Roughly one in five new kitchen remodels now skips the microwave entirely. Whether you are short on counter space, worried about uneven reheating, or just want a cleaner backsplash, finding the right alternative to microwave cooking matters more than it used to. The good news is that today’s countertop appliances reheat, defrost, and cook better than a microwave in most situations, and several do it for under $100.
Why Homeowners Are Ditching the Microwave
Microwaves heat unevenly, leaving cold pockets in dense foods. They turn pizza crust limp and roasted vegetables soggy. Built-in over-the-range models also block sight lines and can cost $400 to $800 to replace when they fail at year seven or eight. Removing the microwave opens visual space and frees up a 30-inch section of upper cabinet real estate.
There is no single replacement that does everything a microwave does. Most people end up with two appliances that together cover reheating, popcorn, and defrost duties without the downsides.
Toaster Ovens and Convection Ovens
A quality convection toaster oven is the most popular microwave replacement. The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer ($300 to $400) and Cuisinart TOA-65 ($230) handle leftovers, frozen pizza, broiling, and baking. They reheat pizza in 4 minutes with a crisp crust, versus a microwave’s 60 seconds of sogginess.
Smaller options like the Hamilton Beach Easy Reach ($45) work fine for studio apartments or as a secondary appliance. Expect reheats to take 2 to 3 times longer than a microwave, but the food actually tastes good. That trade is worth it for most households.
Air Fryers
Air fryers are essentially small convection ovens with aggressive fan speeds. They reheat fries, chicken, and pizza in 3 to 5 minutes and crisp the exterior in the process. Basket-style models from Ninja or Cosori run $80 to $130 and fit a family of four.
The downside is small capacity. You cannot reheat a casserole or warm a bowl of soup in most air fryer baskets. Pair an air fryer with one other appliance and you are covered. Many homeowners report they use the air fryer 4 to 6 times per week and never miss the microwave.
Steam Ovens
Steam ovens are the premium replacement for cooks who care about food quality. Countertop models from Cuisinart or Anova run $250 to $500. Built-in versions from Miele or Wolf hit $3,000 and up. Steam reheats food gently without drying it out, which makes leftover rice, fish, and bread taste almost fresh.
Steam ovens also handle vegetables beautifully. A bunch of broccoli steams in 6 minutes with no soggy texture. The drawback is a 20-minute preheat on full-size built-in units, so they work better as part of a cooking strategy than a quick warm-up tool.
Induction Burners
A single induction burner ($60 to $150) plus a few quality pots reheats everything a microwave handles, plus actually cooks meals. Soup heats in 4 minutes. Leftover stir-fry refreshes in 3. The portable Duxtop 9100MC is a perennial favorite at around $85 and pulls 1,800 watts.
Induction works only with magnetic cookware. Test your pots with a refrigerator magnet first. If the magnet sticks to the bottom, the pot works. Cast iron and most stainless steel pans are compatible. Aluminum and copper are not.
Combination Speed Ovens
Speed ovens combine convection, microwave, and sometimes steam in a single built-in unit. Brands like Wolf, Miele, and GE Monogram make them in the $2,500 to $5,500 range. They replace both your microwave and wall oven in the same cavity.
For homeowners doing a full renovation, a speed oven is the cleanest microwave alternative because it eliminates the visible appliance entirely while keeping fast reheats available when needed. Reheating a slice of pizza takes 90 seconds with the convection-microwave combo mode and the crust stays crisp.
Stovetop and Conventional Oven
The free option is your existing stove. A small saucepan or skillet reheats most foods in 3 to 5 minutes. A 350-degree oven handles pizza, casseroles, and roasted vegetables in 10 to 15 minutes. This is how most kitchens operated before 1985.
The catch is dirty pans. You will wash more dishes without a microwave. Some households offset that by keeping a single dedicated nonstick skillet for reheats and rinsing it between uses.
Comparing Costs and Counter Footprint
- Toaster oven (basic) — $45, 18 by 12 inches, 4-minute pizza reheat
- Air fryer (5-quart basket) — $90, 13 by 13 inches, 3-minute fries reheat
- Induction burner (single) — $85, 12 by 14 inches, 4-minute soup heat
- Premium toaster oven with air fry — $350, 17 by 16 inches, full meal cooking
- Countertop steam oven — $350, 17 by 14 inches, gentle reheats
- Built-in speed oven — $3,500 plus install, 30 inches wide, all-in-one
Choosing the Right Setup for Your Kitchen
For a single person or couple, one good toaster oven covers 90 percent of microwave duties. For families of four or more, pair a toaster oven with either an air fryer or an induction burner. The combined cost still lands under what you would spend replacing a built-in microwave, and the food quality is dramatically better.
If you are mid-renovation, plan for one or two pull-out shelves below the counter to store the small appliances when not in use. A 15-inch deep drawer base cabinet holds an air fryer or toaster oven and keeps your counters clear. This is the move pro designers make when clients say no microwave but still want a clean kitchen.
What About Popcorn and Quick Defrost
Stovetop popcorn cooks in 4 minutes in a Dutch oven with 3 tablespoons of oil and half a cup of kernels. It tastes better than microwave bags and costs less per serving. For defrosting, plan ahead and pull meat from the freezer the night before, or use a cold-water bath that thaws a chicken breast in 30 minutes.
