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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 Labor 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.
Microwave Deals On Sale Right Now
Every one of these is discounted right now, 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 |
|---|---|
| Labor 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 Labor 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.
Countertop Microwaves On Sale
The bulk of the market, and the group where a sale price is often close to disposable. No installation, no measuring, just plug it in.
Over the Range Microwaves On Sale
Saves counter space and replaces the hood. Measure the cabinet opening before you fall for a price, because the cutout is unforgiving.
Shop Built-In Microwaves
Drawer and wall oven combination units. These rarely carry live discounts, so treat this as the shortlist and buy during an appliance clearance weekend.
Compact and Small Microwaves On Sale
Dorm rooms, offices, small kitchens and second machines. Watch the wattage here, because compact usually means slower as well as smaller.
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, Labor 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.
