Inverters and microwaves

I don't think so, the smallest micowave I found was 700 watts. Even still I wouldn't use a inverter less than 1000 watts to power it.

 

Short answer, no.

I'm in the same boat. I've heard tales of some mythical microwave that plugs into the 12 VDC receptacle, but I don't think they exist. At least if they do they won't work very well.

I'm using a lunchbox stove.

 

You will need at least a 1000 Watt 'pure sine' inverter. A pure sine inverter is more expensive than the cheap 'modified sine' wave inverters that are sold in the truck stops. Even so, you can get a 2000 watt pure sine inverter online for under $400. It will need to be hard-wired to the batteries with large cables. I recommend professional installation of this type of inverter, as even simple mistakes have the potential to burn your truck to the ground.

I personally don't run my microwave on the inverter. I purchased a Honda EU2000i generator to power my microwave and toaster oven.

 

Might do well in the pen, lol!

 

OK for those who don't understand what they need here is a little clue -

you have figure out what wattage you will need for the inverter, then add into it a little more power. I used a 15% rule for that extra power. This means for microwaves which are the largest load an inverter will ever see unless you use a space heater (which is dumb), I would figure 15% more than what is required as the minimal size.

Why?

Because of several things, one is inverters are not made like they used to be, but are made as cheaply as possible so if you use it a lot with a large load, it will fail quicker if it is near its designed rating.

In this case it is 120 v AC microwave that draws 15 amps - that is 1800 watts that is needed to use the microwave. The additional 15% would be 270 more watts so that is 2070 watts so I would not get a 2000 watt inverter but a 2500 watt inverter.

With a microwave, it doesn't really matter if it is a pure sinewave or modified sinewave, this is because most of them can actually run off of DC because they all have a transformer, rectifier and filtered DC going into the klystron (they make one that is 12 volts - the WAVE BOX - and it is a good little microwave or the one in my truck is for what I use it for), what counts is the brand and the company behind the inverter. I've got a few modified sinewave inverters that I never had a problem with a microwave (I cut the power off of the microwave when it is not in use) and the only thing I will never use a modified sinewave inverter with is any fridge. The other issue with a modified sinewave inverter is computer power supplies, like those for laptops. If they are cheaply made, they don't like modified sinewaves.

 

You basically need an inverter twice the wattage of the microwave's rated wattage. They are your biggest wattage hog along with a home coffee maker. A microwave has that big start capacitor that has a big initial draw over the wattage rating. The cheapest you can get out is a 700 watt microwave and a 1500 watt inverter.

Once you get spoiled with an APU and 2500 watt inverter you won't want to work at a company without them.

 

Everybody likes to call `ya spoiled because they see it as unreasonable, somehow, for you to ask for basic climate control and a few amenities.
APU's aren't made of solid platinum, and it's not asking the world of a company to at-least give the driver one!