How Many Watts Does a Microwave Use [Detailed Data Table]

If you’re trying to keep track of the amount of energy the appliances in your house consume, asking the question ‘how many watts does a microwave use’ will be a great place to start. Microwaves have become a very important staple in every home, they save you the time and stress of reheating your food over the cooker.

Although they seem portable, they might be responsible for a lot of the energy consumed in your household. The average microwave wattage is between 600 to 1000 watts, depending on whether it's a commercial or domestic microwave. In this blog, we are going to dive into details about the energy your microwave consumes and how you can calculate it accurately.

-Compact microwaves like the ones used in hotel rooms consume less energy than the standard microwaves you use in your households. The average wattage for a compact microwave is 600W to 800W, while that of standard microwaves ranges from 800W to 1000W.

-Commercial microwaves that consume up to 1000W are the types used in major restaurants or eateries.

-Using your microwave for 10-15 minutes daily will consume 6.1 kilowatt/hours of electricity every month, that is about 73 kilowatt-hours of electricity yearly.

-On average, using a microwave will cost you about $0.86 per month and $10.36 per year.

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There are four different types of microwave ovens, and they are categorized according to their design and functionality. Each microwave type consumes a different number of watts, so we will break the watt usage down according to the microwave type.

Over-the-range microwaves are microwaves designed to be mounted above a cooking range or stove, in a bid to save space on the countertop. Over-the-range microwaves have different wattages, but they typically range from 850 to 1200 watts.

Countertop microwaves are the most popular types of microwaves, you can find them in almost every home. It is basically a home staple. They are designed to be kept on the kitchen countertop, and they have basic functionality. The average wattage on countertop microwaves ranges from 600W to 1200W.

Microwave drawers are microwave ovens installed directly into the lower cabinet or beneath the countertop. They typically look like a drawer but can be pulled out for easy access. The wattage of microwave drawers ranges from 900 to 1200 watts.

Built-in microwaves are precisely as their names specify, they are designed to be built into wall units or kitchen cabinetry for an integrated and seamless look. Their wattage ranges from 800 to 1200 watts. 

Bear in mind that these are just the speculated average wattage these microwaves consume, and they can vary based on their specific model or brand.

Every microwave has a manual, and you can find the specific wattage of your microwave inside the manual. You can also find the wattage on the door sticker that comes with the microwave when you purchase it. Every microwave brand also has its specific wattage so check for the logo to know what brand of microwave you have.

If you no longer have access to the manual or the sticker on the door, then you may have to test it. Read our next point to find out how to know your microwave wattage by testing it.

To test the wattage of your microwave, fill a microwave-safe measuring cup with cold water, put it in the microwave, and pay attention to how long it takes for the water to boil. The time it takes the water to boil is the approximate wattage the microwave uses. Check out the breakdown below;

• 2 minutes equals 1,000 watts 
• 3 minutes equals 700 watts 
• 4 minutes equals 600 watts 
• 5 minutes equals 800 watts

The amount of electricity your microwave consumes depends on how frequently you use it. Microwaves usually use around 10 amps when they are connected to a 120-volt outlet.

Assuming your average microwave uses 900W, and you use it for 10 minutes daily, it will lead to an energy consumption of 0.94 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity every week, 4.1kWh every month, and 49kWh every year.

If you use your microwave for 15 minutes daily, at the end of the week, you would have used 1.4kWh, 6.1kWh every month, and 73kWh every year.

On a higher note, running your microwave for up to 20 minutes every day will result in the consumption of 1.9kWh of electricity every week, 8.1kWh monthly, and 97kWh yearly.

The wattage of your microwave determines how much electricity it will consume. So, if you run your microwaves for short periods as we mentioned, here’s how much electricity it costs you.

We cannot talk about electricity consumption without defining its parameters and units. So, just in case you need a refresher, here are the definitions of the terms you’ll come across in the rest of this article;

Amperes or Amps for short is the unit of measurement that represents electric currents. In simple terms, it is the total number of electrons that flow in a circuit.

Volt (V) is the unit of voltage that measures the difference in electrical pressure. In simple terms, it measures the speed of electricity that goes through a circuit.

Watts is the official unit that measures how much electricity you consume. Watts can be calculated by multiplying Amps by Volts. That is W= Volts *Amps. That is W= Volts *Amps

Running watts is the total amount of watts you need to continue running your items.

Watt hours is the unit that measures how much electricity in Watts you use in an hour.

Kilowatt-hours is the number of kilowatts you use within a given time. It is the unit used to measure our electric bills.  One kilowatt equals 1000 watts.

Your monthly electric bills do not break down the number of watts your home appliances consume; instead, it shows you the total amount charged. So, how do you find out how much power your microwave uses and how much it costs you to run it? We’ve got you covered. Here’s how much it costs to power an average microwave in a household;

In California, the average electricity rate is $22/kWh; if your microwave has a wattage of 800W, it will cost you $1.34 and $16.06 yearly. 

In New York, the average electricity rate is $20.59kWh; if your microwave has a wattage of 800W, it will cost you $1.25 per month and $15.03 per year. 

In Texas, the average electricity rate is $12.56/kWh; if your microwave has a wattage of 800W, it will cost you $0.76 per month and $9.17 per year.

There’s a specific formula to calculate the energy your microwave uses and how much it costs to run it. The power unit consumed by any microwave is kWh, and the kWh of a microwave equals the watts used by the microwave multiplied by the working hours. That is;

• Microwave KWh= Watts consumed by the Microwave X the working hours
• Assuming your microwave uses 900 watts per hour
• Power used in an hour= 900 X 1= 900 watt-hours= 0.9kWh
• The power consumed by your microwave in 1 minute= 0.9/60 = 0.015kWh
• The power consumed by your microwave in 10 minutes= 0.9/60 X 10 = 0.015kWh
• Monthly power consumption when the microwave is used for 10 minutes per day= 0.015 X 30= 0.45kWh.

There are a ton of factors that influence the energy consumption of your microwave and in this part of the article, we will be highlighting some of the important ones. Learning about these factors will help you control or minimize the amount of energy your microwave consumes.

Microwaves with higher wattages consume more energy even though they tend to cook food faster than most.

The longer your cooking time, the more energy your microwave will consume. To reduce energy consumption, try cooking the food within a shorter time.

If you use your microwave more than once a day, it will consume more energy than when you use it less frequently. To save more energy, you may have to use the microwave less frequently.

Some microwaves have inbuilt energy-saving features like automatic shutoff or power-saving mode to reduce the amount of energy they consume. This can help with energy consumption control.

Larger microwaves are prone to consuming a higher level of energy compared to small or portable ones. This explains why commercial microwaves have an average wattage of 1000W while household microwaves have lesser (600-800W).

Microwaves that are terribly maintained may develop faults down the line and start to consume more energy. Microwaves with dirty interiors and broken seals are in this category, which is why it is important to regularly clean your microwave and fix any faults before it gets worse.

Leaving your microwave on standby mode even when you’re not using it still consumes a small amount of energy. The best way to preserve energy is to completely shut it down by unplugging it from the socket.

The EER of your microwave plays a significant role in determining how much energy it will consume. Some microwaves are designed specifically to have high energy efficiency to help reduce their energy consumption.

The power settings you use when cooking with your microwave can affect how much energy it consumes. Lower power settings will use less energy, while higher power settings will do the opposite.

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