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For countertop models, yes, and it’s one of the better weekends of the year. For built-in and over the range units it’s the single best window, because those sit inside the major appliance calendar, and Columbus Day is one of the three big appliance clearance events. Manufacturers roll out new model years in early autumn, so the outgoing lineup gets cleared right about now. The practical split is simple: countertop microwaves are cheap enough that a good sale is worth taking whenever you see one, while built-ins are expensive enough that waiting for the right weekend genuinely saves real money.
Microwaves are one of the few appliance categories where the cheap option is often the right option, which makes the discounts easier to judge than they look. Below you’ll find live pricing sorted so the biggest markdowns sit at the top, a plain read on what wattage and capacity actually get you, and the retailers worth checking for the built-in models.
Early Columbus Day Microwave Deals
The brand site is marking down its over-the-range microwaves against a listed comp value in this window, which fits the appliance clearance pattern the answer above describes. These are the live prices, checked against each product page.
Samsung Bespoke 2.1 cu. ft. Over-the-Range Microwave with Edge-to-Edge Glass Display (ME21DG6500)
- 2.1 cu. ft.
- WiFi, auto connectivity
- Edge-to-edge glass display
The Bespoke over-the-range model: 2.1 cubic feet, WiFi with auto connectivity to the app, and the edge-to-edge glass display that hides the controls until you need them, in fingerprint-resistant stainless, per the listing. Samsung shows it at $399 against a $499 comp value.
This is the one that matches the rest of a Bespoke kitchen, and at $100 off it is the biggest dollar cut in Samsung’s microwave range. If you do not already own Bespoke appliances, the plain 2.1 below does the same cooking for $20 less.
$399$49920% off
Samsung 2.1 cu. ft. Over-the-Range Microwave with WiFi (ME21DG6300)
- 2.1 cu. ft.
- WiFi
- Fingerprint resistant
The standard 2.1 cubic foot over-the-range with WiFi in fingerprint-resistant stainless, per the listing, without the Bespoke glass front. Samsung lists it at $379 against a $459 comp value.
Two point one cubic feet is the full-size class for an over-the-range unit, and this is the cheapest way into it in the sale. The Bespoke mainly adds the glass front and app connectivity.
$379$45917% off
Samsung 1.7 cu. ft. Over-the-Range Microwave, 1000W (ME17R7021)
- 1.7 cu. ft.
- 1000W
- Stainless steel
The basic over-the-range model, 1.7 cubic feet at 1000 watts in stainless steel, per the listing, with no WiFi and no glass front. Samsung shows it at $279 against a $319 comp value.
A 1.7 is the size for a smaller kitchen or a rental, and 1000 watts is full power for the class, so the trade is interior space rather than cooking speed. It is the smallest cut of the three but the cheapest way to replace a dead unit over the stove.
$279$31913% off
Prices come from Samsung at the time this page was last refreshed for the stainless finish. Samsung does not date these markdowns on the product page, so check the current number before you buy.
Microwave Deals On Sale
Every one of these is discounted, priced lowest first.
When Microwaves Actually Go On Sale
Countertop and built-in microwaves follow two different calendars, which is the single most useful thing to know before you buy one.
| Window | What Actually Happens |
|---|---|
| Columbus Day Weekend | One of the three big appliance clearance weekends. Built-in and over the range models take the deepest cuts as retailers clear the outgoing model year before new stock lands. |
| Black Friday and Cyber Monday | The best window for countertop models by a clear margin, and the time budget units drop to prices that make repairing an old one pointless. |
| Memorial Day and 4th of July | The other two appliance weekends. Similar mechanics to Columbus Day, usually a little shallower on built-ins but strong on bundles if you’re buying more than one appliance. |
| September into October | New model years arrive and whatever is left of the old lineup gets cleared hard. Best prices of all on built-ins, but you take what’s in stock. |
| January | Quiet. Some kitchen resets and small promotions on countertop units, but the major appliance discounts have moved on by then. |
What Actually Counts as a Good Microwave Deal
This is a category where the expensive models mostly buy you finish and features rather than better cooking. Here’s what to weigh instead of the discount percentage.
- Wattage is the spec that matters: Anything under about 900 watts cooks unevenly and slowly, and the difference shows up on everything you reheat. Between 1000 and 1200 watts is the useful range, and paying more rarely buys more power.
- Capacity is measured optimistically: Check the turntable diameter rather than the cubic feet, because that’s what limits whether a dinner plate or a casserole dish actually fits and turns.
- Inverter technology is worth a little: It holds a genuine low power instead of pulsing full power on and off. It makes a real difference for softening butter and defrosting, and almost none for reheating coffee.
- Convection is worth it only sometimes: It turns the microwave into a small second oven, which is genuinely useful in a small kitchen and completely redundant if you already have a decent oven.
- Over the range hides a real cost: The venting is the job. A recirculating model that dumps steam back into the kitchen is cheaper for a reason, and it isn’t a substitute for a vented hood.
Where to Shop Microwaves
Countertop models are broadly interchangeable across retailers. For built-in and over the range units, who you buy from matters as much as the price, because installation and fit are where it goes wrong.
How to Pick the Right Microwave
Reheating and defrosting, nothing fancy: A 1000 watt countertop model. This covers what most households actually do, and spending more buys features you’ll use twice.
Small kitchen, no room for a second oven: A convection countertop model. It genuinely bakes and roasts small dishes, and it earns the extra cost when the alternative is no oven at all.
Replacing an over the range unit: Measure the cabinet cutout and check whether your old one vented outside before you shop. Getting that wrong is the commonest expensive mistake in this category.
Dorm room or office: A compact model, but don’t go below about 700 watts or you’ll spend longer waiting than eating. Check the turntable fits a dinner plate.
Building or renovating a kitchen: A drawer or built-in unit, bought during an appliance clearance weekend rather than alongside the cabinets. The timing is worth more than the negotiation.
Microwave Sale FAQ
The Bottom Line
Split the decision by type and this gets easy. If you want a countertop model, aim for around 1000 watts, buy whichever solid one is discounted, and don’t agonize, because the expensive ones don’t heat food any better. If you want built-in or over the range, Columbus Day weekend is genuinely one of the best windows of the year, and the money you save by timing it’ll dwarf anything you negotiate. Measure the cabinet opening first either way, and check the turntable takes a dinner plate.
