A work truck is a lot like a trailer home or recreational vehicle. You can put electronic appliances in it, but you’re more limited in terms of wattage compared to a full-fledged home or even apartment. In order to conserve energy and battery life, you should get a quality microwave for work trucks.
You may also like: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Microwave Oven that Best Fits Your Needs
You specifically need a mini microwave with enough wattage to matter, thus having a good balance between portability and functionality. With that in mind, what’s the best microwave for a work truck? Keep on reading to find out.
Contents
Comparison Table
| Microwaves for Work Truck Use | Power | Capacity | Size and Weight | Main Claims to Fame |
| COMFEE’ EM720CPL-PM Countertop Microwave Oven | 700 watts | 0.7 cubic feet | 17.3 x 13 x 10.2 inches and 20.3 pounds | Miniature microwave with a myriad of functions like energy-saving mode and mute mode. |
| Toshiba EM131A5C-SS Microwave Oven | 1.1 kilowatts | 1.2 cubic feet | 17.14 x 20.51 x 12.82 inches and 34.6 pounds | Stainless steel microwave with smart sensor, easy-clean interior, Eco Mode, and Mute function. |
| Amazon Basics Microwave (works with Alexa) | 700 watts | 0.7 cubic feet | 17.3 x 10.1 x 14.1 inches and 21.9 pounds | Tiny or mini microwave is similar to COMFEE with superior Alexa voice-activated integration. |
| Commercial Chef Countertop Microwave Oven, 0.6 Cu. Ft, Black | 600 watts | 0.6 cubic feet | 17.75 x 12.5 x 10.25 inches and 23.1 pounds | Extra compact, less wattage countertop microwave with sleek black design. |
| Black Farberware Classic FMO07ABTBKA | 700 watts | 0.7 cubic feet | 17.75 x 12.91 x 10.1 inches and 21.4 pounds | The black-colored Farberware Classic with LED lighting and standard work truck specs. |
| Nostalgia RMO4BK Retro 0.9 Cubic Foot 800-Watt Countertop Microwave Oven | 800 watts | 0.9 cubic feet | 19 x 15 x 11 inches and 35.5 pounds | Jet-black 1960s retro miniature microwave with 5 power levels and LED display. |
| Sharp ZSMC0710BB 700W Countertop Microwave Oven | 700 watts | 0.7 cubic feet | 12.8 x 17.3 x 10.2 inches and 21.4 pounds | Space-saving microwaving that fits most counter spaces on even work trucks from a trusted manufacturer. |
Reviews for the 7 Best Microwaves for Work Truck
Here are the top 7 microwaves for use with your work truck.
1. COMFEE’ EM720CPL-PM Countertop Microwave Oven
The COMFEE Countertop Microwave Oven is a device that comes with 11 power levels across a peak power level of 700 watts. This means as a work truck microwave model, it won’t overload your truck battery or solar battery so easily. It also comes with a myriad of functions.
It has popcorn, potato, pizza, beverage, frozen veggie, and reheat modes. Additionally, it has easy auto-cook functions on top of energy-saving economy mode, a child safety lock, kitchen timer, clock, settings, and mute functions.
Notable Features:
- 700 watts of power.
- Over 11 power levels.
- 7 cubic feet of capacity.
- Pearl white standard color.
- It comes with a user manual.
- Made of stainless steel and plastics.
- Relatively lightweight at 20.3 pounds.
- Costs the same whether it’s the black or white version.
- Amazon’s Choice in Compact Microwave Ovens by COMFEE’.
- Mini microwave with a miniature size of 17.3 x 13 x 10.2 inches.
2. Toshiba EM131A5C-SS Microwave Oven
The Toshiba EM131A5C-SS Microwave Oven is rated slightly better than COMFEE’. It’s also more of a countertop microwave oven—the Number 1 Best Seller in Amazon for that category—than a trucker or work truck microwave. However, it’s still quite portable and dependable for work truck use.
To wit, it’s a durable microwave oven made of sleek stainless steel. Key features we love about it is its handle that allows you a steady grip when opening the door, quick minute button as well as 2-6 quick minute buttons, and small footprint to fit into most limited counter spaces out there.
Notable Features:
- 1,100 watts of power.
- Made of stainless steel.
- 4 turntable diameter.
- 2 cubic feet of capacity.
- Relatively portable at 34.6 pounds.
- It also has a sound on/off function and ECO mode.
- It comes with an easy-clean interior and smart sensor.
- The No. 1 best seller in Countertop Microwave Ovens.
- Medium-sized microwave at 17.14 x 20.51 x 12.82 inches.
3. Amazon Basics Microwave (works with Alexa)
Ratings-wise, the Amazon Basics Microwave is about as popular as Toshiba and more than twice as popular as COMFEE. It’s a small microwave whose main claim to fame is that it’s well-integrated with Alexa and its myriad of voice commands. It has the standard RV or work truck microwave specs as well.
It has 700 watts of power, 10 power levels, and 0.7 cubic feet of internal microwave capacity. You can also try out many different presets thanks to Alexa’s help, allowing for easier cooking and reheating every time. Also, at the time of this writing, it’s sold out.
Notable Features:
- Sleek black color.
- 700 watts of power.
- 7 cubic feet of capacity.
- A smart microwave with Alexa integration.
- A trusted brand since it’s manufactured by Amazon itself.
- Also comes with a child lock, turntable, kitchen timer, 10 power levels, and compactness.
- Simplified keypad or voice commands allow easy reheating of rice, cooking of potatoes, or defrosting of vegetables.
4. Commercial Chef Countertop Microwave Oven, 0.6 Cu. Ft,
Although the Commercial Chef Microwave Oven has a weaker max power level of 600 watts and a smaller capacity of 0.6 cubic feet, these “disadvantages” have their advantages in terms of work truck use. It also comes with an easy-grip door handle as well.
You want something that’s portable and serviceable as a work truck or RV microwave. You’re less likely to overload your truck battery with only 600 watts. The smaller capacity is good enough for your smaller-portioned dishes. It also comes with rotary dial controls for at-a-glance basic operation.
Notable Features:
- 6 power levels.
- 600 watts of power.
- 6 cubic feet of capacity.
- Sleek black design and dial user controls.
- Extra compact at 17.75 x 12.5 x 10.25 inches.
- Average lightness or portability at 23.1 pounds.
- Amazon’s Choice in Countertop Microwave Ovens by Commercial CHEF.
5. Black Farberware Classic FMO07ABTBKA
The Black Farberware Classic FMO07ABTBKA is a black matte classic microwave with the classic 700-watt max power setting that’s quite useful for RVs, trucks, and solar batteries. Additionally, it has one-touch cooking functions for about 6 presets.
It has specific settings for cooking or heating food on a dinner plate, beverages, frozen vegetables, pizza, potatoes, and (bags of) popcorn. It also has an LED display and digital controls. It also comes complete with a kitchen timer and clock.
It also has an additional 30 seconds control and Express Cooking quick-start controls for good measure.
Notable Features:
- 10 power levels.
- 120 volts of voltage.
- 700 watts of power.
- Sleek black microwave.
- 7 cubic feet of capacity.
- 4 pounds of lightweight portability.
- 75 x 12.91 x 10.1 inches of compactness.
- LED lighting for aesthetics and at-a-glance display reading.
- Amazon’s Choice in Countertop Microwave Ovens by Farberware.
- Digital controls, Express Cooking quick-start, and one-touch cooking functions.
6. Nostalgia RMO4BK Countertop Microwave Oven
The Nostalgia RMO4BK Countertop Microwave Oven is a retro 1950s or 1960s aesthetic microwave oven with dials and a handle on the door. It’s a good work truck microwave because it houses 0.9 cubic feet of space inside and 800 watts of power overall. Its rotating carousel ensures even cooking.
While the Nostalgia RMO4BK, you get 5 power levels, 800 watts of maximum power, 12 cooking presets, LED display that’s easy to read at a glance, and a jet black color. It’s a slightly larger but still small countertop microwave oven at 19 x 15 x 11 inches.
Notable Features:
- Delay timer.
- 5 power levels.
- 800 watts of power.
- 9 cubic feet of capacity.
- Even cooking via glass carousel.
- Retro design from the 1960s or so.
- LED display to counteract the nostalgia design.
- Amazing cooking power for a microwave of its size.
- Customizable cooking settings with 12 preprogrammed presets.
7. Sharp ZSMC0710BB 700W Countertop Microwave Oven
The Sharp Microwave ZSMC0710BB is a black, 0.7-cubic-foot microwave oven made back in 2017. It fulfills the Sharp legacy of excellence as a budget mini microwave ideal for use in RVs, campers, and work trucks due to its energy-saving yet serviceable 700 watts of power.
The Sharp 700W Countertop Microwave Oven is able to separate itself from the rest of its competition with its cost-effective price, steel construction, +30 seconds key for instant start, and multiple presets (auto defrost, time defrost, and time cook modes).
It’s slightly larger than the microwaves on this list at 12.8 x 17.3 x 10.2 inches but still more compact than standard microwaves.
Notable Features:
- 2017 model.
- 700 watts of power.
- 7 cubic feet of capacity.
- Steel material construction.
- Quick and accurate defrosting.
- Relatively lightweight at 21.4 pounds.
- Instant start and time-extending “+30 seconds” key.
- The one-touch express cooking mode can cook for up to 6 minutes.
- Black model (you can get it in white but you have to pay extra).
A 12-Volt power port and is perfect for cooking or warming foods up to 300°F. You may also like this device:
HOTLOGIC Portable Personal 12V Mini Oven
What should you look for when buying a work truck microwave exactly? A mini microwave that can share the wattage and voltage of your truck’s mini countertop full of appliances, for one thing. Your microwave can’t hog all the power by itself.
Types of Work Truck Microwave Ovens
Here are the types of work truck microwave ovens you can get your hands on.
- Countertop Convection Microwave Ovens: Convection microwave ovens offer the best of both worlds in terms of the benefits of cooking with grill microwaves and traditional microwaves. It can excite water molecules with microwave rays and cook food with thermal convection.
To be more specific, they expand on the simple cooking and heating of traditional microwaves with the use of a fan and heater to cook every food type using thermal conduction, thermal convection, and heating by water molecule excitation.
In exchange for their usefulness, they’re also the most expensive microwave type.
- Over-the-Range Microwave Ovens: Over-the-range microwave ovens are ovens that are somehow installed into the range hood. They’re made to be installed over the gas range or stovetop for extra kitchen convenience even in a limited space like the work truck.
These microwaves combine the functionality of microwave tech with the ventilation unit to make the most of your truck real estate. They’re mounted on the wall and can be installed above any stovetop range.
They’re ideal for RVs, work trucks, and campers due to their smaller kitchens or countertops. As long as it has a low power or wattage of around 700 watts to 1 kilowatt, you’re good to go.
Key Features of Work Truck Microwaves
Watch out for the following key features for your work truck microwave of choice.
- Power: The wattage of the microwave establishes how much power it has. Since you’re using a truck and its vehicular battery to power appliances, you’re less likely to use a microwave that’s beyond a kilowatt of power. You’re likelier to use a mini microwave instead.
A smaller wattage microwave of about 400 to 700 watts can share watts with other breakfast tools like coffeemakers and toasters to avoid overloading your battery. The ones that get installed over with oven range, meanwhile, will save you space and electricity.
- Size: The size is actually correlated to the wattage. Mini microwaves typically have lower wattages compared to standard-sized or family-sized microwaves that cater to 4-6 or more persons in the household. Get models with wide-opening doors to make dish removal easier.
Microwaves come in a variety of sizes, from larger units to those that fit a typical countertop. Consider how much kitchen space (or lack thereof) you have inside your truck before picking the right mini microwave for you. Otherwise, just get a lunchbox with food-warming abilities.
- Capacity: This varies from 0.6 to 2.0 cubic feet, but since truckers tend to get smaller, lower-wattage mini microwaves, you’ll instead end up dealing with a typical 0.7 cubic feet type of microwave. A large family requires 1.2 cubic feet.
Meanwhile, a personal microwave for a trucker on the move with his work truck should be around 0.6 to 0.7 cubic feet in capacity. The more interior space you can work with, the more dishes you can microwave at the same time. Also take note of the interior height and rack size.
- Child Lock: Truckers typically don’t have to deal with children playing with their microwave lock so this is more of an RV owner’s concern who’s traveling along with his family. Nevertheless, it pays to have a child lock or any locking feature on the road.
Why? It’s simply because it prevents accidents. It keeps strangers from opening and activating the microwave and it prevents a bumpy road from making the microwave door swing around and damages itself. The child lock feature isn’t on by default and requires you to activate it.
- Automatic Sensors: If you’re going to get microwave convection ovens, you might as well pick the advanced ones with sensor controls. They alert you when your food is cooked or not. The sensor measures the steam inside the oven, which translates to the level of food cooking.
Some microwaves even have humidity sensors and temperature sensors for good measure. They all clue you in on how ready your food is when push comes to shove. The oven steams and cooks the food with the quickness of a standard microwave.
Further reading: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Microwave Oven that Best Fits Your Needs
Final Thoughts
One of the most effective and common devices for warming up food during wintertime trucking is the portable microwave. Truckers also need to eat and they can’t always find a handy restaurant to buy food from.
As they go about their work even in wintertime, they have to use food-warming devices at the back of their vehicles like mini microwaves and the like for their own convenience.
We love this microwave: Commercial Chef Countertop Microwave Oven, 0.6 Cu. Ft
