Microwave is the deal-breaker in every home and office. We all love the versatility and convenience this kitchen appliance gives us. Studies show that 96% of homes in the USA own a microwave.
From making popcorns to warming leftovers- the microwave oven is a real asset.
Whether you own a countertop microwave or a built-in microwave, you can be sure to get faster meals if you know how many amps does a microwave use.
Like everything else, microwaves have their electrical requirements to function effectively. In this guide, we will walk you through the whole process to get your microwave oven optimized. Keep reading.
Electrical Circuit Requirements For A Microwave
To keep your plants alive, you need to meet their feed requirements. The same applies to your Microwave oven. If your Microwave oven does not get the required amperage for its input power rating, it’s likely to become ineffective.
But you do not have a ton of experience with Microwave amperage. Don’t worry. Right now and right here, I’ll show you how many amps does a microwave draw. So stick with me here.
On average, a microwave will use 5amps to function. But as I said, it all buzz down to its input power. So let’s get down to business.
Here’s a simple way to know how many amps does a microwave pull– divide the Microwave wattage by the circuit’s voltage. It’s that simple. But let’s take an example.
A microwave having 1500 watts and 100 volts will have its needed amps to be 15 amps. That is, the 1500 watts divided by the 100 volts. Get it?
There are no fixed microwave amps– Microwave comes in different sizes and wattage. We’ve picked a few commonly used Microwaves for more illustration.
- 1500 watt Microwave
It will be wrong to use a 5amps for a 1500 watt Microwave operating on a 120v. Here’s the thing. Your 1500 watt Microwave needs 12.5amps to run effectively.
So what does this means? You should provide your 1500 watt Microwave with a 16-gauge wire that is equivalent to 12.5 amps.
- 110 watts Microwave
Using the same techniques given above, a 1000 watts Microwave with 110 volts will need 10 amps.
That is, the wattage is divided by the volts. It sounds simple. And it is.
- 700 watts Microwave
A 700 watts Microwave with 120 volts uses up to 5.83 amps- the same technique for calculating the amperage in a microwave.
How Does A Microwave Oven Work?
The microwave has a Magnetron that draws electricity from the power source and converts it to high-powered radio waves. So what happens next? The polar molecules in the food are induced to allow the food to rotate and give off thermal energy. It’s that simple.
More information about how this appliance works can be found online. Make sure to check them out.
What Types Of Microwave Ovens Exist?
Three types of the microwave exist with a major difference in their watts, prices, and size. Check them out.
- Convection Microwave
The convention Microwave supports all cooking options- solo and grill options. Also, you can bake cookies, bread, and cake with a convection Microwave.
It features a sensor re-heating, smart cooking, and inverter technology.
A convection Microwave typically runs between 800 watts and 1700 watts that allow you to measure the microwave amp draw.
- Solo Microwave
From re-heating beverages and foods to cooking noodles- it’s a basic Microwave oven. It cannot be used for many options like the convection Microwave.
It lacks basic design and features. What’s more? The wattage ranges from 500 watts to 1500 watts. Here’s the most interesting part. It comes with a children’s lock that helps protect kids from burnt.
- Grill Microwave
A grill Microwave does everything a solo Microwave does plus a grilling ability. This means you can grill your fish, pizza, and chicken with your grill Microwave. It uses about 900 – 1700 watts.
But here’s the thing. A grill Microwave can be enabled by pushing its button. It does not have an auto grilling feature.
Microwave And Its Uses
The use of this kitchen appliance date to several years ago- Westinghouse demonstrated cooking using two metal plates that were coupled to a 60MZ and 10 KW shortwave transmitter.
Today we have the Microwave oven, thanks to this early development. In fact, you can use a microwave to fix your undercooked rice!
You can cook or heat food with a microwave- it exposes the food to electromagnetic radiation. But that’s not all. There are several other things you can do with a microwave. Check this out:
- Roasting garlic
Quite surprising! But it’s a hard known fact. Your microwave oven is perfect for roasting garlic- the electromagnetic radiation exposes the garlic.
If you are having a hard time peeling garlic, here’s what you should do. Microwave the garlic to allow its tissue to absorb water, and you’d be surprised at how easy it is to get its back off.
- Disinfecting kitchen items
No microorganisms can survive the underlying temperature of microwaves. This makes it one of the easiest ways to disinfect small household items. Let’s take a closer look at this.
You can disinfect your kitchen knives, sponge and spoons with your Microwave oven. Here’s all you have to do.
Switch on your Microwave oven and place the item to be disinfected in it. Leave it for 15 minutes and remove it from the microwave oven. Boom! You have to yourself a germ-free kitchen item.
- Heating beauty products
Most hair products contain wax that gets hard when cold. So what’s the easy way out? Microwave your hair products for 10 minutes and watch them liquified without hassle.
Most importantly, you will not get stained trying to liquify your hair products.
- Re-hydrating stale bread
Stop throwing away your stale bread if you own a microwave. Why? With a microwave oven- you can re-hydrate your stale bread and convert it to freshly baked bread.
- Soaking beans and lentils
If you keep forgetting to soak your beans and lentils overnight, worry no more. What you need to do is- pour your lentils into a bowl and add sodium bicarbonate. Proceed to Microwave oven your lentils for 10 minutes.
The Features Of A Microwave
Owing to the differences in brands and within a brand, these features are customized. What this means is this. You may find some present in some microwaves and absent in others.
Here’s the kicker. We’ve provided the basic features you will find in most microwaves regarding their size and brands.
- Automatic sensors
Judging by the amount of steam inside the microwave, it can shut down itself. Allow me to explain. Microwaves have a feature called automatic sensors- they allow the microwave oven to shut off when your food is cooked.
Here’s the catch. You don’t have to set a timer in your microwave oven. The automatic sensor feature does not allow your food to be overcooked.
- Interlocks
This is a safety feature in microwaves. Some have two interlocks, others have three. But here’s the point. Interlocks do not let your microwave oven run when its door is opened. It’s a safety feature.
- Child lockout
Most brands come with a child lock to protect your children from the dangerous heat inside the microwave oven when it is in use.
A warning: Do not open your Microwave oven halfway when it’s in use. It can be dangerous for you and your children. Follow this kitchen safety guide to stay safe from the microwave.
- Touch control
These days, microwaves come with touch control that allows you to operate your Microwave oven from the surface.
This feature is user friendly with smooth operations. Above all, it is easy to clean.
- Stainless steel
If you haven’t used a microwave before, the interior is 100% stainless steel. Why is this so? Stainless steel can improve circulation when compared to all other materials.
So it all buzz down to this. The interior stainless steel of your Microwave oven contributes to its excellent cooking results.
- Gourmet wave system
As earlier mentioned, microwave oven gives a better and a faster result in cooking. But you’re probably wondering how?
The Gourmet wave system makes sure heat is evenly distributed in the microwave oven to prevent the loss of vitamins and other essential nutrients in your food.
But that’s not all. This self-same technology conserves energy up to 15%. You save more time and energy- it’s a win-win.
- Turnable, Removable Racks And Tray
Don’t forget this. Exposing your food to Uniform heat is what makes the food evenly cooked. At the same time, you cannot open your Microwave oven halfway to turn your food.
So what do you do? The turnable feature in your Microwave oven has made this easy.
Additionally, a tray is featured in your Microwave oven to allow you to cook varying foods at the same time.
FAQs
How many amps does a small microwave draw?
Answer: Small microwaves have their wattage range from 750 watts to 1100 watts. On the face of this, a shall microwave will draw about 10 to 15 amps for each use.
Some can draw as low as 5 amps. A good example of such microwaves is the solo microwaves used for the basic reheating of foods.
Does my microwave oven need a special circuit?
Answer: We do not encourage you to power your microwave with another appliance on the same circuit. Microwave is one of those appliances that need its circuit. Some of these microwaves draw up to 1500 watts.
How do I identify a 15 amps outlet?
Answer: Here’s how to identify a 15 amps 9/outlet. If you have a parallel two slots in your outlet, it’s a 15 amps outlet. A 20 amps outlet will not have parallel slots but a perpendicular slot.
But here’s the thing. A 20 amps outlet will accommodate 15 amps plugs if it has one straight slot and one T- shaped slot. That’s how ridiculously easy it is to differentiate between these outlets.
Conclusion
In summary, two microwaves having different watts cannot use up the same amount of amperage. It varies with their watts- how many amps does a microwave use. Here is an amperage testing video for you to watch.
You asked for it, and we’ve given you. Let us know when you’ve got a delicacy on the table.
Good luck.
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