrus fruits (lemon, lime or orange) Despite their relatively straightforward purpose, microwaves can vary considerably in terms of the accessories and features they offer. Because of these strict criteria, less than 10% of the microwaves we've tested get an Eco Buy recommendation. These combine normal microwave cooking with a grilling element. They can perform all the tasks you'd expect from a standard model, such as defrosting ready meals and reheating leftovers. The grill function can also brown food.

Large door Wide-opening or dropdown doors make it much easier to get heavy or hot dishes in and out of the microwave, especially if you have reduced strength or dexterity. or Medium Low Simmer foods such as chilli, sauces, rice and cereal on this setting. You can also use it to defrost smaller items - many microwaves use Medium Low as the ‘auto defrost’ setting.Pizza function This tends to work better with grill or combi microwaves, as the grill helps to crisp the pizza base and brown the top. Some models come with ‘crisper plates’ which can also be used for quiches. You'll get better results if you use a frozen pizza and pre-heat the oven and plate for four or five minutes first.