Most of us have microwave ovens at home. Nowadays they have become an essential part of the kitchen. I use ours every day, from steaming vegetables to warming up a cold cup of tea. Microwaves are very quick and convenient and that’s why the thought of having a campervan microwave is so appealing.
It’s super easy to cook food like eggs (poached or scrambled), soups, vegetables, baked beans, porridge oats, jacket potatoes or even the occasional ready meal. Cooking with a microwave will also save on washing up, which is always a good thing!
So if you are sold on the idea of having a microwave in your campervan, then before you rush out to buy a microwave from your local supermarket, you need to be aware that you can’t just use any microwave in your campervan. There are some important factors to bear in mind when choosing a domestic microwave for this purpose.
Read our campervan microwave buyers guide (below) to find out exactly what you need to know. Or if you’re in a hurry, skip to the section – which campervan microwave should you buy?
CAMPERVAN MICROWAVE – BUYERS GUIDE
230v Domestic Microwaves:
The main consideration when choosing a microwave is the power output of the oven. It may be tempting to buy a microwave oven with a larger power output (such as a 900W model) so your food cooks more quickly. But this is not going to be a good choice when choosing a microwave for your campervan.
The cooking output printed on a microwave is not the same as the electricity it draws from the hook-up. The input figure is normally higher, and the difference varies by model, so check the rating plate or manual rather than estimating it from the advertised cooking wattage. This matters particularly on lower-amperage campsite hook-ups, where the microwave and other appliances together can exceed the available supply.
Even if the hookup on site is 10 amp or even 16 amp, unless the microwave is the only appliance in your campervan that’s drawing power (which is highly unlikely) then you still might struggle to use a higher wattage microwave without it tripping the campsite breaker.
Microwaves are not a ‘soft start’ appliance…
As soon as you push the power button the microwave will draw the maximum amount of current it needs (or even slightly more) for the first few milliseconds. This surge in current may be enough to trip the campsite breaker, especially if the power consumption is already close to the limit of the hookup amperage rating.
To help avoid problems, choose a domestic 230V microwave with a genuinely low rated input as well as a modest cooking output. Do not assume that selecting a lower cooking-power setting will necessarily reduce the microwave’s peak electrical demand enough to suit a limited hook-up; the safe approach is to size the microwave from its stated input rating and leave headroom for the other appliances in the campervan.
One last point to consider is the weight and physical size of the campervan microwave. Because you’re going to be using the microwave inside your campervan where space is limited, you need to choose a model that is both lightweight and compact.
What about 12v Microwaves?
Yes there is such a thing, but they are expensive. Compared to a domestic 230v microwave, fitting a 12v microwave into your campervan is a lot more complex. A 12v microwave oven will draw a large amount of current from the 12v system, meaning heavy duty cabling from the leisure battery to the microwave will be required. If you use the 12v microwave regularly, then this will very quickly drain your leisure battery.
All in all, unless your campervan has a very robust 12v system, then fitting a 12v microwave in your camper is not really the best option. If you do want to run a microwave off your 12v system, then the general opinion would be to buy a low wattage 230v microwave, and use an inverter (installed close to the leisure battery) to run it.
Which Campervan Microwave should you buy?
Well to summarise. A microwave with a modest 600W to 700W cooking output is a sensible starting point for a campervan, but always check its rated input power as well. It should also be compact, reasonably light and easy to use.
Manual or digital?
A digital microwave gives more precise cooking times however, they can be trickier to use, more expensive, and the clock will need resetting every time you unplug the microwave. A manual microwave on the other hand, is simple to use and cheaper to buy.
Which campervan microwaves would I consider today?
The three models below were current Amazon UK options when this article was refreshed. All are 700W cooking-output models, but their actual mains input can differ, so check the current rating plate or manual before buying. I have not personally tested these particular models; my first-hand experience further down the page is with our own unbranded 700W microwave.
Microwave No. 1: Russell Hobbs RHMM701B
Some of the product links in this article are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through one of them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Russell Hobbs RHMM701B on Amazon UK
This is the simple manual option and the closest in spirit to the microwave we used ourselves. It has a 17 litre capacity, 700W cooking output, five power levels, a defrost setting and straightforward dial controls. It is roughly 45.1cm wide, 32.6cm deep and 25.6cm high, so it is worth considering where space is tight.
Microwave No. 2: Hisense H20MOBP1HIUK
Hisense H20MOBP1HIUK on Amazon UK
The Hisense gives you a 20 litre capacity and 700W cooking output in a relatively compact body, about 43.4cm wide, 32.9cm deep and 24.1cm high. It uses inverter microwave technology, but it is still a normal 230V appliance — the word ‘inverter’ here does not mean it runs directly from a 12V leisure battery.
Microwave No. 3: Sharp YC-PS204AU-S
Sharp YC-PS204AU-S on Amazon UK
If you prefer digital controls, the Sharp is a 20 litre, 700W model with ten power levels, defrost functions, an ECO mode and a digital display. It is roughly 45.5cm wide, 33.4cm deep and 27.4cm high. As with the other choices, check its current rated input before deciding whether it suits your hook-up.
Running a microwave from a 12V leisure battery
If you plan to power a 230V microwave from a 12V system, do not size the inverter from the microwave’s 700W cooking-output figure. Check the appliance’s actual rated mains input and its start-up demand, then choose an inverter whose continuous and surge ratings comfortably cover those figures. A current example is the Renogy 2000W pure sine wave 12V inverter, which is rated at 2000W continuous output and 4000W peak. It is only an example, not a universal sizing recommendation: the microwave’s rating plate or manual, battery capability, DC cable size, fuse protection and installation quality all need to be checked for the individual installation.
Which Microwave Oven would I choose for our Campervan?
Well my first choice would still be a bog-standard, no-frills, manual, compact microwave. In fact, this is what my wife and I bought. Ours was an unbranded 700W model, which made it a useful real-world test of whether this type of low-powered microwave actually works well in a campervan.
We then took our unbranded 700W microwave on a road trip and used it on several campsites, which gave us a proper chance to see how this type of microwave performs in real-life campervan use.
Life on the road with a microwave oven
Since buying our microwave oven, we’ve been looking forward to testing it out and seeing just how well it works in a real-life situation. So far we’ve used it on three campsites, two sites with 16 amp EHU, and one with 10 amp. Did it work OK? You bet it did – it worked like a charm! Cooking on the road has never been so easy.
We used the microwave on full power (whilst the fridge was on and on a couple of occasions with a 1000 watt kettle boiling too) and there was no sign of tripping the EHU. Food cooked perfectly, and in a fraction of the time it usually takes. Just set the timer and – ping! All done.
Washing up microwavable plastic containers is so much easier than trying wash up a saucepan with burnt-on scrambled egg at the bottom. Before buying a microwave, it used to take me longer to wash up than it did to cook.
Would we recommend a microwave for a campervan?
I’d be intrigued to test the microwave on hookup lower than 10 amp just to see how low we can go before the microwave trips the campsite breaker. However, as long as you don’t have loads of power-hungry devices running at the same time, our 700W microwave worked without trouble on the 10 amp and 16 amp EHU supplies we tested it on. That does not guarantee every microwave or every campsite supply will behave the same, so always leave sensible headroom for other appliances.
If you’ve got the space in your campervan to store a microwave, then I’d definitely say buy one. It makes life on the road so much easier. We wish we’d have bought one year’s ago!
Installing a Campervan Microwave:
Generally speaking, microwaves are not designed to be jiggled about. If you read the manufacturer’s instructions, they will usually state that the microwave should be placed on a solid flat surface, and not in a campervan flying down the M5!
If you’re going to install the microwave permanently in your campervan, you may need to include some sort of shock mount, or find a spot in the vehicle that’s less prone to vibration (easier said than done, I know). And don’t forget to remove the rotating glass plate before you set off or you may not have one when you arrive at your destination!
As with any microwave, good circulation around the oven is a must. This can be difficult to achieve if you are going to permanently install the microwave, especially if space is at a premium. The clearance needed varies by model, so check the microwave’s own instructions before deciding how tightly it can be built into a cupboard or shelf.
Does the Microwave need to be a permanent fixture?
You have the option not to make the microwave a built-in fixture. That way, when you’re on the move you can remove the glass plate and turntable and store the microwave somewhere safe. (We store ours low down in a bottom cupboard.) When you arrive at your destination you can just slot the microwave back into its allotted space. It could sit on top of the cooker or work surface or even on a camping table in your awning .
5 Interesting Microwave Oven facts:
Fact 1:
The use of microwaves to cook food was discovered by accident in the 1940’s by an engineer called Percy Spencer. Apparently he was working in the lab building magnetrons (part of radar equipment) when he noticed that a chocolate bar in his pocket was melting. Percy then had a eureka moment when he realised that microwaves could also be used to quickly heat up and cook food.
Fact 2:
In 1947 the first commercially available microwave went on sale for $5000! it was called the Radarranger. The Radarranger bared little resemblance to modern microwave ovens, and you’d have struggled fitting it into your kitchen as it was 1.8 metres tall and weighed 340 kilograms! The Radarranger was water cooled (today’s microwaves are air cooled) and it used around three times the power of a modern day microwave oven.
Fact 3:
Microwave ovens work by vibrating molecules in the food, this causes heat by increasing the molecules thermal energy. Water in particular is rapidly heated up by microwaves radiation due to the polarity of its molecules. Oils such as olive oil (which contains little water) do not have the same polarity as water, that is why oil doesn’t heat up very well in a microwave oven.
Fact 4:
Contrary to popular belief, microwave ovens don’t cook from the inside out, in fact the reverse is true. The inside of the food is heated up as the heat from the outside is transferred to the inside.
Fact 5:
A survey taken in 1994 showed that 63 percent of households in the UK owned a microwave. In 2016 that figure rose to 93%. This makes the microwave one of the most popular household appliances in the UK.
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