Microwave on lower settings power draw equal to output percentage?

[Lance22]

I am looking at getting a microwave

commercial chef 0.6 cu. ft. countertop microwave LINK to a manual with power settings

SO it says it 600W cooking power but takes 950 watts draw. Which I would assume that is only at 100%

It has 6 power settings so 100, 88, 73, 52, 42, and 20.

(please excuse my ignorance I havn't owned a microwave in about 15 years lol..)

Is the lower power settings equal to the power draw? Or is it still 100% power but the power cycles on and off during lower settings?

Meaning it will always draw 950 watts but will turn off say 12% of the time on the 88% power setting?

OR does that mean 950watt draw would be decreased to around 836 watts, and 693.5 watts for 73% power and so on?

I have two systems. a 200AH deep cycle batter but I would have to buy and invertor (300 watts of solar)


But the other system is my Bluetti EB70 716wh with a 700 watt inverter. I also have a dedicated 100watts solar going into the power station.

Would I be able to use this microwave at all during the summer?

During the winter I plan on more likely cooking with a cooktop stove for the heat, and rather use solar during the summer then days are long and hot.

Mainly I am looking at using it for two bursts a day. Making my coffee, but I have a coffeemaker that works so might stick to that if the watt effiency isn't there.. then mainly just cook up my eggs in the microwave so likely around 6 min cooking time with everything considered.

Any input be appreciated, thanks.

 

[Gr8ful]

Amazon has several watt meters for $8.99 -5 or 10%. search watt meter & set to lowest price 1st. Very handy tool to have.

 

[bonvanroulez]

I have that exact microwave. At lower power settings it cycles on and off drawing the full 950W when it cycles ON and a much lower power between ON cycles. I have it powered with a 1000 watt pure sine inverter. Incidentally, the power control is not just 6 fixed settings, it is a variable control.

There are microwaves using inverter technology that draw less than full power at lower power settings but they are much more $$$. I got the Commercial Chef on amazon for less than $80.

 

[Happy Camper]

There are microwaves using inverter technology that draw less than full power at lower power settings but they are much more $$$. I got the Commercial Chef on amazon for less than $80.

Panasonic started the inverter microwave thing. There are others that make them now.

I have a Panasonic 1200w inverter microwave I can dial down to work with a smaller inverter. It's better for cooking as well, as it's not getting to high zap/no zap cooking treatment as mentioned above.

Look at reviews and make sure you get a true inverter microwave if that's the way you decide to go.

 

[maki2]

I myself make cold brew coffee at this time of year and have a hard boiled egg for breakfast. That is exactly what I did this morning. I buy a bag of hard boiled eggs at the grocery store. No cooking fuel needed, no extra water required so that offsets some of the extra cost to buy them cooked, peeled and ready to eat. A small luxury

I change what I eat and drink to adapt to the seasons. That means I do very little in the way of cooking in summer. In winter I like hot beverages and foods and the heat generated by cooking with butane or propane is appreciated as it also heats up my space. For me it is not a radical change from a life of habits. I am of an age where the first 11 years of my childhood was spent in Texas without air conditioning so seasonal cooking and eating habits according to weather patterns are part of my normal lifestyle. But as a child breakfast in hot weather was a bowl of cold cereal not cold eggs.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I recently did some casual testing with my Panasonic Inverter Microwave and yes, on lower power levels the total power consumed is lower, not just cycling on and off between 100% and 0% like most microwaves do.

There is not a direct correlation tho, because there were about 4 levels that cycled at various power levels.

For example, at power level 4 it was 430 watts continuous, but at power level 3 it pulled 430 watts for 20 seconds then dropped to nearly zero for maybe 10 seconds, then back to 430 watts. Level 2 saw it operating at 430 watts for 10 seconds, then zero for 10 seconds, then back to 430. Level 1 was 430 watts for 5 seconds then zero for 20 seconds, etc.

Similarly, level 7 was 850 watts for 20 seconds, then zero for 5 seconds, then back to 850, and so forth.

So it is a bit easier for a house battery to handle, but there is still some intermittent operation that can cause slight voltage fluctuations in your house battery and inverter system.

Just as a side note, I have had this same Panasonic Inverter oven for about 15 years...still works almost like new, although the printing on some of the buttons is worn away...but I can live with that.

One advantage to using the inverter style microwave is that on things like soups, there is less tendency to 'boil over', because you can select for example, 50% power and the soup will just gradually heat up over several minutes at maybe 550 watts, rather than boil over during a zero-to-100% on-off cycle.

 

[maki2]

lance22. If you have not owned a microwave in15 years do not complicate your life by owning one now and trying to build your electrical system to manage it.

I decided against putting even a small microwave into my little travel trailer. It has worked out just fine not to have any electrical cooking appliances. I have a small Gas One brand mini size butane stove that I use pretty much for all my cooking. It comes in a dual fuel version as well.
Available on Amazon with butane fuel only for $26.99. But the same stove is available as a dual fuel model. I really like the compact size of it.

I use the butane model as I camp 6 months of the year at higher elevation and butane is the best fuel type for that.

 

[Lance22]

I recently did some casual testing with my Panasonic Inverter Microwave and yes, on lower power levels the total power consumed is lower, not just cycling on and off between 100% and 0% like most microwaves do.

There is not a direct correlation tho, because there were about 4 levels that cycled at various power levels.

For example, at power level 4 it was 430 watts continuous, but at power level 3 it pulled 430 watts for 20 seconds then dropped to nearly zero for maybe 10 seconds, then back to 430 watts. Level 2 saw it operating at 430 watts for 10 seconds, then zero for 10 seconds, then back to 430. Level 1 was 430 watts for 5 seconds then zero for 20 seconds, etc.

Similarly, level 7 was 850 watts for 20 seconds, then zero for 5 seconds, then back to 850, and so forth.

So it is a bit easier for a house battery to handle, but there is still some intermittent operation that can cause slight voltage fluctuations in your house battery and inverter system.

Just as a side note, I have had this same Panasonic Inverter oven for about 15 years...still works almost like new, although the printing on some of the buttons is worn away...but I can live with that.

One advantage to using the inverter style microwave is that on things like soups, there is less tendency to 'boil over', because you can select for example, 50% power and the soup will just gradually heat up over several minutes at maybe 550 watts, rather than boil over during a zero-to-100% on-off cycle.

Thanks for taking the time to do some testing. Much appreciated! I do think my power station may power it on lower settings with only a 700 watt inverter built in. However I do think I may have to do much more research before hand, likely will hold off on making a purchase and giving it a try but its nice knowing we have at least one option to make it work if we really do have a need for it.