If you are using it to reheat plates of food and cook veggies, at least 1.0 cubic feet and 1,000 watts will be enough. I like Sharp and Panasonic, but none is as well made as say 15 years ago. Costco has or had a Panasonic around $100 with 1,100 watts that was a reasonable size. Large microwaves have large foot prints and take up a lot of counter space. If you can pick up a working older Sharp from Craigslist, I would consider that. Mine is at least fifteen years old as are the ones I left in rental units.