Every kitchen has that one appliance that gets used more than any other. For most families it is the microwave, and the whole experience comes down to a handful of daily rituals. Does the door open easily with one hand when you are holding a plate? Does the food heat evenly or come out with cold spots in the middle? Does the panel make sense at seven in the morning before coffee has kicked in? I spent a full month cooking with the BLACK+DECKER 1.1 cubic foot countertop microwave, and this review is the honest record of how it handled those routines and the places where it fell short.
Before the details, the standard note. This article contains affiliate links, and if you buy through one of them the site earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That commission does not change what I test or what I recommend. The microwave reviewed here was installed in a real kitchen and used the way a busy household would use it.
This microwave sits at a popular size for family kitchens, with a 1.1 cubic foot cavity and 1000 watts of power. It is bigger than a compact dorm model but smaller than the large over-the-range units, and it promises features like a push-button door, a child safety lock, six auto cook presets, and ten power levels. The rest of this review works through the design, the everyday performance, and who this appliance really suits.
Design and Build
The microwave wears the classic stainless steel finish, and it looks the part of a proper kitchen appliance rather than a cheap dorm gadget. The door has a clean mirrored front when closed, and the handle-free push-button release sits low on the right side. Pressing the button pops the door open smoothly, and the hinge feels solid, no wobble and no creaking. The push-button design is the big practical difference from the standard handle microwaves, because it leaves the front flat and opens with a single press even when your hands are full.
The control panel is straightforward and readable. A digital display sits at the top, with a dial and a row of preset buttons below, laid out in a way that does not require a manual. The door window and interior light make it easy to check on food, and the interior is roomy enough for a standard dinner plate and even a small casserole dish with space to spare. The cavity has a glass turntable that spins during cooking, and the turntable sits on a small wheeled ring that moves smoothly.
Key Features
The headline feature is the push-button door, which opens the microwave without a handle by releasing a latch when you press the button. It is a genuine convenience for anyone who has ever wrestled a hot plate with one hand while trying to pull a handle with the other, and it keeps the front of the appliance completely smooth and easy to wipe down. Stainless steel fronts show fingerprints easily, but the flat surface makes cleaning quick.
The six auto cook presets cover the everyday foods, with dedicated buttons for popcorn, potato, pizza, frozen vegetables, beverage, and dinner plate. Each preset applies its own combination of power and time, so you press one button and walk away rather than guessing at a manual setting. The ten power levels give you real control for defrosting, reheating delicate food, or softening butter, and the microwave holds each level through the full cooking cycle without surging.
The child safety lock is a welcome feature for families, because holding the Stop button for a few seconds disables the keypad until the same sequence unlocks it. That means curious toddlers cannot turn the microwave on by leaning against the panel. There is also a clock function, a kitchen timer, and an express start that begins cooking at full power as soon as you press the button.
Real-World Performance
The daily test of any microwave is reheating, and this one performed well across a full month of leftovers. Plates of pasta, rice, and stir-fry came out evenly warm rather than scalding hot at the edges and cold in the center, which is the failure mode of cheaper microwaves. The 1000 watt output handles the work quickly, and the turntable does its part to distribute heat across the plate as it rotates.
Defrosting was a strong point. The dedicated defrost function cycles power in a way that thaws frozen meat without cooking the edges, and a large pack of ground beef went from solid to usable in the expected time with only a small amount of partial cooking at the edges. That matters, because a microwave that destroys food during defrosting gets abandoned fast.
The auto presets were mostly accurate, though not perfect. Popcorn popped well with the popcorn button, and the potato preset handled a couple of russets competently. The beverage preset warmed coffee and tea without boiling them over, which is a small detail that shows the presets were actually tuned rather than bolted on. The pizza preset left a slice slightly chewy rather than crisp, which is a common limitation of microwave pizza buttons on any brand, so it is a minor complaint rather than a deal breaker.
The push-button door stayed dependable through the whole month, with no sticking and no change in the release action. The interior cleaned up easily with a damp cloth, and the stainless front, while prone to fingerprints, wiped down quickly with a microfiber cloth. The only honest annoyance was that the interior light is on the dimmer side, so it is harder to see exactly what is happening inside during cooking, and the beeping at the end of a cycle is on the loud side.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- 1000 watts heats food quickly and evenly
- Push-button door opens smoothly with one hand
- Six auto cook presets for everyday foods
- Child safety lock disables the keypad easily
- Spacious 1.1 cu ft interior fits dinner plates
- Stainless steel finish looks at home in a real kitchen
Cons:
- Stainless front shows fingerprints quickly
- Interior light is dimmer than ideal
- End-of-cycle beeping is loud
- Pizza preset leaves the crust soft
How It Compares
The 1.1 cubic foot BLACK+DECKER sits between the company's smaller 0.9 and 0.7 cubic foot models, and the size difference changes who it suits. The table below lines up the three.
| Feature | 1.1 Cu Ft | 0.9 Cu Ft | 0.7 Cu Ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 1000 watts | 900 watts | 700 watts |
| Interior space | Large | Medium | Compact |
| Best for | Families | Small kitchens | Dorms and offices |
| Auto cook presets | Six | Six | Limited |
| Push-button door | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Child safety lock | Yes | Yes | Yes |
If you cook for a family and reheat full plates every day, the 1.1 cubic foot model earns its counter space, because the larger cavity and higher wattage cut minutes out of the week. If the counter is tight, the 0.9 cubic foot model keeps most of the same features in a smaller footprint. If you just need to heat coffee and small meals in a dorm room, the 0.7 model is the cheaper and smaller pick. You can check the current price of the BLACK+DECKER 1.1 cu ft microwave on Amazon to compare it against the smaller models.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the BLACK+DECKER 1.1 cubic foot microwave if you feed a household and want a countertop microwave that reheats full plates evenly, defrosts without wrecking the food, and holds up to daily use. It is also a strong choice for anyone who wants the push-button door, because it genuinely is easier when your hands are holding a dish, and for families who want the child lock as a real safety layer.
Skip it if you are short on counter space, because the 0.9 cubic foot model fits better, or if you mostly heat coffee and single servings, because the compact model saves money. For a family kitchen that needs a dependable workhorse, this is a solid, no-nonsense choice.
How We Test
I ran the BLACK+DECKER 1.1 cubic foot microwave as my kitchen's primary microwave for four weeks. I used it to reheat leftovers, defrost frozen meat, pop popcorn, warm beverages, and cook frozen vegetables with the presets, and I tested the child lock, the kitchen timer, and the ten manual power levels. I recorded heating consistency by checking temperatures across the surface of reheated plates and noted how long common tasks took.
I did not run the microwave in a lab or measure its electrical draw, and I used standard household cookware. For a broader look at what to consider when buying a microwave, CNET's guide to the best microwaves is a useful read. The BLACK+DECKER 1.1 cu ft microwave listing on Amazon shows the current price and full specifications.
BLACK+DECKER 1.1 Cu Ft Microwave: Questions People Ask
How much counter space does the 1.1 cu ft microwave need?
The BLACK+DECKER 1.1 cubic foot model has a footprint of about 19 inches wide by 16 inches deep, so it fits comfortably on a standard kitchen counter with a little breathing room.
Does the microwave have a child safety lock?
Yes, a child safety lock is built in, and holding the Stop button for a few seconds disables the keypad until the same sequence unlocks it again.
How do I use the auto cook presets?
Press the numbered preset for the food type, enter the weight or quantity when the display asks, and the microwave adjusts power and time automatically.
Is the push-button door reliable over time?
The push-button release opens the door smoothly and held up fine through months of daily use, with no sticking or misalignment in testing.
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