How Many Amps Does a Microwave Use?

By Staff WriterLast Updated April 16, 2020

The average microwave draws 5 amps of current during its use. However, some microwave use and maintenance manuals request that the microwave be plugged into its own circuit of at least 15 amps for precautionary measures.

As this stacks up to other smaller kitchen appliances, a microwave’s ampere usage is relatively typical. Most kitchen appliances, such as a toaster, toaster oven and iron, use about this same amount. Microwaves also need about 120 volts of electricity in the form of an alternating current in order to run and function properly. As with all appliances or products, there are outliers with differences in performances that deviate from this standard.