What Size Inverter Do I Need For A 700 Watt Microwave

The last thing you want to do is gear up your off-grid system only to detect that your inverter isn't powerful enough to run your trusty microwave.

All microwaves are different, but the average 1,000-watt microwave requires at least 1500W of ability to run properly. To make sure you end upwards with the right inverter, let's have a await at how to determine what size inverter you demand to run a microwave. It's quick, piece of cake, and it'll ensure yous don't waste your money.

Determining What Size Inverter Y'all Demand to Run a Microwave

At some point, many of usa who enjoy off-grid living have asked, "What size inverter practice I need to run a microwave?"

Fortunately, it'south incredibly piece of cake to figure out what size and power sine wave inverter yous need to run a microwave. Naturally, you'll start by taking a look at the microwave itself.

Figure Out the Microwave's Continuous Wattage Rating

The showtime thing you'll need to effigy out is how many watts the microwave uses while running, which is usually as easy as finding where it's noted. This can exist on:

The inside of the microwave door
The serial number tag on the dorsum
The user manual
The manufacturer's website

If y'all're unable to observe it after looking in all of these places, you can become a pretty good thought using the USDA recommended method – "Time-to-Boil Test." Here's how to do it:

You lot volition demand to put 240ml of water in a 2-cup glass measuring cup.
Add ice cubes and stir until the water is cold.
Remove the ice cubes.
If the h2o is more than one cup, pour the excess.
Put the container inside the microwave
Set up the microwave to high for at least four minutes
Monitor the water and check if it boils

If the water boils in less than two minutes, you take a 1000 watts microwave. If it took around 3-4 minutes for the water to eddy, you have a slow oven. (one).

If the h2o boils in three minutes = average wattage oven (650 – 700 watts or more)

Now y'all should have a pretty good idea of your microwave's continuous wattage rating. Notation that, this refers to the 'cooking power' of the microwave (as we explain beneath). Hence, at that place are other factors to go on in mind when answering the question "What size inverter exercise I need to run a microwave?"

Ability Consumption Versus Cooking Power

When choosing an inverter, your microwave'due south actual power consumption is what matters, and not the cooking power.

It's important to note that a microwave's cooking wattage is lower than the wattage information technology consumes, so take that into account when choosing an inverter size. This is often referred to as 'Input Wattage' (for actual power consumption), and 'Output Wattage' (for cooking power).

A microwave's cooking wattage is lower than the wattage information technology consumes.

Most microwaves use free energy with near 60-70% efficiency (2). Then if you lot're unable to find your microwave's actual power consumption noted anywhere, y'all can utilize some simple math to figure it out.

Let's assume a working efficiency of 65% for your microwave (on boilerplate).

Say you have a microwave that cooks at 700w. Let its bodily power consumption exist X.

X * 65/100 = 700W
X = 700 * 100/65
X = 1076 ~ 1100W

That means your bodily power consumption is around 1100W.

You lot can apply this technique to almost any microwave and estimate the actual power consumption, if you already know your cooking power.

Here's a unproblematic table that shows input power vs output power of common microwaves with 65% efficiency (3):

Input Ability (Power Consumption)	Output Power (Cooking Power)
1100 W	700 W
1350 W	900 Westward
1700 Due west	1100 W

Interestingly, fifty-fifty though they crave more power to run than they apply to cook food, microwaves are notwithstanding one of the more energy-efficient cooking methods, making them ideal for off-grid living. Scientific American states in a recent article (4):

Cooking or re-heating small portions of food in the microwave can save as much every bit 80 percent of the energy used to cook or warm them upward in the oven.

That said, your microwave'southward actual power consumption is what you need to worry about when choosing a sine wave inverter size, non the cooking power.

Conversion Formula

If you're not able to make up one's mind your microwave'due south wattage but know how many AMPS (current) it uses, there'south an easy conversion formula that will help you effigy information technology out.

Only multiply the amperes by Air-conditioning voltage, which is generally 110-120V for US citizens. The production is your wattage.

So if your microwave uses 12.5A of current, the formula would exist: 12.5A * 120V = 1500W

Factor In the Microwave'southward Elevation Wattage

At present that you know everything there is to know about determining your microwave's continuous ability usage, which is the power it consumes while running, information technology's time to take a look at its peak wattage or the maximum amount of power it utilizes during a surge.

Peak wattage, or surge wattage, usually occurs during startup and lasts for less than a 2d, just your inverter needs to be able to handle this sudden surge in power. The process should look something like this:

Your microwave's height energy requirements should be listed on the possessor's manual or manufacturer's website. If not, information technology'south a good idea to choose an inverter that can handle iii to four times its continuous wattage just to be on the safe side.

Every bit a reference, the surge power of a microwave tin can be as much equally 4 times the listed continuous power (so a 1000W microwave may have a peak rating of 4000W).

Ultimately, when you're looking for sine wave inverters, you lot'll notice on the specs sheet that both continuous and pinnacle capability are listed, and so information technology should be like shooting fish in a barrel to tell if it'southward large enough. To be on the safe side, you should have an inverter with a higher continuous/pinnacle ability rating than that of your microwave (by a factor of almost twenty%).

The Lesser Line: How To Pick The Correct Inverter For Your Microwave (In 4 Easy Steps)

So, if all that was a scrap too much for y'all to wrap your head around, don't worry. Nosotros've wrapped it up in a few, unproblematic steps:

Find out the actual input power consumption (both continuous and peak rating) of the microwave from the within characterization, user transmission, or manufacturer's website.
If you can't find that, and so find out the cooking power. You may gauge it using the 'Time-to-Boil' test.
Once you have cooking ability, you lot can utilize this guide to estimate the power consumption.
Choose a sine wave inverter that fulfills both the 'continuous watt' rating and the 'elevation power' rating. Preferably, become for a slightly higher-rated model to ensure smooth operation.

Nosotros recommend getting a good pure sine wave inverter for this purpose, every bit it'll maximize the power efficiency of your microwave, keep it running smoothly, and prevent any electrical malfunctions from occurring. For more tips to get the about out of your home'south appliances, check out our Homepage.

FAQs

Yep, a 1500-watt ability inverter should be able to run a 700-watt microwave without any issues. To be certain, check that the surge power rating of the microwave is also within the inverter'due south limits. Y'all can use a pure sine wave inverter or modified sine wave inverter, but the modified sine unit of measurement may cause your microwave to run less efficiently.

You can use a modified sine wave inverter or a pure sine wave inverter to run a microwave, every bit long as they accept a big enough capacity, aka bombardment power. When you lot compare pure sine inverters vs modified sine inverters, modified sine models tend to shorten appliances' lives, and so that's important to continue in heed. Pure sine wave inverters always offer improve performance and efficiency, albeit at a higher price.

Your inverter is big enough to run your microwave if information technology can handle its startup surge, and continuous wattage draw while it's cooking. If your modified sine moving ridge inverter or pure sine wave inverter can handle both successfully, you lot're all set for your side by side road trip!

To assistance all this sink in, you can bank check out this guide that shows how to size an inverter to run a TV for a similar instance.

References

How Exercise Y'all Determine the Wattage of Your Microwave Oven? Retrieved from: https://ask.usda.gov/due south/article/how-do-you-determine-the-wattage-of-your-microwave-oven
Physics of the microwave oven. Retrieved from: http://clas.sa.ucsb.edu/docs/default-source/tutor-resources-files/physics_of_microwave_oven.pdf?sfvrsn=17582bfb_2
Microwave Wattage Input or Output – Which One Matters?. Retrieved from: https://kitchengearoid.com/microwave-oven/microwave-wattage-input-or-output/
Stove versus Microwave: Which Uses Less Energy to Make Tea? Retrieved from: https://world wide web.scientificamerican.com/article/stove-versus-microwave-energy-use/