Description
The Farberware countertop microwave is the smallest class of microwave oven that still behaves like a full appliance rather than a novelty. Farberware lists the capacity at 0.7 cubic feet and the output power at 700 watts, running on a standard 120 volt household outlet. That combination places it squarely in the dorm room, studio apartment, office break room and second kitchen category, where counter space is the binding constraint and the job list is reheating, defrosting and cooking packaged food rather than preparing a family meal from scratch.
It is worth being clear about what 700 watts means before anything else. Microwave cooking times published on frozen food packaging are usually calibrated for a 1000 watt or 1100 watt oven. At 700 watts the same dish takes noticeably longer, and package instructions will generally understate the time needed. That is not a defect, it is the physics of a smaller magnetron in a smaller cavity, but it is the single most important thing to understand before buying at this size. Shoppers who want package times to work as printed should look at a higher output model such as the Toshiba EM131A5C-BS countertop microwave or the Farberware Classic 1.1 cubic foot model instead.
Size, Footprint and Where It Fits
The specification sheet gives the exterior as 17.3 inches wide, 12.99 inches deep and 10.14 inches high, with a listed weight of 22.5 pounds. Those numbers matter more on a small microwave than on a large one, because the units that get bought for tight spaces are the ones most likely to end up under a wall cabinet or beside a backsplash. A microwave needs clear air around its vents, and the standard manufacturer guidance for a countertop unit is to leave clearance at the sides, rear and top. The Farberware listing does not publish a specific clearance figure, so the safe approach is to follow whatever the printed manual states rather than assume the cabinet gap is sufficient.
Something else on the spec sheet deserves a note. The listing gives “Item model number” simply as “Farberware” rather than a real model code, while the product description elsewhere refers to a Farberware FM series unit. Anyone ordering a replacement turntable or a service part should confirm the exact model code from the label on the back of the oven rather than trusting the model field in the listing.
Controls, Presets and Everyday Use
Farberware describes ten power levels with multi stage cooking, which means the oven can be programmed to run one stage at high power and a second stage at a lower level without being restarted by hand. Six one touch programs are listed, covering popular packaged items such as popcorn, potato and pizza. Defrost is offered two ways, by weight and by time. The weight method asks for the weight of the item and sets the power and duration itself, while the time method leaves both under manual control.
A memory function is listed that stores a favorite time and power combination for repeat use, and the LED display carries a clock and a countdown timer. The interior is lit so the food can be watched without opening the door. The door itself uses a grip handle rather than a push button latch, which is generally the easier arrangement when hands are wet or full. Compared with the sensor driven controls on larger models such as the Panasonic NN-SN686S, this is a straightforward keypad appliance, and for many buyers at this size that is the point.
Safety Lock and Household Fit
The child safety lock is the feature most often cited as the reason to choose this oven over an unbranded alternative at a similar size. It disables the keypad so the oven cannot be started by a small child pressing buttons. In a household with young children, or in a shared space such as a rental or a break room, that is a meaningful control rather than a marketing line. The stainless steel exterior and the interior are both described as easy to clean, which on a microwave usually comes down to how well the cavity resists baked on splatter rather than any special coating.
Highlights
- 0.7 cubic foot cavity, one of the smaller sizes sold, aimed at apartments, dorms and offices.
- 700 watts of output power on a 120 volt outlet, with ten selectable power levels.
- Six one touch cooking programs plus defrost by weight or by time.
- Child safety lock that disables the keypad.
- LED interior lighting and a digital display with clock and countdown timer.
- Memory function that saves a preferred time and power setting.
- Exterior listed at 17.3 by 12.99 by 10.14 inches and 22.5 pounds.
Things To Consider
The 700 watt output is the main limitation and it affects everything else. Reheating a full dinner plate, cooking a frozen entree or bringing a large mug of liquid to temperature all take longer than the package suggests. Cooking evenly also gets harder as the load gets bigger relative to the cavity, so a large casserole dish is the wrong job for this oven.
The 0.7 cubic foot cavity will not take a full size dinner plate in every case, and it will not take a 12 inch pizza. The turntable has to be able to rotate a dish fully, so plate diameter matters as much as cavity volume. Anyone who regularly reheats on large plates should size up to a 1.1 or 1.2 cubic foot oven such as the GE Profile PEM31SFSS.
The listing does not publish an amperage figure or a dedicated circuit requirement. Microwaves draw considerably more from the wall than they deliver as cooking power, so plugging one into an already loaded kitchen circuit alongside a kettle or toaster can trip a breaker. The listing also does not state a noise level, a turntable diameter, or the interior cavity dimensions, only the exterior ones, so buyers judging whether a specific dish will fit are working without the number they actually need.
Finally, the model number field on the listing is not a model number. That is a data quality problem in the listing rather than a fault in the appliance, but it does make parts ordering harder.
Who It Suits and Who Should Look Elsewhere
This is a sensible choice for a student, a small apartment, a home office, a workshop or an RV, where the microwave has to fit a shelf rather than dominate a counter, and where the workload is coffee, leftovers and packaged meals. The child lock makes it a reasonable pick for a family kitchen where a second, smaller microwave is wanted in a play area or basement.
It is the wrong appliance for a main kitchen in a household that cooks. Anyone reheating full plates, defrosting large cuts, or wanting sensor cooking, convection or air fry should move up in the countertop microwave oven range, or consider clearing the counter completely with an over the range microwave that also handles cooktop ventilation. Judged against what Farberware actually claims for it, a compact, simple, keypad driven 700 watt oven with a child lock, it does what the listing says and little more.
