I now have a Sharp microwave drawer but when I had counter top microwave in my small kitchen, I always got Panasonic.

They have a variety of models but have smaller ones - their compact one is now about $120

I cook quite a bit but couldn't live without a microwave as it steams veggies beautifully as well as heating up leftovers.

I bought this one for our tiny cottage about 3 years ago. It is a Whirlpool and has worked great so far.

I liked that it had a small footprint, yet still could fit a regular sized dinner plate. Having a rounded back allowed it to tuck nicely in the corner. It doesn’t stick out very much, so there is still enough space in front of it to not stop the prep flow between the sink and range.

I have an LG Neochef, the smallest they make as counterspace is/was limited. It will be going on a shelf under the counter in the reno. https://www.lg.com/us/cooking-appliances/lg-LMC0975ST-counter-top-microwave-oven It's been a great MW - We also have a breville toaster oven that we LOVE, and we skipped the breville MW for all the same reasons. The LG was about 100 bucks at best buy when we bought it.

Our Panasonic is way smaller than your LG @snappity in case you want to get it - our is HWD: 11" x 19-3/16" x 14-13/16" inch while yours is HWD: 21.41" x 12.13" x 17" - we paid $120 for it 10 years ago! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00785MVRA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I’ve had this GE microwave for about 6 months. It is small enough to fit on a shelf, easy to use, and it was inexpensive. I only use it to reheat. This fits my dinner plates which are 10 3/4 inches in diameter but it would not fit larger plates.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/ge-0-7-cu-ft-compact-microwave-stainless-steel/2025045.p?skuId=2025045

Dimensions are 10 3/16” x 17 5/16” x 12 3/4”. It is about the smallest one I could find. I needed one that could fit on a 12 inch deep shelf and this works. It works fine so far.

I have had a couple GE Profile Spacemakers, that have worked well for me. A couple because I left one behind in each place I sold. They are more expensive than a lot of microwaves but I had each one for about 7-8 years and no problems, and I think the second place sold again with it in there still.

I second Stockholm’s rec for GE-I could have written her response word for word! We’re going on 5 years with it & very happy.

We rely on our toaster oven a lot as well.

Still in progress, but heres my LG in a 24*15 cabinet :

We have a smallish microwave (not wide but deep) from Target that we bought 15 years ago for $49.99. Like you, we don't use it a lot and kept it in the mudroom off the kitchen in our last house. It's starting to die and we're replacing it in our new kitchen with a GE spacesaver that costs a ridiculous $550 but fits in the wall cabinet next to the fridge.

@cheri127 - how big is your microwave?

So I finally went to go look at some of these options in person, and found a new challenge: many of them (especially those with handles) move when you try to open the door! Is this a common thing, or specific to smaller/lighter microwaves? How do you prevent it from happening? (Is this a reason to get one with a push button vs. a handle? I prefer the ones with handles aesthetically, but not if they are going to move around constantly!)

@artemis78 - we have one with a push button and it doesn't move at all - currently situated on the calendar.

Mine (the small GE that I previously mentioned) has a push button rather than a handle. It doesn’t slide around, but the pushbutton and area around the door always has fingerprints which is a downside. Here is a photo.

Our Breville doesn't move when we pull the handle, but it's only "small," not "tiny." My parents solved the movement problem on their tiny microwave by putting rubber grippy pads under the microwave feet, like you might with table legs.

Consider filtering your search for those models that still offer an inside light. Many MW brands have turned cost cutting into a high art and it really is useful to be able to see your food without having to pull it out of a dark box each time you want ti check on it.