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Amazon Basics Microwave 0.7 Review

This compact model is a great value, offers good performance, and features smart home integration
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Amazon Basics Microwave 0.7 Review
Price:  $75 List
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Manufacturer:   Amazon
By David Wise and Austin Palmer  ⋅  Jan 13, 2022
65
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Heating - 40% 6.1
  • Frozen Foods - 30% 7.4
  • Defrosting - 20% 6.0
  • Ease of use - 10% 6.4

Our Verdict

If you're simply searching for a decent microwave oven that gets the job done and won't blow your budget, we recommend the Amazon Basics 0.7. This user-friendly kitchen appliance performs above average at reheating and defrosting food. It's a compact model that can even integrate with your Amazon Alexa smart home if you've ever felt the need to be able to make popcorn or heat coffee via voice control.
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Above-average performance
Compact
REASONS TO AVOID
Low power
Amazon Alexa device required for some functions

Our Analysis and Test Results

This is one of the smallest microwaves that we have tested, making it a great option for cramped kitchens. However, it only has a 10" turntable, limiting what will fit inside, but we think it's a great bargain option if you're okay with that.

Performance Comparison


amazon basics microwave 0.7 - if you are shopping for a bargain appliance, then this is a great...
If you are shopping for a bargain appliance, then this is a great choice.
Credit: Laura Casner

Heating


Our first metric looked at how quickly and evenly the Amazon Basics 0.7 heated food, using a variety of food, a heat map, and a controlled volume of water. It scored decently well in many of these tests.

Heat Map Test


The test that carried the biggest weighting within the Heating metric was our heat map test, for 35% of the Heating score. For this test, we spread a layer of marshmallow creme on a disc of parchment paper and then heated it for two minutes on the high setting.

This microwave had an average showing in our heat map test, with the inner and center parts of the marshmallow fluff getting fully cooked and blackened. The outer ring was only lightly browned with large sections of completely uncooked fluff.

The heat map before its turn in the AmazonBasics.
The heat map before its turn in the AmazonBasics.
There were definite hot spots visible in the heat map.
There were definite hot spots visible in the heat map.

Heating Speed Test


For 20% of the Heating score, we performed a speed test by heating a beaker of room temperature water on high for 45 seconds and noting the temperature increase.

The Amazon Basics 0.7 also showed middle-of-the-road results here, raising the water temperature from around 60°F to nearly 130°F, for a total increase of 70.1°F.

amazon basics microwave 0.7 - this model did an average job in our speed heating test.
This model did an average job in our speed heating test.
Credit: Laura Casner

Leftover Heating


We reheated a plate of leftovers in each unit, with our test foods consisting of pre-cooked sausage, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

This award-winning appliance fared very well with the plate of leftovers, heating the green beans, sausage, and potatoes all to the proper serving temperature. The sausage came out about 35°F warmer than the potatoes and the green beans, but we found the entire plate to be more than good enough for serving.

amazon basics microwave 0.7 - the amazonbasics scored near the top in our leftover heating test...
The AmazonBasics scored near the top in our leftover heating test. All three types of food were warm enough to eat after the heating cycle, though the sausage was a bit warmer than the veggies.
Credit: Laura Casner

Soup Heating


This model also had solid showing with warming up the soup to the correct serving temperature when heated following the instructions.

Pizza Heating


Unfortunately, the performance of this appliance dropped a bit during our pizza reheating test.

Both slices we microwaved were just barely warmed, with the centers a little cooler than the outside.

Frozen Foods


The relative performance of the Amazon Basics 0.7 improved going into our next metric, scoring quite above average. We used Hot Pockets, frozen burritos, and an individual serving of mini-lasagna as our test items, heating them up following the manufacturers' instructions and then using a set of thermometers to measure the temperature in various zones to see how evenly the microwave heated each item.

The Amazon Basics 0.7 did a fantastic job with both the frozen burrito and the Hot Pocket but faltered a bit with the miniature lasagna. The Hot Pocket's average temperature variation was only about 3°F between the left, right, and center regions. The burrito heated up slightly more unevenly but not by much, only showing a discrepancy of around 7°F.

amazon basics microwave 0.7 - again, there was one side that was much cooler than the center and...
Again, there was one side that was much cooler than the center and the other side.
Credit: Laura Casner

The lasagna showed a considerable temperature discrepancy across the different areas, with an average temperature difference of 21°F. When following the directions, this microwave failed to heat the lasagna to a suitable serving temperature and showed some very extreme temperature differences, with the largest being 44°F.

amazon basics microwave 0.7 - in our heating tests, we used a laser infrared thermometer to...
In our Heating tests, we used a laser infrared thermometer to measure for consistent temperature across the food surface area.
Credit: Laura Casner

Defrosting


After all of the packaged frozen foods, we rated and ranked how the Amazon Basics 0.7 did at defrosting a one lb. square of frozen ground turkey. Our findings showed that this microwave performed above average with the defrosting task.

We appreciate that this product notifies you to flip the meat halfway through cooking, but only a bit more than half of the meat was completely defrosted — about 9.5 ounces. The remainder was still quite frozen, to the point that it needed to go back in the microwave for longer before we could break it up enough to go to the stovetop.

amazon basics microwave 0.7 - just a bit more than half of the turkey was successfully defrosted.
Just a bit more than half of the turkey was successfully defrosted.
Credit: Laura Casner

Ease of Use


Our fourth and final metric evaluated how convenient and easy to use the Amazon Basics 0.7 and all the other microwaves are. We awarded points based on the preset functions, quick features, the interior light, and how resistant to movement each product is on smooth countertops.

This model has a +30 seconds button, but you must press it twice to get the microwave to actually start. It has decent lighting and doesn't slide around on the counter at all, but you'll need to have Echo/Alexa set up properly to use many of the quick functions.

amazon basics microwave 0.7 - very few kernels remained unpopped when we used the popcorn button.
Very few kernels remained unpopped when we used the popcorn button.
Credit: Laura Casner

However, we found the preset functions to work very well. The popcorn preset was spot on, leaving behind very few unpopped kernels and no burnt ones.

amazon basics microwave 0.7 - the amazonbasics microwave 0.7 gives you the option to integrate...
The AmazonBasics Microwave 0.7 gives you the option to integrate with your smart home.
Credit: Laura Casner

Should You Buy the Amazon Basics 0.7?


This microwave held its own against the top-ranked microwaves, making it a great bargain option for anyone on a budget. It's also one of the smallest models we tested, so it's a great option for those with less countertop real estate. Lastly, if you love smart features and have Alexa throughout your home, this product is another Alexa-enabled gadget to add to your arsenal.

What Other Microwaves Should You Consider?


As mentioned, for those with small kitchens, the Amazon Basics 0.7 is a great option. The other model we tested that is in the same general size range as this one is the Kenmore 70919. It has similar outer dimensions but an extra 0.2 square feet of interior space, and it scores higher across most metrics.

Another affordable model that didn't manage to run away with any awards but still scored admirably across most tests was the Toshiba EM925A5A — though we wouldn't recommend that model if you do a lot of meat defrosting. For anyone that knows they will be using their microwave to defrost frequently, the higher-end Toshiba model, the EM131A5C was one of our top overall scorers and excelled in the defrosting metric.

David Wise and Austin Palmer