Contents
- What is the maximum total power consumption of the microwave
- How to find out the power
- How to adjust the power
- What are the kilowatts
- How does the mode affect
- Which grill is more economical
- How much electricity is wasted
- What are the principles to follow when choosing
- Energy efficiency class – the way to save money
BytTechService » microwave » Microwave power: how much does a microwave oven consume in watts
Microwave power is a parameter on which its capabilities depend. That is why the consumer needs to pay attention to this characteristic. The more powerful the microwave oven, the more it consumes electricity, the greater the temperature and speed it can provide when cooking.
If the technique is taken to warm up sandwiches, you can limit yourself to a low-power solo stove. For cooking raw meat products and roasting chickens, you will need a more powerful apparatus.
What is the maximum total power consumption of the microwave
The load on the home electrical network depends on this value. When buying any electrical appliance, you need to consider the possibilities of your wiring. Many models of microwaves, in addition to the microwave mode, are also equipped with a grill and a convector.
Of course, the more elements that consume electricity are involved, the higher the kW consumption:
Equipment | kW |
Microwave only | 0,5 – 1,5 Feet |
microwave+grill | 1,5 – 2,8 Feet |
microwave+grill+convection | 2 – 3 Feet |
You also need to take into account the energy consumption of fans – in a microwave device there can be one or more of them. Fans are needed for convection, radiator cooling and air exhaust.
Another consumer is an electronic microprocessor calculator necessary for the implementation of auto programs and the “smart cook” mode. The microwave usually indicates which mode to turn on to warm up porridge, defrost meat, or boil sausage. Therefore, you do not have to spend extra energy on solving small problems.
How to find out the power
This option is specified in the instructions. But usually it is written directly on the body, because this is a key characteristic of the device. You need to look for a sticker – in front or on the back wall.
The measurement is in watts and kilowatts. Designation – W (kW), in the international system – W. Often kilowatts are indicated in the model name.
To check the rated power, you can conduct an experiment. If you put a glass of cold water in the chamber, it will heat up to a boil:
Heating time, min | Microwave power, W |
1,5 | 1 200 |
2 | 1 000 |
2,5 | 800 |
3 | 700 |
4 | 600 |
Knowing this dependence, you can make adjustments to the recipe, achieving the desired result.
How to adjust the power
The trick to cooking in microwaves lies in the watts consumed. Often the recipes do not indicate at what power this or that dish is prepared. And if the user cooked a delicious dish in an 800 W oven, then in an analogue of 1200 W the same dish will come out tasteless and overdried.
How to set the required number of watts? Let’s say the recipe is designed for 600 W, and you need to cook in a 1000 W machine. So, you need to set 60% of the face value. The value is found by solving an elementary proportion. But if the device is inferior to the standard, it will not work to adjust the power level – it will be necessary to increase the cooking time.
The dependence is as follows: for each missing 100 W and for each minute of cooking, 10 seconds are added. Let’s say the recipe calls for 3 minutes at 1 watts, and you need to cook in an 000 watt oven. So the process will take 800 minutes 3 seconds.
What are the kilowatts
The larger the volume of the microwave oven, the more powerful the oven and the greater the power consumption. If the buyer expects to cook large pieces of meat or whole poultry, a sufficiently powerful apparatus will be needed. How many watts a particular model consumes depends on:
- The amount of food being cooked. In high-power stoves, you can cook more food at a time than in low-power counterparts.
- Time. The more kW the microwave oven consumes, the faster the dishes are cooked.
- Price. Powerful versions are more expensive.
- heating modes. The device can operate in different modes, consuming 10-100% kilowatts of nominal.
- Electricity consumption. The amount of payment for electricity depends on how much the device consumes.
Useful Device Information
In the chamber of a microwave oven, any product is heated throughout the volume, and not from the surface – this is its difference and advantage. It is this principle that allows you to quickly defrost products: the water molecules contained in meat or fish are set in motion as a result of exposure to radiation emitted by the magnetron. The emitter of microwave waves is the main element of the apparatus, on which the total kilowatt consumption also depends.
How does the mode affect
When choosing a microwave model, it is useful for a buyer to outline the purposes for which an express stove is purchased, and based on this, select an option designed for the corresponding kW value. For example:
Mode | kW |
Fast Cooking | 0,9 |
Reheating or slow cooking | 0,7 |
Defrosting | 0,2-0,4 |
Heating | 0,1 |
Undoubtedly, the larger the dish, the slower the heating – a small bowl of soup will always heat up faster than a larger one.
Which grill is more economical
More economical quartz option. The heating element draws from 0,9 to 2 kW. Buying a model with quartz grillyou can save a lot on electricity. And most importantly – fry food until crispy. And if the thing is also equipped with convection, then it will not only perfectly bake meat, but also make perfect pastries. The owners of such microwaves do not need a gas or electric oven with an oven – microwave technology will fully replace the usual equipment.
The only disadvantage of convection ovens is their high energy consumption. A convector is a kind of fan that takes up space and consumes a lot of electricity. Apparatuses with convection are easy to recognize even by their appearance – they are much larger and more expensive than conventional microwave ovens. If necessary, the convector can be turned off, use only the microwave mode or grill.
Whether to refuse the “crisp”
It is enough to look at the number of kilowatts consumed by the grill and convection to understand how expensive it is to operate the device in three modes at the same time.
There is an opinion that electric kettles, microwave ovens and heaters spend the most electricity. But that’s not the case at all. The nature of this opinion lies, most likely, in the similarity of the principle of energy conversion – the operation of all these devices is accompanied by heating.
There is no way a microwave oven can seriously damage the budget, unless, of course, you bake chickens daily.
On a note! The most important consumer in the house is the refrigerator, so it really “eats” the lion’s share of kilowatts, especially if its energy consumption class is below A.
How much electricity is wasted
Previously, microwaves were produced in which it was impossible to change the power mode. The magnetron periodically turned on and off, and the food lost its taste. Today, the adjustment is carried out using a special device – an inverter. In devices with inverters, there is no need for shutdowns, the dish is heated without pauses, the food turns out to be tastier.
To estimate the contribution of a microwave oven to an electricity bill, let’s calculate how much an average microwave oven consumes per month:
Consumption per day, kW | 0,15 – 0,2 Feet |
per month, kW | 5 – 7 Feet |
Payment per month at a price of 5 rubles / kW, rubles | 25 – 35 Feet |
To save energy, we recommend:
- Remove the plug from the outlet after the process is completed.
- For heating, use economical solo ovens.
What are the principles to follow when choosing
It is impossible to correctly answer what number of kilowatts consumed by the device will be optimal. It all depends on the tasks for which the microwave oven is purchased. If you only intend to heat food, there is no need to aim for a version of more than 1 kW. For more global tasks, you will need a device for 1,5–2 or more kW.
It is important to understand that the appliance will not necessarily consume the maximum amount of energy. Let’s say the 2W version can be set to a warm-up mode, which is limited to only 500W.
It is equally important to know that no device should work at its limit – this contributes to its accelerated wear and failure. It is advisable to take the device with a margin, then the operating time is extended and the likelihood of breakdowns is reduced.
When choosing, you should not be guided only by savings and unwillingness to use some functions. Perhaps, after a while, the owner of a solo model devoid of a grill will regret its absence.
Economical oven solo “Samsung” ME83KRW-3
This is a small solo oven, among the advantages of which is the presence of a built-in deodorizer and a steam function. It is economical and at the same time quite roomy. It has auto cook and defrost. There is a control panel lock.
Features of Samsung ME83KRW-3:
Power, W | 800 |
Grill, W | no |
Convection, W | no |
Volume, l | 23 |
Dimensions, mm | 800h490h370 |
Weight, kg | 12 |
Pallet diameter, mm | 288 |
Power levels, pcs. | 6 |
Samsung engineers are constantly striving for the harmony of compactness and spaciousness. The presented model is just that – it is small in size, but has a three-dimensional chamber.
Bioceramics was used for the inner coating of the chamber. It is environmentally friendly, easily cleaned of fatty contaminants. It is an order of magnitude more resistant to mechanical stress than stainless steel. It is almost impossible to scratch the bioceramic coating.
The device uses a triple distribution of microwaves, thanks to this system, the products are heated evenly.
This model will not hurt the most modest budget. Firstly, its estimated cost is in the range of 5–000 rubles. Secondly, its consumption is limited to 6 watts and it does not have a grill or convection – functions that are extremely expensive in terms of electricity.
Powerful analogue with grill and convection
Like all Samsungs, MS23F301TFW is beautiful in appearance. She is easy to care for. Thanks to the bioceramic coating, the chamber is cleaned with a light movement of a damp cloth. Ceramic is scratch-resistant and does not lose its color even after long and intensive use.
Steam Clean is a self-cleaning system. 15 minutes is enough to dissolve grease and dirt. As in the previous modification, a three-dimensional wave distribution system was used. The total electricity consumption consists of the costs of the microwave, grill and convection.
Specifications Samsung MS23F301TFW:
Power, W | 900 |
Grill, W | 1 250 |
Convection, W | 1 700 |
Volume, l | 28 |
Dimensions, mm | 517x310x510 |
Weight, kg | 22,5 |
Pallet diameter, mm | no |
Power levels, pcs. | 6 |
Energy efficiency class – the way to save money
Tips for those who want to save money:
- When buying household appliances, look at the energy efficiency class. There are 9 classes, denoted by letters. The best, economical ones are A, A +, A ++, B and C. But the letters F and G are put on the most uneconomical equipment.
- Household appliances consume electricity even in standby mode. You should always unplug it from the outlet.
The power of a microwave oven is related to its capabilities. The presence of additional functions not only makes the model more expensive, but also increases its power consumption. At the same time, the costs associated with the use of any microwave ovens are not critical – modern technology is economical and energy efficient enough so that you deny yourself the pleasure of owning it.