The last two microwaves I have had have been GE low end countertops. They were reasonable quality. I have just purchased a Panasonic NN-ST652W, a 1200 watt inverter. My first impressions are that it is a quality machine,,smooth, quiet, powerful, and I like the inverter technology. BUT, and it's a big but, it is not possible to see what power,level it is cooking at once it is running. The only way to be sure what,power level it is running at is to cancel the programme and start again. Customer service at Panasonic have verified this. Nor is it possible to change the power level while it is cooking. Again you have to cancel the whole programme and start again. My GEs did this in an snap. Imagine buying a radio and, after starting to use it, find there is no way to know what station it is tuned into,that you have to turn it off,turn it back on again and re-tune it. Who at Panasonic dreamed up the acceptability of such a basic absence? Is this just the model I happened to buy? I doubt it. Panasonic microwave owners, does your countertop model do this? Do you find this acceptable, or is it just me?

At one point, I tried to find the perfect microwave; and the longer I read reviews the more disillusioned I became. I feel nobody really makes great microwaves. Of course, the flipside is that microwaves are pretty cheap these days. So, maybe I just need something good enough and then replace it every so often. We have generally been very happy with Panasonic microwaves, as they appear to be one of the few (the only ones?) that can truly modulate power output; most other microwave manufacturers turn power on and off periodically, instead of outputting reduced power. I find, this makes a huge difference when gently heating up food or when defrosting food. I take advantage of variable power output all the time. The downside is that they seem to die every 3 - 5 years. Our current microwave is almost dead already, and I think it's only just over four years old. It now regularly turns off by itself, whenever I push the start button. Oh well, time to renew my Panasonic subscription. And no, I won't ever buy a built-in microwave. I am not going to take the risk that I have custom cabinets that won't fit the replacement microwave that I inevitably have to buy a few years down the line.

They are widely available in many different brands. The trim kit is always sold separately, and sometimes it is easier to look at the trim kits to see which MW they spec to go with it. Although they are designed to fit in a 27" or 30" wide oven cabinet, it generally can go into a 21"D cabinet. https://www.abt.com/resources/pages/search.php?keywords=microwave%20trim%20kit&sort=best_sellers Or you may may just want to do a simple MW shelf with no trim kit. It is more versatile, but doesn't have that built in look.

Most people here will advise you to stay away from a single brand of appliances. I think Bosch & Miele make fine appliances across their whole lines, though Miele gas cooktops/ranges are probably not worth the premium price. And Bosch refrigerators are not as solid as other brands in their price range- see how hard it is to find one brand were everything is optimal? Having said that I am putting a Miele suite of appliances in my ski house- with an induction cooktop, not gas. I would absolutely stay away from a combo oven, microwave, warmer stack.