Specs are compiled from manufacturer listings and verified buyer reviews and can change over time — please confirm the key details on the product page before buying.
If you need a microwave that fits a tight counter corner, a dorm desk, or a short cabinet shelf, here is the honest truth: almost none of these ovens is exactly 16 inches wide. The closest everyday compact models are about 17 inches wide, and that extra inch still fits most small-kitchen gaps. So every pick here is the nearest compact size and wattage, not a full-size 20-inch-plus unit that would overwhelm a small space.
I’m Mo Min — the founder and writer behind Non Toxic Blog. This guide is built by comparing the manufacturers’ published specifications and the patterns across verified customer reviews, so you get each pick’s real strengths and trade-offs instead of marketing spin.
Every oven below runs 700 watts with a 0.7 cubic foot cavity (the space inside the oven). That is the practical balance for reheating a plate without taking over your whole counter. Here is what actually separates the 16 inch microwave finalists, from the looks and controls to the door quirks.
Our Picks at a Glance
How To Choose The Best 16 Inch Microwave
The most common mistake first-time buyers make is trusting the marketing number instead of a tape measure. A “16 inch” label usually means an approximate width, and the actual compact ovens sold are about 17 inches across. That is still small enough for an apartment nook, but it will not fit a shelf cut to exactly 16 inches. Measure your gap first, then match the cavity size and wattage to how you actually cook.
Width, depth, and height: measure the nook, not the picture
Width is the dimension that decides whether the oven slides into your spot at all. The models here range from a 17.1-inch body up to a 17.52-inch frame, so a gap that clears 18 inches comfortably is the safe bet. Depth matters too, because you need clearance behind the unit for the plug — some owners keep the back a couple of inches off the wall so the cord is not pinched.
Wattage and cavity size: what 700 watts really does
All six ovens here use a 0.7 cubic foot cavity and 700 watts of cooking power. That combination reheats a plate of leftovers quickly but runs a little slower than a full-size oven on a dense frozen dinner, so expect to add a few seconds on the front end. A lower-wattage compact also draws less from your circuit, which is why these are the pick for older kitchens and dorm outlets.
The turntable: your real capacity limit
The glass turntable sets what you can actually heat. A standard dinner plate fits across these ovens, but it can sit tight enough that you have no room to grip the edges. Round dishes, mugs, and a 1.5-quart casserole all work; oversized rectangular trays usually do not. Check the plate you plan to use most before you commit.
Quick Comparison
| Model | Best For | Watts | Capacity | External Width | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nostalgia Retro Compact★ Best Overall | Retro looks and small kitchens | 700W | 0.7 cu ft | 17.5″W | Amazon |
| TOSHIBA Countertop MicrowaveQuiet Operator | Quiet dorm and apartment use | 700W | 0.7 cu ft | 17.1″W | Amazon |
| Chefman Compact | Stainless styling and presets | 700W | 0.7 cu ft | 17.52″W | Amazon |
| BLACK+DECKER Countertop | Quiet operation on a budget | 700W | 0.7 cu ft | 17.3″W | Amazon |
| Commercial Chef CHM7MW | Simple dials for everyday basics | 700W | 0.7 cu ft | 16.9″W | Amazon |
| Commercial Chef CHM7MS | A modern stainless compact | 700W | 0.7 cu ft | 17.1″W | Amazon |
In‑Depth Reviews
1. Nostalgia Retro Compact Countertop Microwave Oven – 0.7 Cu. Ft. – 700-Watts with LED Digital Display – Child Lock – Easy Clean Interior – Red
Our pick — over 4★ from 13,000+ verified ratings; the strongest balance of quality and price.
A 0.7 cu ft retro oven that turns a cramped corner into the best-looking spot in the kitchen.
This is the pick that wins on personality and still earns its place on the counter. The Nostalgia runs 700 watts through a 0.7 cubic foot cavity and measures 12.5″D x 17.5″W x 10″H, which makes it the roomiest of the compact bunch here. Compared with the TOSHIBA, its body adds about an inch of width — 17.5″W against 17.1″W — and roughly 0.3 inches of depth, so it wants just a little more breathing room in the nook.
What keeps buyers coming back is the finish and the controls. That retro shell is the headline, and it wraps around twelve pre-programmed cooking settings and five power levels, so you get the vintage look without hand-holding every button press. The interior light only comes on while it is running and a standard dinner plate drops in fine, though the fit is snug enough that the plate can be tricky to grab once it is hot.
Do not expect a brutal heater. The 700 watts reheat a plate evenly, but owners describe adding ten to twenty seconds to frozen-dinner times, so budget for that on heavy meals. Buyers report “Survived 1 month of daily use; best-looking, easiest to use,” and the styling genuinely drives most of the reviews. The honest catch is durability: a few owners note the door or inner lining can give trouble over time if it is handled roughly, so treat the latch gently.
Where It Shines
- The most distinctive look of any compact here, with a retro shell that anchors a small kitchen
- 12 pre-programmed settings and 5 power levels make daily reheating nearly push-button
- Roomy 0.7 cu ft cavity fits a standard dinner plate inside a 17.5″W body
- Child lock and delay timer keep it family-friendly without extra gadgets
Where It Asks More
- Needs the widest footprint of the group at 17.5″W, so measure your gap first
- 700 watts means adding seconds to frozen meals rather than relying on speed
- A snug plate fit leaves little room to grip once the turntable is loaded
The call: Buy this if you want your compact microwave to be a genuine style piece and you have a little over 18 inches of clear width to spare.
Second thought: If your nook is cut tight or you need fast high-wattage reheating, one of the slimmer 17.1″W options fits better.
2. TOSHIBA Countertop Microwave Oven, 0.7 Cu.Ft, 700W, Black
The leanest body of the group at 17.1″W, with a beep you can silence and a door you may have to learn.
TOSHIBA’s compact lands the slimmest profile in this lineup at 12.2″D x 17.1″W x 9.5″H, which is the number to note if your shelf is the tight one. It runs 700 watts through a 0.7 cu ft cavity with a 9.6-inch glass turntable and pulls 1020 watts input, so you are feeding it less load than a full-size oven would demand. Against the Nostalgia, you give up about an inch of width and a bit of depth but gain a body that tucks into a short cabinet or motorhome cupboard without complaint.
This one wins on everyday details. You get eleven power levels and six auto menus for popcorn, pizza, potato and more, plus a one-touch start that cooks a set number of minutes at full power. The ChefDefrost cycle is the spec worth calling out: the maker states it defrosts up to 40% faster than traditional methods while holding the texture of the food. That is the difference between thawed chicken that cooks evenly and chicken with hot edges and a frozen middle. Owners also love that you can switch the beep off entirely.
Compact cooking is not fast cooking, so set your expectations. Owners mention “700W small microwave, ideal for dorms/apartments. Heats food very fast,” while the recurring gripe is the door — its opening angle feels awkward, and the interior light is bright enough to be distracting in a dark room. The child lock is a two-way street too: great with toddlers in the house, an extra step without them.
The craft here: Eleven power levels, six presets, a Kitchen Timer, an ECO Mode, and one-touch minute cooking stack real flexibility onto a 9.5″H body that slips under a low shelf.
The friction point: The door swing is the thing most owners flag, and the lock is only worth keeping if small children are actually reachable.
Reach for this if: You need the narrowest, lowest-profile compact and you value a silent beep and precise defrost control.
Look elsewhere if: You want a roomier cavity or a door that opens wide and easy without an adjustment period.
3. Chefman Compact Countertop Microwave, 0.7 Cu Ft, 700W, Stainless
Ten power levels and a mute button in a stainless shell that fits a 10-inch dinner plate.
Chefman’s compact is the widest box here at 17.52″W, but it earns that footprint with a stainless-steel interior and exterior that reads a step more upscale than the plastic-front crowd. The 0.7 cu ft cavity holds a 10-inch dinner plate with a little elbow room, and owners like the white interior because it makes spills easy to spot and wipe before they set. If you want the stainless look without a mid-size oven, this is the natural fit.
This model pulls ahead of the TOSHIBA and BLACK+DECKER on control granularity (how finely you can adjust settings). You get ten power levels, from a low melt for butter to full blast, three one-touch presets for popcorn, beverages and leftovers, a +30 second button for a quick top-up, and a Sound Button that kills every beep. The child lock sits on the handle itself, so the door cannot be yanked open accidentally. That is a smart place to put it, though once it is set, you have to pull upward on the top edge to open the door.
Speed is the honest trade-off, and the reviews say it plainly. Customers note “700 watts, takes a little longer but the trade-off is it’s compactness,” so plan on about a minute for what a bigger oven does in half the time. Noise splits the room — some find it quiet, others find it loud in use — so if the oven will sit near a sleeping child, test your tolerance. The auto defrost and time-and-weight defrost modes cover most everyday thawing jobs either way.
What owners keep praising: The design and the fit — buyers describe it as well-built for a small kitchen, with intuitive buttons, a readable display, and even heating that avoids cold centers or scorched edges.
The honest trade: Compact means slower, and the noise level is the one thing buyers genuinely disagree on.
The nudge: Take this if stainless styling and fine power control matter more to you than shaving minutes off cook time.
Hold off if: You need the absolute smallest footprint or the quietest possible operation.
4. BLACK+DECKER Countertop Microwave Oven, 0.7 Cu.Ft, 700W, Stainless Steel
A near-silent 700W oven with six food presets and a 10-inch glass turntable you can pull out to wash.
BLACK+DECKER’s compact targets the buyer who cares less about looks and more about a whisper-quiet kitchen. It measures 17.3″W x 13″D x 10.2″H with a 0.7 cu ft cavity and 700 watts of cooking power, and its headline feature is a push-button door release instead of a handle. That means no yanking, no handle to snag — just push and the door swings open. The interior light and removable 10-inch glass turntable make cleanup simple, and the whole unit is UL approved with a one-year limited warranty.
Presets do the heavy lifting here. You get one-touch programs for popcorn, potato, pizza, frozen vegetable, beverage and dinner plate, plus 10 power settings, a clock, a kitchen timer, and a 30-second express cook button for quick toppings. That is a wide preset menu for a budget compact, and it means you rarely measure time by hand. The LED display is large and easy to read at a glance.
The reviews are honest about the ceiling. Reviewers point out “You cannot even hear it running as a microwave,” which is high praise for a dorm or a shared wall. But a few shoppers say the 700 watts can need nearly double the cook time of an older 1200W unit, and there are scattered stories of a unit failing within the first year. Treat the child safety lock control carefully — some owners find the lock behavior confusing.
The standout trait: That push-button door and near-silent run match make it a natural pick for a nursery-adjacent counter or an office kitchen, and the presets keep daily use close to one touch.
Worth knowing: This is the slow-and-steady option. It reheats a plate perfectly well, but a dense frozen meal will take noticeably longer than it would in a bigger oven.
Worth it if: You want quiet operation and an easy clean turntable more than speed or a premium finish.
Skip the trade-off if: You regularly heat dense frozen meals and want the quickest possible turnaround.
5. Commercial Chef 0.7 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave Oven, CHM7MW, White
Dials instead of a keypad, so anyone can walk up and reheat without reading a manual.
This is the white Commercial Chef, and its whole pitch is no-nonsense accessibility. It measures 16.9″W x 12.4″D x 10″H — the narrowest body in the group — and packs a 0.7 cu ft cavity, 700 watts, and a 19.8 lb weight that keeps it planted when you open the door. Owners love that elderly users can operate it easily, which is exactly what simple controls deliver. If you have ever watched someone struggle with a microwave keypad, you understand the appeal.
The feature set is deliberately modest. You get 10 power levels, 6 preset menus, time and weight defrost, and express-cook options for 1 to 6 minutes. All of it runs through a clear LED control panel, and you can set the timer up to 99 minutes. There is a push-button door lock, a kitchen clock, programmable multi-stage cooking, and a glass turntable. No handle, no snags — just push to open. The black-and-stainless-style front wipes clean easily, and the keypad has a protective film worth peeling off for full clarity.
The honest note here is the power and the interior. Owners describe it as pulling a bit over 1000 watts, cooking well, and running quiet, but a few flag that the baked-enamel-style interior can rust under the turntable over years if moisture is left standing. The simple fix is the one owners repeat: wipe it dry after steaming and leave the door cracked to air out, and it keeps cooking for years.
Best for a household that wants zero learning curve: Simple dials, no instruction booklet needed, and a body light enough to move on the counter yet heavy enough at 19.8 lbs to stay put.
The upkeep note: Keep the interior dry after reheating and it will avoid the moisture trouble that undercuts other compact ovens over time.
The easy yes: Reach for this if you want a genuinely simple oven for a parent, a guest room, or a counter where nobody wants to read a manual.
Think twice if: You want a premium finish or a faster, higher-wattage cook and do not mind a steeper control panel.
6. Commercial Chef 0.7 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave Oven, CHM7MS, Stainless
A sleek stainless twin to the white model, with the same 700 watts and a push-open door.
This is the stainless sibling of the white Commercial Chef, sharing the same 0.7 cu ft cavity and 700 watts but moving to a polished stainless finish. It measures 17.1″W x 12.6″D x 10″H and weighs 20.9 lbs, so it feels a touch more substantial on the counter than its white counterpart. What wins owners over is the look — the mirror-style front reads far more expensive than it is, and buyers regularly call it beautiful and modern.
Inside and out, the controls match the family recipe: 10 power levels, 6 preset menus, time and weight defrost, express-cook buttons for 1 to 6 minutes, a push-button door lock, a kitchen clock, programmable multi-stage cooking, and a child lock. The same smooth interior and glass turntable make it easy to wipe down. Like its white twin, it will reheat a plate or a mug of coffee without fuss.
The one thing to know before you buy is the display. The mirror finish looks great, but the recurring complaint is that the buttons and display are hard to read — low contrast, no backlight — which matters in a dim kitchen. And like every 700-watt compact here, it will not power through a dense frozen dinner at full-size speed. Treat the readable-panel point as a real consideration if your kitchen lighting is low.
What To Love
- A polished stainless finish that owners describe as looking expensive and modern
- Same proven control set as the white model: 10 power levels and 6 presets
- Push-button door with child lock, kitchen clock, and multi-stage cooking
- 20.9 lb body sits firmly on the counter without sliding when the door opens
What To Weigh
- The mirror-finish panel is genuinely tough to read in low light, with no backlit keys
- At 700 watts it warms rather than blasts, so big meals take patience
- Some owners find the cavity tight for larger plates and tall mugs
The clean pick: Choose this if you want the most modern-looking compact here and can live with a panel you read by feel as much as sight.
Second thought: If your kitchen is dim or you want the most readable controls, the white Commercial Chef’s clear keypad stays easier to use in low light.
Understanding the Specs
Wattage: the number that sets your cook time
Wattage is the cooking power, and it decides how fast food heats. Every oven here runs 700 watts, which is a compact-class power that reheats a plate of leftovers quickly but runs slower than a full-size oven on dense frozen meals. Lower wattage also draws less from your circuit, which is why these compacts suit older kitchens and dorm outlets where a bigger appliance might trip a fuse.
Cavity size: how much food actually fits
Cavity size is the internal space, measured here in cubic feet, and all six ovens use 0.7 cubic feet. That is enough for a standard dinner plate, a mug of coffee, or a 1.5-quart casserole — one at a time. It is not enough for an oversized platter or a large roasting dish. Pair cavity size with turntable diameter, because a wide round plate can fit the cavity yet still leave no room to grip it.
Presets and power levels: control without guesswork
Presets are one-touch programs tuned for common foods like popcorn, potato, and beverages, while power levels let you dial cooking strength from a low melt for butter up to full output. More power levels mean finer control over delicate reheating; more presets mean fewer decisions. This lineup ranges from 3 one-touch presets on the Chefman up to 12 pre-programmed settings on the Nostalgia, so pick how much automation you actually want.
External width, depth, and height: fitting the nook
The outside dimensions decide whether the oven fits your space at all. This group spans from a 16.9″W body to a 17.52″W frame, so a gap that clears roughly 18 inches is the safe measure. Depth matters because you need clearance behind the unit for the plug, and height determines whether it slides under a low cabinet shelf. Always measure your gap, allow a little extra room, and confirm your outlet sits within the cord’s reach.
FAQ
Is a 16 inch microwave actually 16 inches wide?
Will a standard dinner plate fit inside a 0.7 cu ft microwave?
How is 700 watts different from a 1000 watt microwave?
Can I disable the beep on these compact microwaves?
Can I turn off the child lock for everyday adult use?
Which compact microwave is best for a dorm or RV?
Does the turntable come out for cleaning?
Should I leave space behind the microwave for the plug?
Which of these fits under a short cabinet?
Do these microwaves slide around on the counter?
Final Thoughts: The Verdict
For most people, the 16 inch microwave winner is the Nostalgia Retro Compact because it gives you the roomiest compact cavity of the group and the best-looking body. It is the crowd favorite at 4.4 stars across 13,000+ ratings, and the one owners actually enjoy having on the counter. If you want the slimmest, lowest-profile body with a silently disabled beep, grab the TOSHIBA Countertop Microwave. And for the easiest controls in the lineup, the Commercial Chef CHM7MW is the one to reach for when a parent or a guest needs to reheat without reading a manual.
How We Picked
We do not accept paid placement. Every pick is matched to a real buyer and a real use-case; we do not hands-on test units.
Sources & Methodology
Specifications: manufacturer listings and product documentation. Review insights: verified customer reviews, as of September 2026. Pricing: not shown on this page (it changes often); check the current price via the retailer link.
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