Whether you’re in a dorm room right now as you read this or you plan on getting into one soon, nothing is better than having a microwave in your dorm room.  The $100 or so you spend on one will be the best investment you’ll make at college.  It’s a lot more convenient to make $2 hot pockets than it is to order a $10 pizza.  Let’s not forget that you’re going to have to pay a delivery fee.  We wrote a post earlier in the month that suggests the healthier college student microwaveable dinners.

If you’re looking to get a microwave for your dorm room, here the top three that myself and other college students like yourself recommend.  Even if you’re not a college student, these microwaves make great space savers because of the size and weight.

#1 — The Sharp R-216LS

The Sharp microwave was rated one of the best lightweight microwaves on the market.  Not only does it take up little space, it only weighs 24 pounds, which is very light for a microwave.  Besides the space issue, one of these microwaves are very reasonable and can be picked up for less than $100 and let’s not forget that this microwave is also stainless steel, which can prevent rusting and burning from nearby heats such as your stove.

#2 — Sharp R-410W

This microwave is little bit more expensive than the R-216LS because of the power.  The R-410W is 1100 watts compared to the R-216LS’s 800 watts.  This microwave weighs a little bit more at 37 pounds and isn’t stainless steel.  Instead, it’s an off-white color.  The main reasons students choose this microwave is because of more features.

#3 – Danby Designer

If you’re looking for a dorm microwave that isn’t designed by Sharp, you may want to look into the Danby Designer.  This microwave is the smallest out of the three and comes in at 20 pounds.  Like the Sharp R-410W, you can get it either in black or white.  The Danby Designer is also the smallest one out of the three, so if size is an issue, you may want to consider this microwave.