11 Best Bacon Cookers (Electric & Microwave)

If you love the delicious crunch and salty taste of a crisp strip of bacon but hate the messy cleanup – a bacon cooker can be a perfect investment to help you.

Unfortunately, frying bacon in a pan can be a pain, so you may not prepare bacon as often as you’d like. Instead of limiting your bacon intake, consider purchasing a bacon cooker. Owning one of the best bacon cookers will help you make this tasty meat with less mess.

No one likes grease splattering everywhere or the smell of bacon consuming their home – but with the right bacon cooker you can eliminate these pains and cook your next breakfast with ease.

But that’s not the only benefit. Many bacon cookers are designed with your health in mind. Because your bacon doesn’t sit in grease while cooking, some cookers will produce cooked bacon with up to 35% less fat that other cooking methods.

In this post, I’ll explore the best bacon cooker you can buy, why you should purchase a bacon cooker, microwave bacon cookers vs electric bacon cookers, and more. Let’s get started!

Microwave vs Electric Bacon Cookers

Before purchasing a bacon cooker, you’ve probably seen the variety of options you have. The two most common include microwave and electric bacon cookers.

So which is better?

In short – they both have benefits and some drawbacks. If you’re looking for a cheap and easy way to cook bacon – you can’t go wrong with a microwave bacon cooker. However, if you’re more interested about the quality of your bacon – I’d strongly recommend using an electric or oven bacon cooker.

When deciding between which bacon cooker is right for you – you need to understand what you value the most.

Microwave Bacon Cookers

Microwave bacon cookers are a great option for those with little time on their hands. These cookers are fast and efficient but they tend to be smaller and have a smaller capacity. Another drawback is that some people are just weird about plastic and microwaves. While most microwave bacon cookers are BPA free, there’s still something that doesn’t sit right with me heating plastic in the microwave.

Another critical benefit of a microwave cooker is that they almost always tend to be dishwasher safe. This makes cleaning quick and easy.

Electric Bacon Cookers

When compared to microwave bacon cookers, electric cookers have some obvious pros and cons.

The first difference is the price-tag. You’re going to pay more money for an electric bacon cooker but for some – it’s for a good reason.

The quality you receive with an electric bacon cooker is much better. You’ll notice less plastic and more hard surfaces to cook bacon. Another key benefit – more evenly cooked bacon. Microwave bacon cookers are notorious for producing bacon that is unevenly cooked with crisp edges but undercooked inners.

Quick Summary – Best Bacon Cookers of 2021

Reviews of the Top 10 Bacon Cookers

If you’re looking for the best bacon cooker, check out one of these well-loved models for the microwave, oven, or countertop.

1. Best for the Microwave: Makin’ Bacon

The Makin’ Bacon unit is the best microwave bacon cooker because you can hang up to 18 slices of bacon on its three T-shaped drip bars. If you don’t need to make that much bacon at once, just use fewer drip bars. The removable bars are convenient for storage purposes.

To control splatters, the manufacturer recommends that you cover the bacon with a paper towel while it’s cooking. Because the strips hang down, the grease falls into the collection tray below. To remove the grease, pour it out from one corner of the unit.

This bacon cooker is dishwasher safe making for easy clean up.

Because your bacon isn’t sitting in grease, this cooker reduces fat up to 35% – making it a good option for the health conscious (but it is still bacon).

This bacon cooker does produce a small mess but by placing paper towel over the bacon this will be reduced.

Another benefit of this device – easy storage! Because it is so small measuring just 9.2″ by 8.8″ inches you can easily store this cooker in a cabinet.

This product has over 6,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.5/5 stars.

2. Best for the Oven: Kitchenatics Roasting & Baking Sheet with Cooling Rack

If you want to make bacon in the oven, try it on this combination set from Kitchenatics. The pack includes both a cookie sheet and a cooling rack. When cooking bacon, the rack sits on top of the tray. This allows the grease to drip onto the pan below and eliminates the need to flip the bacon partway through the process.

About 12 to 15 slices will fit on the pan at once. You may want to set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit when cooking bacon, and this stainless steel set is strong enough to withstand such temperatures.

This method of cooking bacon will produce consistent results with evenly cooked bacon in minutes.

This product has over 1,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.6/5 stars.

3. Best Electric Cooker: Hamilton Beach Smokeless Indoor Grill & Electric Griddle Combo

Bacon is just one of the many foods that you can cook on this small appliance from Hamilton Beach. The combo unit can be laid open so that you can cook on both of the removable plates, or you can fold it closed to use it as a contact grill or a bacon cooker. Closing the unit crisps the bacon from both the top and the bottom.

The appliance tilts up so that grease easily drains away into a tray that pulls out for easy disposal. Both the tray and the plates can be washed in the dishwasher.

This cooker can be used for so much more than bacon – making it a must-have for any kitchen. Whether you’re looking to make burgers, pancakes, or vegetables, this is a great device to have ready.

Because of its size, storing it can be more difficult when compared to other bacon cookers.

This product has almost 500 reviews with an average rating of 4.3/5 stars.

4. Best Value Cooker: Prep Solutions by Progressive Microwavable Bacon Grill

This microwave cooker has been labeled as Amazon’s Choice – speaking to its quality and functionality.

It is designed to fit 4 to 6 strips of bacon on its raised grill design to keep grease under the bacon.

The vented lid reduces splatter and helps to cook the bacon more evenly.

But this device goes beyond bacon. It can cook other foods as well, giving it the upper-hand over some other devices on the list.

This product has over 14,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.4/5 stars.

5. Presto Microwave Bacon Cookers

This microwave cooker from Presto has three standing panels, each of which can hold four strips of bacon, so you can cook 12 pieces at a time. Grease drips down during cooking and is collected in the unit’s base piece.

This is the best cooker for cleanup purposes because the whole thing can be immersed in water or placed in the dishwasher. Plus, the design is free of nooks and crannies that could trap grease or crumbs. The three panels are removable from the base, and they lie flat in the base for easy storage.

This product has over 1,600 reviews with an average rating of 4.3/5 stars.

6. Nostalgia Electrics Bacon Express

If you’re a die-hard bacon fan, consider investing in this small appliance that’s dedicated to preparing crispy strips of bacon. You can fit up to six pieces of bacon in the Bacon Express.

Although this unit is best for thin bacon, an adjustable dial lets you change the temperature based on the size of your strips. As the bacon cooks, the grease drips down into a collection tray. This tray slides out and can be washed in the dishwasher. The cooking plates are also dishwasher-safe, and they have a nonstick coating to aid in bacon preparation and cleanup.

7. Blue Rose Polish Pottery Tulip Bacon Cooker

If you want to purchase a single item that can serve as both a microwave bacon maker and an oven bacon cooker, this stoneware dish is the one for the job. In fact, you can also place it in the freezer, and it’s safe to clean it in the dishwasher. The pretty blue floral pattern means that you can even bring it to the table as a serving dish.

The bottom of the baker is ridged. That allows the bacon strips – up to six at a time – to sit above the grease runoff so they crisp up nicely.

8. Midnight Sun Pottery Ceramic Microwave Bacon Cookers

It’s hard to beat the stunning beauty of this handmade ceramic cooker that resembles a coffee mug on a deep saucer. In fact, you might want to leave this item on your counter or store it in a glass-front cabinet so that it can complement your kitchen decor.

The strips of bacon hang over the mug portion of the device. You can fit approximately eight strips of bacon on the unit. A side handle makes picking up the cooker easy. Grease drips down into the saucer below. A pour spout simplifies the process of emptying the saucer after cooking.

9. Lekue Microwave Bacon Maker/Cooker

For those wanting extra protection against grease splatters, consider Lekue’s lidded version of a bacon maker. It features a transparent lid that allows you to view the cooking process while still keeping grease drips fully under control. Approximately six strips of bacon can lie across its surface.

The cooker also has a grooved bottom so that grease is directed away from your food. When you’re finished cooking, a built-in spout allows you to pour the residual grease into another container for disposal. There are also two side handles that come in handy during the draining process.

10. Bacon Pro

Do you regularly cook for a crowd? This microwave bacon maker can hold a full 23 slices of bacon. In just minutes, you can have a whole pile of bacon on the table for your friends or family to enjoy. You may even have enough for leftovers! Of course, the cooker works just as well to prepare only a few slices if you are cooking for just one or two people.

This dishwasher-safe unit is made of just one piece of plastic. There are no loose parts that could get buried in a drawer or lost in the wash.

11. Best Silicone Bacon Maker: OXO Good Grips Microwave Bacon Cookers

If you’re wary of putting plastic in the microwave, you might want to consider a bacon cooker with a silicone top instead, such as this one from OXO. Many experts consider silicone a safer material for cookware than plastic.

Strips of bacon lie flat across the cooker, and you can make about five pieces at a time. There’s a stand for setting the cooker at an angle so the grease can fully drain. It collects in a trap under the cooking surface, and a lid lifts off so you can pour the grease out.

Related: Best Donut Makers [Complete 2021 Buyers Guide]

Reasons to Use a Bacon Cooker

When you fry bacon in a pan, you often end up with messy grease splatters all over your range and your counter. Cleaning them can be time-consuming, and if you’re not careful about doing a thorough job, buildup can accumulate on your surfaces. Using a bacon cooker can save you the trouble of wiping down your stove and counters each time that you prepare bacon.

The grease doesn’t only end up all over your counters when you cook bacon by traditional means. It also goes all over your bacon strips because they rest in the grease as they cook. Even if you drain the meat on paper towels, some grease may linger. Most bacon cookers direct grease away from the meat so that you end up with a healthier finished product.

Furthermore, it’s quite easy to burn bacon when cooking it in a pan. You have to give the meat constant attention and flip and rearrange the strips frequently throughout the cooking process. With a bacon cooker, you can start the cooking process and then focus on other kitchen tasks while the meat heats.

Finally, many bacon cookers are quick. With a fast model, you’ll have your food on your plate sooner.

How to Select a Bacon Cooker

When you’re shopping for the best bacon cooker, keep the following features in mind.

Cooking Style

There are three primary cooking styles for which bacon cookers are designed

1. Microwave bacon cooker: The majority of bacon cookers are designed for quickly zapping bacon in the microwave.

2. Oven bacon cooker: A bacon cooker for the oven must be made of materials that can withstand high oven temperatures. This type of device may be able to accommodate cooking more than just bacon.

3. Countertop bacon cooker: Some cookers are freestanding appliances that plug into a wall outlet. They may be exclusively for bacon, or they may be able to accommodate a variety of foods.

Materials

Many bacon makers that are intended for microwave use are constructed of plastic, and some have a silicone cooking surface. Cookers for the oven may be made of metal. A ceramic cooker might be able to go in both the oven and the microwave.

Shape and Design

Strips of bacon may hang on a cooker, or they may lie on a flat surface. One advantage of a cooker on which the bacon hangs is that the grease drips off the strips during cooking. On the other hand, flat cookers may be easier to store, and they usually have a system for draining grease as well.

The shape and size of the cooker determine how many pieces of bacon you can cook at once. Many accommodate about six to eight strips. If you often feed a crowd, you may want to look for a larger unit.

Special Features

The basic job of a bacon maker is to heat and crisp bacon, of course, but some devices include special features to help with the cooking or the cleanup process. These may include:

• A lid.
• A grease trap.
• Dishwasher-safe materials.
• One-piece construction so there are no parts to lose.

Tips for Using a Microwave Bacon Maker

#1. Don’t overcrowd the unit. Overlapping strips of bacon

Don’t overcrowd the unit. Overlapping strips of bacon may cook unevenly. For best results, separate each piece, and follow the manufacturer’s advice about how many strips to use.

 #2. Use thin-sliced bacon. 

Use thin-sliced bacon. Thicker slices may not drape as easily over the bars of a hanging bacon cooker, and they may not crisp up as nicely as thin ones.

 #3. Cover the bacon with a paper towel.

Cover the bacon with a paper towel. When cooking in the microwave, you may want to place a paper towel over your bacon to absorb grease if your bacon maker doesn’t have a lid.

 #4. Experiment with cooking times. little more time or a little less time

Experiment with cooking times. Microwaves differ in power. You may need to cook your bacon for a little more time or a little less time than the manufacturer recommends. Plus, you’ll probably need to use a longer cooking time for larger batches.

#5 Store bacon correctly

Using the right dry food storage containers for your bacon is essential. Because cooked bacon doesn’t last extremely long you need to store it right away.

#6. Expect a different appearance. may look drier

Expect a different appearance. If you’re used to frying bacon in its own grease, you might be surprised by the appearance of less-greasy microwaved bacon. Don’t worry, though. Although the strips may look drier than you’re expecting, they’ll still have the familiar taste that you’re expecting.

Final Thoughts on the Best Bacon Cooker of 2021

Which of these bacon cookers most appeals you to? Would you prefer a device that goes in your microwave or one that sits on the counter? Do you want to use it just for cooking bacon, or would you like it for other jobs as well?

Whichever type of bacon cooker you choose to add to your kitchen, it will make it easier for you to prepare delicious bacon as often as you’d like. Plus, since you won’t need to spend as much time cleaning up after cooking, you’ll have more time to savor your hot strips of crispy bacon.

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