Found my Microwave Oven

[HaldorEE]

I have been looking for a tiny inverter based microwave for my Van RV build and Panasonic has this 0.8 CuFt, 950W beauty. Rotating glass turntable for even heating and only requires 1200W to operate.

Product Guide - Microwave Oven - NN-SD372 - Panasonic North America

shop.panasonic.com

$140 from Staples

https://www.staples.com/panasonic-8-cu-ft-countertop-microwave-oven-stainless-steel/product_117620

Panasonic also makes 1.2 CuFt inverter based microwave ovens as well if you have the desire and the room.

Microwaves and Multi-ovens

Always innovating, Panasonic has helped redefine what a microwave can do—even developing HomeChef multi-ovens that cross-function as an air fryer, convection oven, broiler, and more.

shop.panasonic.com

 

[Deleted-User]

Turntable will provide unlimited hours of viewing pleasure. Congrats!

 

[HaldorEE]

Turntable will provide unlimited hours of viewing pleasure. Congrats!

Until I run out of battery at least.

 

[Mark H.]

I have been looking for a tiny inverter based microwave for my Van RV build and Panasonic has this 0.8 CuFt, 950W beauty. Rotating glass turntable for even heating and only requires 1200W to operate.

Product Guide - Microwave Oven - NN-SD372 - Panasonic North America

shop.panasonic.com

$140 from Staples

https://www.staples.com/panasonic-8-cu-ft-countertop-microwave-oven-stainless-steel/product_117620

Panasonic also makes 1.2 CuFt inverter based microwave ovens as well if you have the desire and the room.

Microwaves and Multi-ovens

Always innovating, Panasonic has helped redefine what a microwave can do—even developing HomeChef multi-ovens that cross-function as an air fryer, convection oven, broiler, and more.

shop.panasonic.com

For daily use in my kitchen I gave up on Panasonic microwaves. After a decade or two of using a single brand (cant' recall name) I "upgraded" to a Panasonic. Each would last a year or two and then die. I finally switched to kitchen aide, and have had zero problems for the last 4 years.

Of course, if you don't live in your RV then the durability would not be an issue.

Just my two cents.

 

[HaldorEE]

For daily use in my kitchen I gave up on Panasonic microwaves. After a decade or two of using a single brand (cant' recall name) I "upgraded" to a Panasonic. Each would last a year or two and then die. I finally switched to kitchen aide, and have had zero problems for the last 4 years.

Of course, if you don't live in your RV then the durability would not be an issue.

Just my two cents.

Not going to get a lot of use. The power efficiency and reduced surge requirements are what attracted me to the Panasonic.

 

[snoobler]

I'm jelly...

 

[HaldorEE]

I'm jelly...

I didn't take the last one. Pretty sure there are more.

 

[Forbisher]

Not going to get a lot of use. The power efficiency and reduced surge requirements are what attracted me to the Panasonic.

Do you think you could turn down the 1200 watts to run on a 1000 watt inverter?

 

[snoobler]

Thanks, but I already gave up on the over-the-range inverter fantasy...

Do you think you could turn down the 1200 watts to run on a 1000 watt inverter?

That's the thing.. .inverter microwaves actually run at reduced power rather than 100% on and 0%. If one sets it to 50%, it only consumes 600W.

 

[HaldorEE]

For daily use in my kitchen I gave up on Panasonic microwaves. After a decade or two of using a single brand (cant' recall name) I "upgraded" to a Panasonic. Each would last a year or two and then die. I finally switched to kitchen aide, and have had zero problems for the last 4 years.

Of course, if you don't live in your RV then the durability would not be an issue.

Just my two cents.

I had a Sharp Microwave when they first became a thing. Had a rotary knob like an egg timer and a sliding lever to set the power level. That thing lasted forever.

 

[gnubie]

With an inverter oven you can finely control the power level. Yes, the magentron itself is either off or on but with high frequency switching of it and active PFC on the power supply running it the consumption at the wall is constant and > 0.95 power factor which is perfect for an inverter. A 1200 watt oven will quite happily draw 500W constant at a low power setting.

*edit to fix typos*

 

[HaldorEE]

Do you think you could turn down the 1200 watts to run on a 1000 watt inverter?

Probably pushing it. Microwaves much below 1000W don't do a good job with frozen dinners.

Buy one from Amazon and test it. If it no work return it.

 

[HaldorEE]

With an inverter oven you can finely control the power level. Yes, the magentron itself is either off or on but with high frequency switching of it and a\ active PFC on the power supply running it the consumption at the wall is a constant. A 1200 watt oven will quite happily draw 500W constant at a low power setting.

I had no idea they could drop that low. Great for defrosting then.

 

[gnubie]

I saw one demo'd at Sharp Australia years ago. The power setting was dialled right down but the watts drawn off the mains more wiggled than spiked like it would with a standard microwave oven. I don't know what the pulse rate / duty cycle of the magentron was but it would have been a fair bit of off time but unlike a standard oven it could spread that thinly over a minute rather than 45sec off, 15 secs on.

Wow. Just went hunting to see where things were at and it looks like LG has models that go down to 180W RF output at minimum power setting, obviously thats an average over some interval but a far cry from 1200 for 15 seconds and nothing for 45 seconds. Now that's nice.

 

[HaldorEE]

For you guys with bigger RV's, Costco has a 1.3 CuFt Panasonic Inverter Microwave for $99. That is a deal.

 

[Inq720]

Thanks, but I already gave up on the over-the-range inverter fantasy...



That's the thing.. .inverter microwaves actually run at reduced power rather than 100% on and 0%. If one sets it to 50%, it only consumes 600W.

Just so happens, I had the same question about inverter microwaves and whether I could find one that would work on a BMS limiting system of about 1500 watts and had access to some rudimentary test equipment and this Panasonic.



Testing
Unfortunately, I do not own an oscilloscope so I am unable to measure the start-up current. I will only be able to see if my chosen inverter can handle it after I finish my battery build. I was also hoping I could validate the use statement above about running on a smaller rated power Inverter. Unfortunately, the Inverter I have only supplies up to 300 watts and the microwave used right at 300 watts on the lowest setting.

I am using a Wemo Insight smart plug that can measure wattage and also measure watt-hours for a test run. Obviously, this is the AC wattage used. The numbers reported below include the AC wattage from the Wemo and projected amps used from the battery assuming a 90% efficiency rating on the power Inverter.



As a real-world gauge, I heated up a frozen dinner. The box's instructions said on high for 6 minutes 30 seconds.

This required 140 AC watt-hours and 13 amp-hours from the battery (calculated).

 

[Inq720]

Do you think you could turn down the 1200 watts to run on a 1000 watt inverter?

I read on an RV specific forum that claimed that. Actually it claimed the 1200w Panasonic Inverter Microwave running on a 1000 watt power inverter. Didn't bookmark the link, sorry. I was not able to verify that, as the run-in (start-up) current may still be an issue. I only have a 300 watt inverter and it was tripped on the lowest setting (above) showing 298 continuous watts.