If you’re like most people, you probably use your microwave oven several times a week, if not every day. But how much power does this handy kitchen appliance actually use?
The answer depends on a few factors, including the wattage of your microwave and the length of time it’s in use.
In order to understand the power costs for your microwave, it’s important to understand how many watts and amps your microwave uses for better and easier estimation.
A typical microwave oven uses between 600 and 1,000 watts of power. I’m taking of the kind of microwave you will find in a standard American kitchen or break room.
That translates to 5amperes and 8.3 amperes for the 600 and 1000 watts of power microwaves.
What Is Amperage and Voltage
Amperage is the unit of measurement for electric current flow. It measures the amount of current flowing through a conductor, such as an electrical wire.
The higher the amperage, the greater the current flow.
Amperage is also a measure of electrical power. The higher the amperage, the more powerful the electrical system.
For example, a home’s electrical system may have an amperage of 8amps. This means that the electrical system can provide a maximum of 8 amps of current.
The term “amp” is short for “ampere.” An ampere is the unit of measure for electric current flow. One ampere is equal to one amp.
Amperage is an important factor in determining the size of electrical wires and other components in an electrical system.
The higher the amperage, the thicker the wire must be to carry the current safely.
Amperage is also a factor in determining how much power an electrical device can use.
A device that uses a lot of power, such as a microwave or hair dryer, will have a high amperage rating.
This means it will require a higher amperage than a device with less power, such as a light bulb.
How Many Watts and Amps Does a Microwave Use?
A typical microwave oven uses between 600 and 1,000 watts of power. I’m taking of the kind of microwave you will find in a standard American kitchen or break room.
To calculate the amount of amperes your microwave uses, you simply need to divide the wattage by the voltage.
In this case, wattage/voltage -120v is the standard voltage in any American home.
So, in short, the average amp consumption for your microwave is 6.6-8.3 amperes.
However, it’s important to note that even though your microwave could be rated 1000watts, that doesn’t mean that it uses exact watts.
Manufacturers have admitted that a 1000watts microwave can use up to 1700 watts.
The current draw of a well-functioning microwave should be around 11 to 12 amps. If your microwave is drawing more than 15 amps, it may be time to have it serviced.
When in use, the interior light of the microwave should be on as well as the timer.
The fan will also run to help circulate the heat evenly throughout the cooking chamber. All these factors will contribute to the overall amp draw.
It is important to keep in mind that the wattage and amps used by your microwave can change depending on how old it is, how well it is maintained, and what kind of model it is. Newer models tend to be more efficient than older models.
Additionally, if your microwave has any sort of issue, it could be using more power than it normally would.
If you are ever concerned about how much power your microwave uses, you can always contact the manufacturer or a certified technician.
Microwave Wattage and Amp Chart By Brand
|
BRANDS |
Amps |
POWER (in Watt) |
|
Toshiba EM925A5A |
7.5 |
900 |
|
Samsung MC11K7035CG |
9.1 |
1,100 |
|
Whirlpool WMH53521H |
8.3 |
1000 |
|
GE JES1072SHSS |
5.8 |
700 |
|
Magic Chef Retro Microwave |
5.8 |
700 |
|
GE JES1097SMSS |
7.5 |
900 |
|
GE Profile PVM9005SJSS |
8.75 |
1050 |
|
Panasonic HomeChef NN-GN68KS |
9.1 |
1,100 |
|
Panasonic NN-GN68KS |
8,3 |
1000 |
|
KitchenAid KMHS120ESS |
8.3 |
1000 |
How Many Watts Does a Microwave Use?
The wattage of your microwave will have the biggest impact on how much power it uses. Most home microwaves range in wattage from 600 to 1,200 watts.
The higher the wattage, the more powerful the microwave will be and the faster it will cook food.
To find out the wattage of your particular model, check the owner’s manual or look for a label on the back or bottom of the microwave oven.
Here are some examples of common microwaves and their wattages:
· A 1,000-watt microwave will use 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy in an hour -A 700-watt microwave will use 0.7 kWh in an hour
· A 500-watt microwave will use 0.5 kWh in an hour
To give you an idea of how much power that is, a 100-watt light bulb uses 0.1 kWh of energy in an hour. So, if you ran a 1,000-watt microwave for one hour, it would use the same amount of energy as 10 100-watt light bulbs running for one hour.
How Much Does It Cost to Run a Microwave?
The cost of running a microwave oven will depend on the wattage of the microwave and the price of electricity in your area.
To calculate the cost, you’ll need to know:
The wattage of your microwave
The price of electricity per kWh in your area
For example, let’s say you have a 1,000-watt microwave and the price of electricity is $0.10 per kWh. If you run the microwave for one hour, it would cost you 10 cents to operate it.
To find out the price of electricity per kWh in your area, check with your local utility company or search for “electricity prices by state” online.
What Are Some Ways to Reduce the Cost of Running a Microwave?
There are a few things you can do to reduce the cost of running a microwave oven:
· Use energy-saving settings like reheat or defrost
· Cook food for shorter periods
· Cover food when cooking to reduce splattering and wasted energy
· Avoid opening the door frequently while cooking since this lets heat escape
You can also try unplugging your microwave when you’re not using it.
While it may not use much power when turned off, microwaves are designed to be left plugged in, so they’re always ready to use.
If you unplug it, you’ll have to remember to plug it back in when you want to use it again.
According to the US Department of Energy, you can actually save between $100-$200 annually by simply unplugging devices and appliances, not in use.
In simple terms, any device that draws a single watt of energy will cost you up to $1 to power annually.