Best suited for light cooking, like when using a microwave in a college dorm, the stainless steel RCA microwave oven is an affordable countertop microwave oven that offers 0.7 cubic feet in interior capacity, making it pretty compact. It’s great for you if you live by yourself or your partner and would like to have a simple, reliable kitchen appliance that will always be able to heat your food quickly and efficiently. Retailing at less than $75, we think it could be one of the best microwaves for buyers on a budget, and if you get to the end of this review, we’ll show you why.
Why We Like It – RCA Microwave
The RCA microwave is a well-made, budget microwave with all the essentials that you may need to prepare or heat your food without as many bells and whistles. It’s got a couple of one-touch buttons for instant functionality, as well as auto-defrost and instant cooking options for those times when you don’t have that much time to spare in the kitchen.
- Affordable
- Auto defrost options
- 1 Year Warranty
- Relatively low wattage
Power & Performance
Packed with a 700 Watt power output, the RCA countertop microwave oven doesn’t have as much cooking power as the Toshiba EM925A5ABS, for example, and the only consequence of this is that it might not prepare food as fast. It also doesn’t rely on inverter technology to get your food prepared, so if this is something you can deal with, then the 700-watt microwave shouldn’t be a problem for you. If you do need a powerful microwave, you might want to look at the Panasonic NN-SN966S.
Durability
The stainless steel material that makes up most of the RCA microwave is very much easy to clean. Also, the stainless steel body helps prevent microwave energy from leaking out of the microwave, and this is essential because if it did, your health would be adversely affected. In case of any issues with the microwave, feel free to contact their care center, and you’ll be able to get all the parts that need replacement as this is covered under the microwave’s 1-year warranty on both parts and service. It’s better than the 90-day warranty you’ll find on the Nostalgia RMO770RED microwave.
Ease of Use
A lot of the touch keys that you’ll find on the RCA microwave are pretty similar to those on the Samsung MG14H3020CM, with the only difference being that some of those on the RCA microwave have a bit of an illustration to show what they do. We can point out that it’s different for the two microwaves because the Samsung microwave comes with an auto cook function, while the RCA microwave is only limited to about 6 one-touch cooking options.
Additional Features & Versatility
There aren’t too many stand-out features on the RCA microwave, but one that’s worth mentioning is the Auto defrost feature, as well as its 10 power levels. In terms of efficiency and cooking technology used, it doesn’t compare well to the Panasonic NN-SD372S since the Panasonic microwave relies on inverter technology where a continuous stream of microwave energy is used for cooking the food, as opposed to intermittent sessions of 100% power being dished out. The Panasonic NE-1025F, on the other hand, comes with a detailed breakdown of how long the timer needs to depending on which food you’re trying to cook, which helps eliminate any guessing.
Value
The 0.7 cubic foot capacity of the RCA microwave may not seem like much, but if you’re out shopping for the best budget options around, then it certainly makes the cut. Style-wise, the microwave maintains a sleek look, coupled with a small footprint that won’t take up too much space on your countertop.
RCA Microwave Wrap Up
Since you’re going to be paying less than $100 for the RCA microwave, it’s safe to say that there isn’t much that you should expect from it in terms of functionality. It’s got all the standard features that a regular microwave ought to come with, with perhaps a genius sensor and a keep warm function being the only two everyday things that you’ll miss.
