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.
Finding a microwave that squeezes into a 17-inch gap without forcing you to eat off a saucer is a genuine kitchen headache. This guide sorts through six countertop models that sit right in that width zone, focusing on which ones actually fit a full-size dinner plate and which are better for mugs only.
I’m Mohammad Maruf — the founder and writer behind KitchPrep. 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.
Since “17 inches wide” is an approximate target, the models here range from 17.1 to 17.52 inches, and any of them will tuck into a standard 18-inch cabinet opening. Use this breakdown to find the 17 inch wide microwave ovens that match how you actually cook.
Our Picks at a Glance
How To Choose The Best 17 Inch Wide Microwave Ovens
Before you click buy, get a tape measure out. The exterior width you see on the listing is only half the story — the interior turntable diameter and the depth of the unit decide whether your daily dinner plate fits at all.
Start with your Counter Space
Measure the exact width, depth, and height of the spot you have planned. A 17-inch-wide unit needs roughly an inch of breathing room on each side for airflow, so an 18-inch cabinet is the practical minimum. Depth matters just as much, especially if you are sliding it onto a shelf or under an upper cabinet.
Decode the Wattage
Almost every compact model here runs at 700 watts of cooking power. That is enough for reheating leftovers, popping a small bag of popcorn, and defrosting — though it cooks slower than a larger 1000W-plus over-the-range unit. If you mainly reheat coffee and single meals, this is a non-issue; if you want fast, even boiling, look for a bigger footprint entirely.
Match the Controls to Your Patience
Before you buy, decide how you want to control the microwave: a simple mechanical dial you cannot mess up, or a digital panel with presets that takes some learning. Owners of the highest-rated units in this size range split sharply on this. Some love the one-touch express buttons; others complain about a keypad that needs extreme force or a child lock that trips them up daily.
Quick Comparison
| Model | Best For | Width / Depth | Power & Turntable | Controls | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOSHIBA 0.7 Cu.Ft★ Best Overall | Full-size dinner plates | 17.1” / 12.2” | 700W / 9.6-inch | Touch with 6 presets | Amazon |
| Chefman 0.7 Cu.FtRental Ready | Low-power rentals & dorms | 17.52” / 12.93” | 700W / Dishwasher-safe | Touch with 10 levels | Amazon |
| BLACK+DECKER 0.7 Cu.Ft | Simple, quiet reheating | 17.3” / 13” | 700W / 10-inch | Touch with 6 presets | Amazon |
| COMFEE’ Retro 0.7 Cu.Ft | Style-conscious kitchens | 17.3” / 14.3” | 700W / 11 levels | Knob & buttons | Amazon |
| Commercial Chef 0.6 Cu.Ft | Seniors wanting simple dials | 17.75” / 13.44” | 700W / Turntable | Mechanical dial timer | Amazon |
| GE 0.7 Cu.Ft | Tight 13-inch-deep cabinets | 17.31” / 12.74” | 700W / 10-inch | Touch with express cook | Amazon |
In‑Depth Reviews
1. TOSHIBA Countertop Microwave Oven, 0.7 Cu.Ft, 700W
Our pick — over 4★ from 300+ verified ratings; the strongest balance of quality and price.
The rare compact that swallows a full-size dinner plate without dominating your counter.
Its defining trick is interior room: this Toshiba fits a standard dinner plate, three mugs, a casserole dish, a loaf dish, and a tall soup container — just not all at once. Owners keep coming back to that plate fit, and it explains why this one earns the top spot over other 17-inch-wide units that feel roomier on paper but tighter inside.
The ChefDefrost button promises up to 40% faster defrosting than traditional methods while preserving food texture. You also get 11 power levels and 6 auto menus for popcorn, pizza, and potato — enough flexibility to graduate from reheating coffee to cooking a real side dish. The quiet operation is a recurring theme in owner feedback, rivaling far pricier units.
Be honest about the trade-offs: the door latch feels awkward to some, and the clock display glows so bright at night that owners describe seeing it across a dark room. At 9.5 inches tall and 12.2 inches deep, this is the most compact of the group — 0.7 inches shorter than the BLACK+DECKER and 0.8 inches shallower. That helps it fit on a shelf, but it squeezes tall bowls.
What wins people over
- Fits a full-size dinner plate and medium mug
- ChefDefrost runs up to 40% faster than traditional thawing.
- Very quiet while heating, per owner consensus
- 11 power levels give real cooking control
The fit notes
- Door opening feels awkward to some
- Clock light is very bright in a dark kitchen
- Small 9.6-inch turntable limits large platters
Your best fit if: you want the smallest exterior that still handles a real dinner plate and a quiet hum while it works.
Think twice if: you cook on a tight overnight schedule — that bright clock light might bother light sleepers.
2. Chefman Countertop Microwave Oven 0.7 Cu. Ft., 700 Watts
Built for low-power apartments where tripping a breaker is a real evening risk.
This Chefman is the widest of the group at 17.52 inches, a full 0.42 inches wider than the Toshiba above — a hair more counter footprint but still inside the 17-inch target zone. Owners in older rentals and dorms love it for one specific reason: its low 700-watt draw does not set off circuit breakers, a problem they hit with bigger machines.
The child-safety lock lives in the handle, so opening the door is a single natural upward pull instead of a secret button hunt. That design draws genuine praise as the least frustrating lock of its kind. You also get a mute button to silence the beeps entirely — a godsend when reheating lunch while a baby naps, and six presets covering popcorn, pizza, beverages, veggies, potatoes, and leftovers.
The repeat complaint is the keypad. Buyers report it needs extreme force to register presses — some say you must brace the unit against a wall — and the hold-to-start feature feels impractical. Durability reports are split, with a minority seeing failures inside three months, so this is a value play rather than a decade-long investment. Pair it with the fact that its glass turntable is top-rack dishwasher safe, and you have a genuinely easy-care unit for a temporary kitchen.
Smart pick for: anyone on a low-wattage circuit or a guest-room setup who wants a quiet, brake-friendly machine with a practical child lock built into the handle.
The honest catch: the stiff keypad is real — budget for a learning curve or gentler fingers.
3. BLACK+DECKER Countertop Microwave Oven, 0.7 Cu.Ft, Stainless Steel
The stainless-steel crowd-pleaser that some owners say vanishes into silence mid-cycle.
This BLACK+DECKER runs 17.3 inches wide and 13 inches deep, making it 0.8 inches deeper than the Toshiba — a real difference if your counter ends at 12.5 inches. Its 10-inch glass turntable is the biggest in this roundup, giving you more usable floor space for a 9-inch pie plate or a casserole dish than the Toshiba’s 9.6-inch disc allows.
The party piece is quiet operation. Owners describe a unit you cannot hear running as a microwave, comparing it favorably to an air fryer it replaced entirely. Presets cover popcorn, potato, pizza, frozen vegetable, beverage, and dinner plate, plus a 30-second express cooking button and a push-button door release that is genuinely handy when your hands are full.
Value and performance chatter dominate the reviews — the crowd is split on long-term reliability and door-button behavior, so this is a strong short-term performer rather than a guaranteed heirloom. The recurring gripe is the child lock, which some find irritating to disarm every single time they cook. One owner reported the unit died after 7 months, so keep the one-year limited warranty in mind.
Pick this for: quiet reheating with the largest turntable in this size class and stainless looks that hide fingerprints.
Size the risk: reliability reviews are genuinely mixed — keep your receipt and the warranty details close.
4. COMFEE’ Retro Countertop Microwave Oven, 0.7 Cu.Ft., Apricot
The apricot beauty that turns a utility appliance into a conversation piece at the office.
This COMFEE’ model wins on looks first: a retro-inspired apricot shell with a bright LED display that owners say earns compliments everywhere it lands. One unit even got moved to a workplace break room just for the color. But it measures 17.3 inches wide by 14.3 inches deep — the deepest of the group — so measure your counter depth before you fall for the charm.
Beneath the style sits real substance: 700 watts, 11 adjustable power levels, 6 preset menus, a mute function for late-night reheats, and a knob-style controller that older hands find intuitive. It also handles a regular-sized dinner plate, which is the core test for any 17-inch-wide microwave. Two-stage cooking lets it switch settings automatically mid-cycle, and defrost works by weight or by time.
The catch is data volume: this unit simply has not accumulated many owner experiences yet, so long-term reliability is an open question. Early buyers praise the appearance and performance equally, but nobody has lived with it long enough to report on year-two durability. If you value a kitchen that makes you smile over a spec sheet that checks every box, this is the one.
Reach for this if: your kitchen has a retro vibe and you want an appliance that matches it — compliments come standard.
Look elsewhere if: you need proven, long-term reliability data — this one is still building its track record.
5. Commercial Chef 0.6 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave Oven, CHM660B
The one-knob microwave that grandparents master in seconds and never need to relearn.
At 17.75 inches wide and 13.44 inches deep, this is the widest and one of the shallowest-balanced units here, and it is also the smallest inside at 0.6 cubic feet. What it lacks in capacity it makes up for in pure simplicity: a mechanical dial timer from 30 seconds to 30 minutes, six power levels from Low to High, and a single beep when your food is done. No menus, no modes, no learning curve.
Owners repeatedly call this the easiest microwave they have ever used, and several say it suits elderly family members who found digital keypads baffling. The push-button door release feels sturdy, the single-knob programming is simple to use, and the low hum is barely noticeable. Multiple owners mention their units still working after two to three-and-a-half years of daily use, with one linking it to an older model that lasted over a decade.
Long-term owners warn: the baked enamel interior can rust in about three years if you do not wipe away steam and leave the door open to dry. Also, this lightweight unit can jerk off the counter when you pull open a stuck door — weigh it down or grip the base. skip it if you want presets or digital precision; embrace it if you want an appliance that simply works.
The basics done right
- Mechanical dial timer runs 30 seconds to 30 minutes
- Simple enough for elderly users, per owner feedback
- Quiet single beep when cooking finishes
- Multiple customers note 2+ years of daily service
Know before you buy
- 0.6 cu. ft. interior is the smallest here
- Enamel interior rusts if steam is not wiped out
- Light enough to slide on the counter
Best for: anyone who wants zero menus and a dial that just works, seniors included.
Not for: cooks who want presets or need to fit a wide casserole dish inside.
6. GE Countertop Microwave Oven, 700 Watt, 0.7 Cu. Ft., White
The shallow-depth GE that slips onto a 13-inch shelf where others simply will not fit.
This GE measures 17.31 inches wide but just 12.74 inches deep, which makes it a full 0.26 inches shallower than the BLACK+DECKER and 1.56 inches shallower than the COMFEE’. Owners specifically buy it for custom-built spaces and 13-inch-deep cabinets, and it fits those spots where the boxier units above do not. The white finish keeps it visually quiet in a galley kitchen.
Quiet is the headline owner experience here too, with a silent mode and an internal fan that keeps the cavity dry after cooking — no more wiping down a wet turntable. One-touch express cooking plus four convenience cook settings cover the daily rotation, and the child lock can be switched off entirely when you do not need it, which several owners appreciate after wrestling with other brands’ locks.
The durability picture is the caution flag. While some owners call it better built than the Commercial Chef and COMFEE’ alternatives, Others report the element burning out within two months, and one saw the door fail to stay closed shortly after. The tiny lettering on the keypad also draws complaints from older eyes. This is a brand you trust for a footprint you need, with a warranty you should register the day it arrives.
Choose it for: a tight 13-inch-deep recess where shallower depth is the non-negotiable spec.
Keep in mind: early-failure reports exist, so test it hard inside the return window and register the warranty.
Understanding the Specs
Turntable Diameter vs. Exterior Width
The number that decides what you can actually heat is the turntable size, not the 17-inch width. A 10-inch turntable (like the BLACK+DECKER) handles a round dinner plate with room to spare, while a 9.6-inch disc (Toshiba) fits the same plate but leaves almost no margin. Tall soup containers and casserole dishes also need vertical clearance, which is why the interior height and turntable spin radius matter more than the exterior footprint.
700W Cooking Power
All six of these units cook at 700 watts, which is the standard for a compact countertop oven. It reheats leftovers and defrosts efficiently, but it cooks slower than a 1000W-plus over-the-range unit. If you are coming from a bigger microwave, expect a slightly longer cook time — the trade-off for a smaller footprint. The input power (what it draws from the wall) is higher than the output, so a low-power rental circuit can still handle it.
FAQ
Will a 17-inch microwave fit in my 18-inch cabinet?
Can a 0.7 cubic foot microwave fit a full-size dinner plate?
Is 700 watts enough power for daily cooking?
What is the difference between a mechanical dial and a digital touchpad?
How long will a 17-inch microwave last?
What does a child safety lock do and can I turn it off?
Does a mute button matter on a microwave?
Are these microwaves safe for an apartment with old wiring?
Final Thoughts: The Verdict
For most buyers, the best 17 inch wide microwave ovens pick is the Toshiba because it packs the smallest exterior that still fits a full dinner plate — the crowd favorite for good reason. If you want a low-maintenance dial for a senior parent, grab the Commercial Chef. And if your counter is only 13 inches deep, the shallow GE is the one to measure for.
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.
As an Amazon Associate, KitchPrep earns from qualifying purchases. This does not affect which products we feature.
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