Still, its speed of heating is so-so, and owners surveyed by CR gave GE’s countertop microwaves a middling score for predicted reliability and a lackluster rating for owner satisfaction.

To help simplify things, this feature compares two bestselling types - countertop appliances, like the Toshiba WSI-EM22AST, and over-the-range ones, like the GE JVM6172SKSS. While both microwaves ...