Comparing 3 Microwave Bacon Cookers

It is almost universally agreed upon that bacon is best when fried, but sometimes it’s just more convenient to plop it into a microwave cooker and forget about it. I recently compared three popular models on Amazon and today I’m offering my results. Let’s take a look at the three contestants!

The Contestants

1. Lekue Microwave Bacon Cooker

This model is the most expensive of the bunch, at a cost of about $24 (prices on Amazon fluctuate, so it may be different for you). It features a pour spout, deep grooves that drain the fat, clear lid, and large handles. It can supposedly make up to 6 slices of bacon at once. It’s currently listed as an Amazon’s Choice, with mostly positive reviews. Check out the full Amazon listing here.

2. Prep Solutions

Progressive Prep Solutions is a brand I’ve encountered before and I’ve generally had good luck with their products. This was the cheapest of the three models I tested, at about $10. This bacon cooker features a vented lid, deep grooves, recessed handle, and ability to cook 6 slices at once. See the full Amazon listing here.

3. Makin Bacon

Designed by an 8-year-old back in the 1990s, Makin Bacon features three racks that can hold about 12 slices of bacon and cost me about $13. The tagline is that it “cooks bacon above the fat, not in it.” Bacon is draped over the three racks and fat drips into the collection plate below. See the Amazon listing here.

Round 1

For my first round of tests, I just wanted to get a feel for how these products worked, so I just went with 4 slices each. Makin Bacon had no specific instructions on the packaging, and the other two had differing cook times per slice. For Round 1, I went with 1 minute per slice for Makin Bacon and Prep Solutions, and 6:30 for 4 slices for the Lekue (per their instructions for “crispy” bacon). Prep Solutions noted that microwaves over 800 watts are best to use 80% power, so I used that setting for all rounds and all three cookers.

The Lekue was overcooked in my opinion in Round 1, although there are those who prefer bacon of this consistency. The other two cooked much better and I would give a slight edge to the Makin Bacon, which seemed to be just the right consistency and doneness.

The width of the Lekue was a bit narrower than the slices I used, so I had to fold the ends over. That wasn’t a major issue, although those folded ends did turn out a bit more burnt than the rest of the slices, as you can see in the photo above. Its pour spout did not impress, either. I had to go slowly in order to pour out the grease, and found that just pouring it from the corner of the Prep Solutions and Makin Bacon (neither of which has a pour spout) was actually easier.

Round 2

For the second round, I wanted to load up each cooker to max capacity and see how well they could handle a full load. For the Prep Solutions, I stuck with 1 minute per slice again, and the six slices it produced were evenly cooked to my liking. Lekue’s instructions stated 6:30 for tender and 7:30 for crispy (6 slices), so I tried 6:45, but it was still a bit crispier than I liked. The other issue was that the Lekue splattered during Round 2, which neither of the other cookers did. Once again, the size of the Lekue seemed a bit limiting. Although I did fit 6 slices into the unit, it was much more cramped than the others.

Prep Solutions managed to fit six slices more comfortably than the Lekue. It also did not splatter out of the vents in the way that the Lekue did. The six slices were cooked to my liking after 6 minutes, with no splatter, so to me the Prep Solutions did well this round.

Although 1 minute per slice worked well for the Makin Bacon in Round 1, I felt like 12 minutes might be too long for 12 slices so I went with 10 minutes, which ended up being just about right. My only concern with the Makin Bacon was that slices came out uneven, with the ends much crispier than the centers. This is something I saw addressed in the Amazon comments as well. The bacon tasted fine, but it seemed more unevenly cooked when loaded up with 12 pieces. I would give the edge in Round 2 to Prep Solutions for evenness and consistency.

Bonus Round

I felt that a quick third round was in order for the Lekue because I wasn’t happy with the cook times I used for the first two rounds. This time I put 4 slices into the unit and used the Prep Solutions method of 1 minute per slice. After 4 minutes they were slightly undercooked, so I put them in for another minute and 5 minutes seemed to be ideal for my microwave. Again, I used 80% power, as I did for all other rounds.

Conclusion

In the end, I found that all of these bacon cookers did what they were supposed to do, with only minor differences in performance between them. I would probably opt for the Prep Solutions which seemed to be the most consistent with the least amount of fiddling with times. It was also the least expensive. If you really need to cook 12 slices at once, you may want to give the Makin Bacon a look, as it does handle a larger capacity, albeit with slightly less impressive results.

Video Review

Watch the full 17-minute video below!

You may also be interested in my review of the WowBacon microwave cooker.