Recently, I tested, tasted and ranked 25 frozen dinners. Fluffy basmati rice really soaks up the creamy tangy tomato sauce. Melty, roasty. Boiling water, cooking lasagna and baking potatoes were a cinch in this microwave. At $148, it certainly isn't the most affordable microwave on our list (see below for our budget pick), but this Farberware model is probably the best microwave when you're looking for something that's good-sized, powerful and smart. Although moderate appetites and up would probably need to eat two of these dishes or at least an auxiliary side veggie or fruit to leave the table satisfied. The focus was on entrée-style products, so no individual frozen burritos or family-size dinners, for example. TV Dinner: Lean Cuisine Wood Fire Style BBQ Recipe Chicken PizzaPrice: $2.00How Does the Box Describe It? You can smell the peppery seasoning as you’re cutting into the two large chicken patties here. It's also the best microwave when you're looking for a lot of space. "Good Source of Protein" Ingredients: Pork, beef, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn Nutritional Info: 250 calories, … "White meat chicken, red onions, cilantro, reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, and a tangy BBQ sauce on a thin crust," plus a warning to "COOK THOROUGHLY"Ingredients: Mesquite-flavored white meat strips, white pasteurized/processed cheese, onions, tomato pasteNutritional Info: 340 calories, 7g fat (11% DV), 400mg sodium (17% DV), 20g proteinTasting Notes: Our favorite dinner out of everything we tasted, the crust was deliciously crunchy, the chicken fell apart in your mouth "like it's supposed to," and the BBQ sauce tasted like actual BBQ sauce that you might buy in a supermarket, and not like it was made in some weird super-lab by food scientists. Turns out that Carmen was the only one who happily ate this microwaveable sadness. The chicken was plentiful but kind of rubbery. Healthy Choice Caf Steamers Four-Cheese Ravioli & Chicken Marinara, Calories: 270 Saturated Fat: 2.5 grams (13 percent of daily value) Cholesterol: 45 milligrams (15 percent) Sodium: 600 milligrams (25 percent) Protein: 19grams Price: $2.50. Calories: 470 Saturated Fat: 2 grams (10 percent of daily value) Cholesterol: 25 milligrams (8 percent) Sodium: 1360 milligrams (57 percent) Protein: 18 grams Price: $2.82. Lean Cuisine Craveables Philly-Style Steak & Cheese Panini, Calories: 330 Saturated Fat: 3.5 grams (18 percent of daily value) Cholesterol: 25 milligrams (8 percent) Sodium: 500 milligrams (21 percent) Protein: 19 grams Price: $3.19. At 88 cents a pop, it's practically the same price as a Hershey bar, but it has the added benefit of making the trick-or-treaters' parents extremely weirded out. The enchiladas are well-stuffed with chicken and approaching standard-issue Mexican-restaurant quality. Here's how it all shook out. That said, item does have some comfy, cheesy, potato, peppers charms going for it. Special functions also include popcorn, sensor reheat, frozen pizza, meat, fish, frozen vegetable, fresh vegetable, frozen entree and weight defrost. From last night's pizza to movie night popcorn, these microwaves are up to the challenge. Weight Watchers Smart Ones Crustless Chicken Pot Pie, Calories: 200 Saturated Fat: 1.5 grams (8 percent of daily value) Cholesterol: 45 milligrams (15 percent) Sodium: 580 milligrams (24 percent) Protein: 18 grams Price: $1.24. The jail-food mashed potatoes are hard to get excited about. One of our tasters commented that "the meat was squishy like a gummy worm," so pass them out to trick-or-treaters who come to your door this Halloween! And while we were super-excited to eat the moist-looking brownie, eating it was more like licking dry Swiss Miss powder. You'll still get plenty of presets, including Dinner Plate, Frozen Vegetable, Beverage, Popcorn, Baked Potato, Pizza, Time Defrost and Weight Defrost. Not much to look at out of the microwave but extremely fragrant. (Or, even easier? It cooked frozen dinners and personal pizzas well in each of our tests. Tender chicken chunks in a nutty, sweet and savory sauce. Molly Price/CNET. TV Dinner: Banquet's Meat Loaf MealPrice: 88 centsHow Does the Box Describe It? Not everyone needs a giant microwave. Calories: 610 Saturated Fat: 7 grams (35 percent of daily value) Cholesterol: 100 milligrams (33 percent) Sodium: 1450 milligrams (60 percent) Protein: 34 grams Price: $1.74. Totally capable, yet unexceptional in design or results. Finding the best microwaves is about more than just the 30-second express button we use to heat up lunch. Be careful not to tip pouch too much or the contents will mix.) )Tasting Notes: Our hats go off to Hungry-Man for actually including identifiable pieces of chicken in their meal, and we also give a thumbs up to the best-tasting potatoes of the bunch. If you're looking for a budget pick with plenty of space and power, this 2.0-cubic-foot Oster model is the best microwave to buy. Each of the models we tested comes in multiple finishes, so if your microwave will become part of your kitchen landscape, you should be able to find the right hue. These models are ideal for people who use a microwave to cook often or tend to reheat large meals. Calories: 480 Saturated Fat: 3 grams (15 percent of daily value) Cholesterol: 60 milligrams (20 percent) Sodium: 940 milligrams (39 percent) Protein: 27 grams Price: $4.79. While working on magnetron production for the military during World War II, physicist and Raytheon employee Percy Spencer discovered that a candy bar in his pocket melted. Although the product name “Nacho Potatoes” is compelling, this was really just a remixed loaded baked potato. With 1,000 watts of power, it can handle large entrees and thick potatoes alike. Check availability at Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy and more, Discuss: Best microwaves of 2020: GE, Panasonic, LG and more, 6 microwave tips to stop food from drying out when you reheat it, 15 genius ways to make microwaved food better, How to cook rice 4 ways: Rice cooker, stove, Instant Pot, microwave, Best healthy food delivery services in 2020, Best meal prep containers to buy for 2020, The best meal kit delivery services of 2020.