Guest Patrick Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 My wife wants a microwave for the new motorhome. Explorer Group provide a 12 litre - 550 watt with their motorhomes at £125. A MW from Argos can be had as a 17 litre - 700 watt at £35. Will 700 watt be too much for the avewrage hook-up on a campsite? Does anybody know of 240v/12v model? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mel E Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 There are no 12volt microwaves. The wattage quoted for a microwave is the power in the oven and not the maximum power drawn. From memory a 700watt microwave draws somthing in excess of 1200watts of mains power (Clive will correct me if I'm wrong and he's online tonite!). 1200 watts will use 5 amps of mains hookup. But many hookups, especially abroad suffer from voltage drop the more remote they are from the main switchbox, so, including the power surge at start-up, you'll need at least 7 amps. OK in the UK but only the very best campsites(i.e., most expensive) will give you that abroad. But why a microwave? Most microwavable meals will cook just as well in the oven, vegetables steam in a pan almost as quickly, and so on. Why the speed? You're on holiday, remember! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest clive Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Mel is prety well up to speed on this. Does he have a warning thingey to tell him when I am online?. I did once see a low power 12 volt powered microwave at one of the Chelston Motorhome Open days (free burgers etc.) It was about 350 watt from memory, hugely expensive and the box included the 12 volt to mains inverter. But at this power its quicker to turn on the gas and also save your battery. If you really want a Microwave then I would purchase the smallest domestic one available and use it when site hookup allows. The difference in power consumption between 550 watt and 700 watt is not enough to justify the cost. But as Mel suggests, if you need the speed of a microwave on holiday you have not grasped the art of relaxation yet. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Patrick Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Thank you gentlemen for your advice. It isn't speed we are interested in with cooking, but convenience. The breif time I spent sending the question was worth while. You saved us about £60. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mel B Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Have you worked out how long it will take to cook the meals you want to in a microwave of such a low power setting? I use a pressure cooker (7 mins from steam up to a pan full of spuds and veg being cooked, 10 mins for stews) and an electric pizza oven (circa 1970s). The pizza oven, which is really an electric griddle with a lid, is great for cooking chops, burgers etc and also warms pies and cooks pizzas (funnily enough!) quite quickly. The problem with a microwave is that unless you are only cooking small portions it can take longer than in a pan or portable electric oven. The other problem is the size of the darned things! But then again, I know you can't beat the smell of jacket potatoes cooking and I've yet to find a quicker way to do them than in a microwave!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek Uzzell Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 Patrick: It's perfectly possible that the £125 appliance being offered by Explorer Group costs £35 retail. I remember meeting a couple at Brownhills (Newark) whose new microwave oven had failed (I think the motorhome was from the Swift Group) and they had discovered the identical make/model of oven on sale for a pittance at one of the cut-price supermarkets. Of course, if the oven is 'built in', you need to allow for the cost to the motorhome manufacturer of the oven's installation, plus provision of a 230V power supply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Patrick Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 Thank you Derek. In fact I think the one on offer is in the Riversway catalogue at £85. They have already agreed to put a socket in the microwave cupboard. Of course I will have to make it secure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bill Posted March 5, 2006 Share Posted March 5, 2006 Tescos do an 800watt 220v microwave for £24 - I don't know of anything cheaper. I bought one for my elderly mother and it works perfectly. A point to watch is that the wattage of microwaves refers to the magnetron output, NOT to the current consumption. That will usually be found on a data panel on the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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