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 higher temperature and speed it can provide when cooking dishes.
If the technique is taken to heat up sandwiches, you can limit yourself to a low-power solo stove. For cooking raw meat products and roasting chicken, you need a more powerful apparatus.
What is the maximum total microwave power consumption
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 microwave ovens, in addition to microwave mode, are also equipped with a grill and convector.
Of course, the more involved elements that consume electricity, the higher the consumption of kW:
Equipment | kW |
Microwave only | 0,5–1,5 |
Microwave + grill | 1,5–2,8 |
Microwave + grill + convection | 2–3 |
It is also necessary to take into account the energy consumption of the fans - in the microwave device they can be one or more. Fans are needed for convection, cooling the radiator and for extracting air.
Another consumer is an electronic microprocessor computer, which is necessary for the implementation of auto programs and the “smart cook” mode. On the microwave, it is usually indicated which mode should be turned on to warm porridge, thaw meat or boil sausage. Therefore, you do not have to spend extra energy to solve small problems.
How to know the power
This parameter is specified in the instructions. But usually it is written directly on the case, because this is a key characteristic of the device. You need to look for a sticker - on the 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 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 power
The trick of cooking in the microwave is in the watts consumed. Often recipes do not indicate at what power a particular dish is prepared. And if a user cooked a tasty dish in an 800 W oven, then in a 1200 W analogue the same dish would turn out to be tasteless and overdried.
How to set the required number of watts? Suppose the recipe is designed for 600 watts, and you need to cook in the apparatus for 1000 watts. So, you need to set 60% of the face value. The value is found by solving the 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 this: for every missing 100 watts and for every minute of cooking add 10 seconds. Suppose a recipe requires 3 minutes at 1,000 watts, and you need to cook in an oven at 800 watts. So the process will take 3 minutes 30 seconds.
What kilowatts affect
The larger the volume of the microwave oven, the more powerful the stove and the greater the energy consumption. If the buyer expects to cook large pieces of meat or poultry whole, you will need a fairly powerful machine. How many watts a particular model consumes depends on:
- The volume of cooked food. 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.
- Cost. Powerful versions are more expensive.
- Heating modes. The device can work in different modes, consuming 10-100% kilowatts of nominal.
- Power consumption. The amount of payment for electricity depends on how much the device consumes.
Useful device information
In the chamber of the 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 food: water molecules contained in meat or fish are set in motion as a result of exposure to radiation emitted by a magnetron. The microwave emitter is the main element of the apparatus, on which the total consumption of kilowatts also depends.
How does the regime affect
When choosing a microwave model, it’s useful for the buyer to outline the goals for which an express stove is purchased, and based on this, choose an option designed for the corresponding kW value. For example:
Mode | kw |
Quick cooking | 0,9 |
Warm up or slow cooking | 0,7 |
Defrost | 0,2-0,4 |
Heating | 0,1 |
Undoubtedly, the larger the dish, the slower the warm-up - a small bowl of soup will always warm up faster than a more voluminous one.
Which grill is more economical
More economical quartz option. Tenov pulls from 0.9 to 2 kW. Buying a model with a quartz grill, you can save a lot on electricity. And most importantly - fry foods until crisp. And if the thing is also equipped with convection, then not only meat is baked perfectly in it, but also perfect baking will be obtained. Owners of such microwave ovens do not need a gas or electric oven with an oven - microwave technology will fully replace the usual equipment.
The only minus of the stove with convection is its high power consumption. A convector is a kind of fan that takes up space and consumes a lot of electricity. Convection devices are easily recognizable even in 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.
Refuse to "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.
It is believed that most of the electricity consumed by electric kettles, microwaves and heaters. But this is not at all true. The nature of this opinion most likely lies in the similarity of the principle of energy conversion - the operation of all these devices is accompanied by heating.
A microwave oven can not do any serious damage to the budget, unless, of course, bake chickens daily.
On a note! The most important consumer in the house is a refrigerator, so he really eats up the lion's share of kilowatts, especially if his energy class is below A.
How much energy is spent
Previously produced microwave ovens, in which it was impossible to change the power mode. The magnetron turned on and off periodically, and the food lost its taste. Today, the correction 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 is tastier.
To assess the contribution of the microwave oven to the electricity bill, we calculate how much the average microwave consumes per month:
Consumption per day, kW | 0,15–0,2 |
Per month, kW | 5–7 |
Monthly payment at the price of 5 rubles / kW, rubles | 25–35 |
To save energy, it is recommended:
- Remove the plug from the outlet after the process is complete.
- Use the economical solo ovens for warming up.
What principles to follow when choosing
It is impossible to answer correctly how many kilowatts consumed by the device will be optimal. It all depends on the tasks for which a microwave is purchased. If you intend to only heat food, there is no need to swipe on versions more than 1 kW. For more global tasks, you need a device for 1.5–2 or more kW.
It is important to understand that the device will not necessarily consume the maximum amount of energy. Suppose a 2,500 W version can be set to a warm-up mode, which is limited to a consumption of only 250 watts.
It is equally important to know that no device should work at the limit of possibilities - 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.
You should not be guided only by saving and reluctance to use any functions when choosing. Perhaps after some time, the owner of a solo model without a grill will regret his absence.
Economical Samsung solo oven ME83KRW-3
This is a small solo stove, among whose advantages are the presence of a built-in deodorizer and the function of steam cooking. It is economical and at the same time quite roomy. There is auto cooking and defrosting. There is a control panel lock.
Features Samsung ME83KRW-3:
Power, W | 800 |
Grill, W | not |
Convection, W | not |
Volume l | 23 |
Dimensions, mm | 800x490x370 |
Weight, kg | 12 |
Diameter of the pallet, mm | 288 |
Power levels, pcs. | 6 |
Samsung engineers are constantly striving for a harmony of compactness and spaciousness. The presented model is just that - it is small in size, but has a three-dimensional camera.
Bioceramics were used for the inner coating of the chamber. It is environmentally friendly, easily cleaned from grease. It is an order of magnitude more stable with respect to mechanical stresses than stainless steel. It is almost impossible to scratch a bioceramic coating.
The apparatus used a triple distribution of microwaves, thanks to this system, the products are heated evenly.
This model will not damage the most modest budget. Firstly, its estimated cost is in the range of 5,000-6,000 rubles. Secondly, its consumption is limited to 800 watts and it does not have a grill or convection - functions that are extremely expensive in terms of electricity.
Powerful grill and convection counterpart
Like all Samsung, the MS23F301TFW is beautiful in appearance. It is easy to look after her. Thanks to the bioceramic coating, the chamber is put in order by a slight movement of a damp cloth. Ceramics are scratch resistant and do not lose their color even after prolonged and intensive use.
Steam Clean is a self-cleaning system. Enough 15 minutes to dissolve fat and dirt. As in the previous modification, a three-dimensional wave distribution system is used. The total electricity consumption is the sum of the costs for microwave, grill and convection.
Features Samsung MS23F301TFW:
Power, W | 900 |
Grill, W | 1 250 |
Convection, W | 1 700 |
Volume l | 28 |
Dimensions, mm | 517x310x510 |
Weight, kg | 22,5 |
Diameter of the pallet, mm | not |
Power levels, pcs. | 6 |
Energy Efficiency Class - A Way to Saving
Tips for those who want to save:
- When buying household appliances, look at the energy efficiency class. There are 9 classes denoted by letters. The best, most economical - A, A +, A ++, B and C. But the letters F and G are placed on the most economical equipment.
- Household appliances consumes electricity even in standby mode. You must always unplug it from the outlet.
The power of the microwave oven is interconnected with its capabilities. The presence of additional functions not only makes the model more expensive, but also increases its energy consumption. At the same time, the costs associated with the use of any microwave ovens are uncritical - modern technology is economical and energy efficient enough for you to deny yourself the pleasure of owning it.