Top 8 comforting microwave meals for days you don't feel like cooking

Some were better than others, and a few were low in flavour, easily solved with a dash of soy or sweet chilli sauce, peanut rayu, chutney, or a sprinkling of curry powder on top before heating.

Overall, our samples had no worrying chemical additives — some sauces were a bit gloopy, but not very.

To add further nourishment, check out the wide range of ready-made vegetables and salads on the side.

Our Top 8 scores were pretty even. Everyone’s a winner.

M&S Meal for One Roast Beef dinner 390g €7.75

Thin slices of British beef are bathed in a particularly good, tasty, rich beef gravy with a Yorkshire pudding to mop it up. There are lightly roasted potatoes and plenty of sliced carrots and peas. A delicious meal that can be frozen. Tasters also liked the roast lamb dinner (250g €5.50), but preferred the gravy with the beef.

Score: 9

Lidl Chef Select Pork Chop meal 500g €3.75

A medium-thickness, boneless pork chop sits with two dollops of mashed potato, one of carrot and parsnip, apple sauce, peas and plenty of gravy to make this a complete, pleasant dinner for one. We also liked the bacon and cabbage dinner at the same price.

Score: 8.5

Ryan’s SuperValu Supper Pot Chicken dinner 1kg €7.99

Half a decent-sized chicken here is plenty for two or one, with leftovers for a sandwich or stir fry later. Two small roast potatoes and two scoops of good mashed potato, large cubes of carrot and plenty of peas sit on enough gravy to coat everything. While none of the flavours are strong, chilli sauce or honey added to the skin or the gravy before reheating works well.

Score: 8.5

Aldi Inspired Cuisine Bacon & Cabbage meal 500g €3.75

A good white sauce adds flavour to otherwise flavourless shredded cabbage, but the potato and parsnip mix is good, and two nicely medium-thick slices of bacon are properly cooked. Not over-salted and tasty. Nearly inspired cuisine.

Score: 8

The Butcher’s Kitchen Sheehan’s Family Butcher Beef & Guinness Stew 450g €5.99

A tender beef stew is well favoured with Guinness (with no tang or alcohol left), vegetables, soy sauce, good mashed potato, and quite flavoursome cabbage. Rich but not heavy, the meat was tender and juicy. All tasters were happy. We bought it in St Luke’s, Cork. Also in Glanmire, Mallow, Kanturk.

Score: 9

Baxter & Green at Dunnes Beef Bourguignon & Mash 620g €5.99

Tasty and rich, dotted with small mushrooms and tiny silverskin onions, the texture is varied and interesting. The beef is tender and succulent and in a rich sauce. A decent portion of beef casserole accompanied by a good mash. Also in Dunnes we liked the own-brand Beef Dinner (500g €4.50), which has sliced meat, mash, peas, barely undercooked root vegetables, and a fairly dry Yorkshire pudding.

Score: 8.75

Tesco Cottage Pie 500g €4.25

A change of texture here with a full, juicy minced beef mixture, which has plenty of beefy flavours from well-reduced stock. On top is a piping of creamy mashed potato with peas on the side. The favourite of the younger tasters. Produced in Ireland. A handy one for the freezer.

Score: 9

Tesco Beef Dinner 500g €4.25

We don’t usually give space to a second of the same brand, but this is a roast dinner worth featuring. Tender sliced Irish beef, unusually with (tasty) stuffing, three rounds of mashed potato, and one of carrot and parsnip mash. Gravy is made from a delicious beef stock with tamarind, black treacle, onion and garlic powder, pimento, ginger, and mustard for a flavoursome all-rounder.

Score: 9