Feeding a family or reheating full dinner plates every day? Get the EM131A5C-BS in Black Stainless with humidity sensor. Cooking for one in a dorm, studio or office corner? Get the EM720CB7 in Stainless with push-button door. The Toshiba gives you 1.2 cu ft of cavity, a 12.4-inch turntable and a rated 1100W output with humidity-sensor reheating for about $50 more; the Black+Decker gives you a 0.7 cu ft cavity, a 10-inch turntable and 700W in a body roughly three inches narrower for less money and less counter. On 09/13/2026 the EM131A5C-BS showed $129.99 In Stock in its exact-variant offer, shipped and sold by Amazon.com with delivery as soon as Thursday, Sep 17; the EM720CB7 showed $79.97 In Stock in its exact-variant offer, shipped and sold by Amazon.com with delivery as soon as Thursday, Sep 17.
Choose by your situation
| Situation | Model to consider | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| You reheat full-size dinner plates, casserole dishes or several portions at once and want sensor-adjusted reheating | EM131A5C-BS in Black Stainless | Larger footprint (about 20.6 in wide per both sources); $129.99 observed, about $50 above the compact; the store listing text states 1000W while the instruction manual rates the output at 1100W. |
| You have a small counter, a dorm or an office nook and mostly reheat single portions, mugs and frozen snacks | EM720CB7 in Stainless | Only 0.7 cu ft with a 10-inch turntable, so full-size plates may not fit or rotate; 700W heats more slowly; no humidity-sensor reheating, just six fixed pre-programmed buttons. |
Family capacity against compact footprint, side by side
| Criterion | EM131A5C-BS, Black Stainless | EM720CB7, Stainless |
|---|---|---|
| Cavity and turntable | 1.2 cu ft; 12.4-inch glass turntable (manual and listing agree) | 0.7 cu ft; 10-inch glass turntable (manual and listing agree) |
| Rated microwave output | 1100W rated output per the EM131A5C-BS instruction manual (1550W input); the Amazon listing text states 1000W output with 1600W input | 700W rated output per the EM720CB7 instruction manual (1050W input); the Amazon listing states the same 700W figure |
| Counter footprint | About 20.6 in wide and 11.8 in high per the listing; the manual lists 20.51 x 17.14 x 12.83 in, so measure depth before buying | 17.3 x 13 x 10.2 in per both the manual and the listing; roughly three inches narrower than the Toshiba |
| Presets and sensor | Humidity-sensor reheating that adjusts time and power from food moisture, 6 preset menus, 10 power levels, ECO mode and mute function | Six pre-programmed buttons (popcorn, potato, pizza, frozen vegetable, beverage, dinner plate), 10 power levels, 30-second express cooking, clock and kitchen timer |
| Door and safety | Large easy-grip door handle; 1-year limited warranty per the listing | Push-button door release; child safety lock; interior light; 1-year warranty per the listing |
| Listing reception | 4.4 out of 5 stars across 32,692 ratings on the observed Amazon listing; 6K+ bought in the past month | 4.2 out of 5 stars across 22,882 ratings on the observed Amazon listing; 1K+ bought in the past week |
EM131A5C-BS in Black Stainless: the family-size pick
The EM131A5C-BS in Black Stainless with humidity sensor suits households that cook in volume: the 1.2 cu ft cavity and 12.4-inch turntable take full-size plates and casserole dishes, the manual-rated 1100W output reheats faster than a 700W compact, and the humidity sensor adjusts reheating time and power instead of leaving you to guess. Six preset menus, ten power levels, defrost by weight or time, one-touch 1-to-6-minute start and an ECO mode with mute cover daily routines, and Toshiba backs it with a 1-year limited warranty. Its limits are counter space and price: at about 20.6 inches wide it needs a real stretch of counter (confirm depth against the manual's 17.14-inch figure if your counter is shallow), and $129.99 observed is about $50 more than the compact. Note the paperwork split: the instruction manual rates output at 1100W while the store listing text says 1000W; capacity, turntable and sensor claims match on both.
EM720CB7 in Stainless: the compact pick
The EM720CB7 in Stainless with push-button door suits small kitchens, dorms and offices: at 17.3 x 13 x 10.2 inches it fits where a family-size box will not, the push-button door opens with one hand, and the child safety lock, interior light and LED display keep shared-space use simple. Six pre-programmed buttons, ten power levels, time-or-weight defrost and 30-second express cooking handle single portions, mugs and frozen snacks, and the maker covers it with a 1-year warranty. Its limits are power and room: 700W needs longer cook times than an 1100W box, the 0.7 cu ft cavity with a 10-inch turntable cannot take every full-size plate, and there is no humidity-sensor reheating, only fixed presets. At $79.97 shipped and sold by Amazon.com, it is the lower observed price by about $50.
Where to check the exact variants
Compare the EM131A5C-BS in Black Stainless with humidity sensor (exact-variant offer at $129.99 on 09/13/2026, In Stock, shipped and sold by Amazon.com, delivery as soon as Thursday, Sep 17, shown in the page's Frequently bought together module for This item) against the EM720CB7 in Stainless with push-button door (exact-variant offer at $79.97 on 09/13/2026, In Stock, shipped and sold by Amazon.com, delivery as soon as Thursday, Sep 17, shown in the page's Frequently bought together module for This item). Variant-block prices stay hidden until a delivery location is entered, so confirm the 1.2 cu ft Black Stainless and 0.7 cu ft Stainless variants, the seller and the delivery date on the page before paying. If big dishes and faster reheating matter most, pay for the Toshiba; if counter space and price matter most, take the Black+Decker.
Sources and further reading
- Amazon.com — TOSHIBA Countertop Microwave Oven, 1.2 Cu.Ft, Black, 12.4-inch Turntable, Sensor (B071WCB1T6)
- EM131A5C-BS instruction manual — rated output 1100W, 1.2 cu ft, 12.4-inch turntable
- Amazon.com — BLACK+DECKER Countertop Microwave Oven, 0.7 Cu.Ft, 700W, Stainless Steel (B07HGH1KG6)
- EM720CB7 instruction manual — rated output 700W, 0.7 cu ft, 10-inch turntable