How Many Watts Does A Microwave Have? (Comparing cooking times)

Microwaves are frequently used as the one kitchen appliance that you simply cannot live without. But before buying a microwave, you might be wondering about the different wattages available for different microwaves. How many watts does a microwave have and do the sizes differ according to watts? Let’s find out.

Wattages of microwaves usually range between 600 and 1100 watts, but you can even get lower and higher wattages. Higher wattage microwaves will use more power and cost more to use. However, it will heat the food much faster than a lower wattage microwave. Microwaves with higher watts are often also bigger.

While buying a microwave, therefore, it is important that you are careful of the different microwave wattages and how they impact microwave performance.

Microwaves With Different Wattages

Microwaves perform differently based on the wattage they have. Usually, the higher your microwave watts are, the better its performance will be. 

For example, a 1000-watt microwave would perform better than a 700-watt one. Likewise, a 1200-watts microwave will cook faster than a 1000-watts microwave cooking time.

The table below shows the reheating time for 5 frozen chicken nuggets in microwaves with various wattages.

Sample Cooking Time with Many Watts Microwave

Microwave Wattage	Time
300 Watts	4 mins
500 Watts	3 ½ mins
600-700 Watts	3 mins
800 Watts	2 ½ mins
1000 Watts	2 mins
1100 Watts	1 ½ mins

Is Microwave Watts Difference For Personal And Family Use?

There are different microwave watts for different needs. For individual needs, a low watts microwave might do, whereas, for families, a high watts microwave would be better. 

It is important to be careful about the watts of your microwave and adjust it according to your personal needs. Otherwise, this might be inconvenient for you in the long run.

Microwave Watts For Individual Needs

For people who live alone or in dormitories, a 700 or 800-watts microwave would be enough. They can reheat small food items like soup or frozen food inside the microwave comfortably. 

For example, this 700-watts Comfee microwave is loved by individuals for smaller needs like heating food or warming soup.  This 700-watts microwave from Black+Decker is also popular for attending to people’s smaller needs daily. 

Microwave Watts For Families

Many people wonder if a 700 or 800-watt microwave would be enough for family needs. However, in most cases, it is not. For a family of 3 or more people, it is better to go for a microwave that has 1000 watts or more. Farberware’s 1000-watt microwave is just enough for a family of four people. 

The 1100 Watts Microwave from Toshiba is highly recommended by most people for large family needs. You can steak, defrost or even cook veggies, fish, or meat, whatever your needs are.

Why Do Some Microwaves Have Low Watts?

Microwave watts vary greatly according to size, costs, and power capacity. Usually, a 300-500 watt microwave would be considered a low-watt microwave. Some microwaves have low watts so that it takes less power to run. They are also usually cheaper.

Microwaves with lower wattages are cheaper to buy. For example, this Galanz microwave is cheaper than other microwaves of higher watts. It also takes little space on the kitchen countertop, so would be an ideal choice if you’re looking for a budget microwave. Low watts microwaves also consume less power to run, therefore, it is easy to run on backup electricity or generators.

Should You Consider A Low Watt Or A High Watt Microwave?

A low-watt microwave generally ranges from 300-500 watts, a medium-watts microwave from 650-800, and a large one from 1000-watts onwards. Therefore, it is important to take into account your budget for the microwave, how frequently it is going to be used, and your kitchen space to set up the microwave.

If you plan to use it only for yourself, then a 500-watt microwave would do the job. However, if you have a small family of three members, consider getting at least an 800-watt one. If you have a larger family, then it would be suitable to buy a high-wattage microwave of 1100- watts or more. 

You can adjust it according to your budget too. Smaller ones are usually the cheapest, gradually getting more expensive with the increase in watts. Therefore, it is crucial to cider these aspects before you decide what watt microwave would be good for you. 

Does Microwave Watts Change Based On Sizes?

Microwave sizes are usually different according to models, watt inputs, etc. Generally, 700-800 watt microwaves have smaller sizes than 1100 watt microwaves.

Microwaves usually take up a corner of the kitchen top. Therefore, smaller microwaves may be suitable for individuals with smaller kitchen spaces. Larger microwaves can be considered for large kitchen tops for bigger families.

Low Watts Microwave Size

Microwave sizes are usually different according to models, watt inputs, etc. Generally, 700-800 watt microwaves have smaller sizes than 1100 watt microwaves, which are generally larger.

Microwaves usually take up a corner of the kitchen top. Therefore, smaller microwaves may be suitable for individuals with smaller kitchen spaces. Larger microwaves can be considered for large kitchen tops for bigger families.

Medium Watts Microwave Size

Generally, a 650-800 watt microwave would be considered a medium-watt microwave. They are normally bigger than 5000-watt microwaves and smaller than 100 watts or more. 

This 700-watt microwave is 0.7 cubic feet in size, making it convenient for everyday usage. The normal size for an 800-watt microwave would be a minimum of 0.7 Cubic Ft. Some microwaves have medium power inputs but are as large as 0.9 cubic feet in size.

High Watts Microwave Size

High-wattage microwaves are basically used to serve a large number of people or for larger families. Usually, higher-wattage microwaves range from 1000 feet to 1500 feet in most cases. These are especially big and take up more kitchen counter space than other lower microwave wattages.

Usually, an 1100 watt microwave would be about 1.2 cubic feet, which is larger than the medium-watt microwaves. So, they usually need a dedicated kitchen space to be set up.

This Philips 1250 watt microwave, for example, is quite large compared to other microwaves, standing at 2.2 cubic feet. Therefore, it would occupy a larger space to be installed in the kitchen.

Is the Cost Different for Different Microwave Watts?

Microwave prices vary according to size, configuration, as well as power outputs. Usually, the lower the microwave watts are, the lower the prices of the microwaves will be. 700-watt microwaves are generally cheaper than 1100-watt microwaves. They are cheaper to buy and cheaper to run as well.

Low Watts Microwave Costs

Generally, a 300-500 watt microwave is the cheapest option if you’re on a budget, ranging from $60-90 depending on model and configuration. They are convenient if you live alone or in a dormitory or with your friends. 

This 500-watt microwave from Commercial Chef is recommended by many people for individual use. They usually cost about $65 or can be availed with even more discounts on Amazon.

Medium Watts Microwave Costs

For a family of 3-4 people, a microwave oven would be enough. They are generally a little costlier than the smaller microwaves with prices ranging from $90-130.

This Farberware 1000 watt microwave is especially suitable for family needs. However, they are usually a little costlier than 600-watt microwaves.

High Watts Microwave Costs

Microwaves with power inputs of 1100 watts and higher are usually the most expensive ones to purchase. The price ranges from $120 to as far as it can get based on the particular configurations of a model.