Many truckers at present have a power inverter of their own. The best ones have a rating of 1,000 watts of power because it’s capable of powering multiple appliances at the same time at that power level. The most optimum microwave for truck drivers is one ranging from 600 watts to 800 watts.
You can go for a 1-kilowatt model but that means turning off the rest of your other appliances to avoid a power overload. You’ll definitely get electrical issues if you were to buy a microwave with the same wattage.
On that note, what’s the best truck inverter for microwave use?
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Buyers Guide on Power Inverters for Microwaves
Every inverter brand might make choosing the right inverter for your intimidating, especially if you’ve never bought one before.
In any case, make sure that the inverter you’re buying has double the wattage of your most powerful device at its peak wattage so that you won’t have to switch between devices to use or unplug your power-hungry appliance when using other units.
What Does a Power Inverter Do?
A power inverter changes direct current (DC) electrical power into alternating current (AC) that’s usable for common devices and appliances. A nice heavy-duty power inverter should be able to deal with the rigors of daily use on the road.
The DC output from the vehicle’s battery is where inverters like the semi-truck power inverter take their energy for conversion into AC power in order to power appliances, equipment, and power tools galore. Nearly all inverters include some sort of fan for cooling purposes.
Thusly, it’s only prudent to mount the inverter in an area of your sleeper or cab that has ample ventilation to assist in cooling it down.
How Powerful Should Your Power Inverter Be?
When choosing an inverter, you should find one powerful enough to run the gamut of appliances you have on hand without overloading your battery. The power output of your power inverter should be enough to run all your devices. Not necessarily at the same time, of course.
- 2,000 Watts for Big Items: If you’re looking to power big items like microwaves, heaters, mini-fridges, and portable air-conditioners or A/C units, you need a power inverter that can supply you with at least 2,000 watts of power.
- 300 Watts or So for Small Items: An inverter with a 300 or more watt range is usually enough to power a small color TV or laptop with batteries that last about 5-6 hours until requiring a recharge.
The more components in your truck that require energy the more power you’ll need. Get an inverter not only in accordance to the amount of appliances you have presently but also in light of the appliances you might want to add down the line.
Give yourself and your truck room to grow appliance-wise. Larger power inverters will supply the best power but they require hardwiring or direct connection to your truck, camper, or RV battery. The cigarette lighter port or slot won’t cut it.
What are the Different Wattages of Your Appliances?
Below is a chart full of several common household appliances you might bring with you in your semi-truck, truck, RV, or camper. They include each device’s estimated wattage. In order to see the actual wattage of your make and model of appliance, check the operating instructions or the manual.
You may also like: 7 of the Healthy Microwave Meals That Are Quick and Easy
If the wattage of your appliance isn’t listed on the doorjamb or manual, you can use a simple formula to calculate the wattage. Multiply the amps to the volts in order to get the watts.
At any rate, here are the estimated watts of the following appliances.
| Appliance | Estimated Watts |
| Air Conditioner | 2.2 to 5 kilowatts (starting) 1 to 1.5 kilowatts (running) |
| Toaster | 0.8 to 1.5 kilowatts |
| Microwave | 1.1 to 2 kilowatts |
| Space Heater | 1 to 1.5 kilowatts |
| 10-Cup Coffee Pot | 1.2 kilowatts |
| Waffle Iron | 1.2 kilowatts |
| Hot Plate | 1.2 kilowatts |
| Frying Pan | 1.2 kilowatts |
| Color TV (25 inches) | 0.3 kilowatts |
| Refrigerator or Freezer | 0.6 kilowatts |
| Laptop Computer | 0.05 to 0.075 kilowatts |
What is a Watt Anyway?
A watt measures the rate of transfer or how much electricity is required in order to power and operate a device. It’s important because it allows you to figure out how powerful or how much wattage your inverter should have in order to power several appliances at the same time or one by one.
- Starting Wattage vs. Running Wattage: The amount of wattage put out by your appliances will determine the amount of wattage put out by your inverter. Remember that many devices take double the amount of watts in order to get started compared to when they’re in operation.
- The Air Conditioner’s Wattage: For example, an A/C is estimated to require 2.2 to 5 kilowatts to start but only 1 to 1.5 kilowatts to run. Therefore, instead of buying a 2-kilowatt truck inverter, you might instead need a 5-kilowatt (or more) inverter instead.
It’s still best to have double the wattage of your peak wattage appliance to run multiple appliances simultaneously. With that said, more wattage doesn’t necessarily mean a better inverter. A more powerful inverter can drain your battery faster.
If you’re parked and your truck is running, this might not be an issue because truck drivers sleep inside their trucks while they’re idling. Otherwise, you need a balance between power and drainage.
Pure Sine Wave (PSW) Vs Modified Sine Wave (MSW)
When undergoing DC to AC current conversion, the power inverter should produce a sine wave. Different inverters showcase different results. Some create the pure sine wave. Others generate a modified sine wave instead.
A pure sine wave (PSW) is the same as the appliances inside a house. This is a stable flow that’s constant and has no variation. You need PSW in sensitive electronics like CPAP machines that require continuous operation.
A modified sine wave (MSW) has more instability to it compared to a PSW. They’re sufficient for usage in inexpensive appliances or low-energy uses like lights. MSW power inverters are less expensive because their flow has more variation to them.
They have many drawbacks though. For example:
- These inverters tend to overheat.
- They don’t last as long overall as a PSW inverter.
- They’re noisy and tend to buzz around (especially the cheaper models).
- They don’t last for an extended period of time compared to their PSW counterparts.
If you plan to power sensitive devices like PCs and large appliances like microwaves and refrigerators, avoid the MSW power inverter. Their power flow varies too much, thus they could cause damage and shorten the lifespan of your most sensitive appliances.
Even if you have a power strip or surge protector, that won’t be enough to safeguard your device from constant power surges care of the MSW power inverter.
The best power inverter for your semi-truck or truck should be the PSW power inverter. Yes, they’re more expensive but you’re paying for their extra reliability at providing energy that most closely matches what you’d get from your home that’s connected to the power grid.
Reviews for the 6 Best Truck Inverters for Microwaves
Let’s now talk about the 6 best and most powerful truck inverters for microwaves we’ve found.
1. Best Pro Choice for High Power and Higher User Ratings MSW Inverter
| Rated Power | 2 kilowatts |
| Peak Power | 4 kilowatts |
| DC Input | 11 – 15 volts |
| AC Output | 105 – 125 volts |
| Size | 10.26 x 8.19 x 3.43 inches |
| Weight | 8.73 pounds |
| Output Waveform | MSW |
On one hand, the Ampeak 2000W Power Inverter is powerful enough for most microwaves to use, even commercial-grade ones that require 2 kilowatts of energy but it’s mostly great for those mini microwaves rated from 700 watts to 1 kilowatt of power.
On the other hand, it has an output waveform of MSW. You can risk destroying your microwave or even the A/C with its variable energy flow. Its DC input is 11-15 volts and its AC output is 105-125 volts. It also costs around $170.
It’s a high-power inverter with high ratings from verified Amazon users. It can reach up to 4 kilowatts of surge capacity. It even has a USB charging port that converts 12-volt DC battery power to standard 110-volt AC. It’s good for use of various AC household appliances.
It can power your camera, PSP, DVD layer, laptop, freezer, TV, and lamps. It can also recharge your iPad or iPhone as well as Android tablet or Android phone. It can defend against overheating with its cooling fan and it comes with a built-in mini slip fuse.
2. A Powerful and Practical Bluetooth Power Inverter with Advanced Protections
| Rated Power | 2 kilowatts |
| Peak Power | 4 kilowatts |
| DC Input | 12 volts |
| AC Output | 110 – 125 volts |
| Size | 16.22 x 13.19 x 7.99 inches |
| Weight | 10.3 pounds |
| Output Waveform | MSW |
The Kinverch 2000W Continuous/ 4000W Peak Power Inverter is as consistent as an MSW inverter could get. It’s worth every penny of its roughly $160 price because it has features like over-voltage shutdown, under-voltage alarm, and low voltage shutdown.
This is so it could protect your appliances from surges in its own way. Additionally, Kinverch also has 3 AC outlets, a USB port, and Bluetooth APP remote control to boot. It’s perfect for use in camping, road trips, and vacations using a camper, truck, or semi-truck.
It has enough power to spare for (of course) any microwave rated at 1.5 to 2 kilowatts but it’s preferable to 1 kilowatt and below light-duty mini microwaves to allow simultaneous use of other breakfast appliances like the toaster and coffeemaker.
It can also work with game consoles, vacuums, refrigerators, DVD/BD players, TVs, cellphones, floodlights, cameras, tablets, PCs, and so forth. It falls short in terms of user ratings by a point or so because the more popular Ampeak got more ratings and verified users than Kinverch.
3. A Multipurpose Charging Power Inverter with Loads of Outlets and Temp Control
| Rated Power | 2 kilowatts |
| Peak Power | 4 kilowatts |
| DC Input | 12.8 – 13.2 volts |
| AC Output | 110 – 125 volts |
| Size | 16.14 x 7.09 x 12.8 inches |
| Weight | 10.21 pounds |
| Output Waveform | MSW |
The POTEK 2000W Power Inverter comes with Bluetooth remote control, 2A USB port, 12-volt DC input, and 110-volt AC output.
POTEK shares the same user rating as Kinverch but Kinverch has a higher amount or user ratings and verified users to its name. It got loads of features that make it a worthwhile entry on this list, such as its 2,000 watts of rated power that can go up to 4,000 watts in surging peak power.
This enables you to charge or operate various electronic devices while on the go. It’s a good microwave inverter due to its multipurpose charging care of 3 AC outlets and 1 USB charging port.
With it, you can use your microwave along with your refrigerator, floodlights, freezer, TV, PC, handhelds, and gaming consoles, among other electronics out there. It even has intelligent temperature control that starts working when the temperature goes over 104°F.
4. A Quality Truck PSW Power Inverter for Microwaves with All the Trimmings
| Rated Power | 2 kilowatts |
| Peak Power | 4 kilowatts |
| DC Input | 9.5 – 16 volts |
| AC Output | 120 volts |
| Size | 15.91 x 7.99 x 3.9 inches |
| Weight | 8.45 pounds |
| Output Waveform | PSW |
The VOLTWORKS Power Inverter 2000w is a much bigger power inverter than Ampeak but they share the same power rating of 2 kilowatts. It also costs around $350 because of its bigger size, a multitude of power and USB outlets, LCD display, and remote control.
It has continuous 2-kilowatt power for something with an output waveform of PSW. You’ll get continuous 2,000 watts of energy that should power up until a 2-kilowatt microwave or at least a 1-kilowatt one while you’re using other breakfast tools like the coffeemaker and the toaster.
It can go up to 4,000 watts of peak power just like Ampeak. It also has auto-detect on fast charges that power most of your USB-compatible handhelds. It has the wattage to spare for powering up even the largest of microwaves, refrigerators, or freezers.
An A/C might be a bridge too far for it though. It’s much more expensive than the similarly-sized VOLTWORKS Power Inverter 2000w MSW exactly because it uses a more consistent PSW stream.
5. A Hidden Gem of a Highly Rated and Multi-Projection Power Inverter
| Rated Power | 2 kilowatts |
| Peak Power | 4 kilowatts |
| DC Input | 12 volts |
| AC Output | 120 volts |
| Size | 12.4 x 6.5 x 3.35 inches |
| Weight | 9.35 pounds |
| Output Waveform | MSW |
The PGINVER 2000W Power Inverter is a less popular albeit highly rated MSW power inverter. It got a perfect score on Amazon but only a handful of votes, which is why this is near the bottom of this list. Despite its lack of popularity on that particular page, it has a lot going for it.
For example, it has overload protection. It sends an alarm when overloading at 25 percent. It also shuts down within 20 seconds to protect itself from damage. Once the connected device goes back to normal power usage, the inverter will turn on again.
The inverter also shuts off whenever a short circuit occurs. It also has intelligent fan control (IFC) that turns the fan on whenever it reaches certain temperatures.
It even features low-voltage (battery is sending low voltage) or over-voltage (higher than rating voltage) protection. Its package includes the inverter, 2 ring terminals, a user manual, LCD displayer, USB cable, wireless remote, and 8 screws.
6. The Budget PSW Power Inverter with Twin Cooling Fans and Wired Remote Control
| Rated Power | 2 kilowatts |
| Peak Power | 4 kilowatts |
| DC Input | 12 volts |
| AC Output | 110 – 125 volts |
| Size | 14.56 x 6.49 x 3.35 inches |
| Weight | 10.28 pounds |
| Output Waveform | PSW |
Last but not least is the Novopal Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter. It’s much more affordable than the VOLTWORKS PSW Inverter at about $230 (versus about $350). If you want an affordable PSW power inverter then Novopal is the one for you.
It’s an absolutely pure sine wave inverter that converts 12-volt DC to 110-volt to 125-volt AC output for all your household appliance needs while running a truck, RV, or camper. It comes with 4 AC receptacles, a 2.1 USB-A port, high-current C terminals, and a 5-meter wired remote control.
Yes, it’s more expensive than your average MSW but a PSW is always your safest bet when it comes to long-term safe usage of big appliances like the microwave (naturally) and the refrigerator. The main difference, as mentioned earlier, is a consistent non-surging electrical stream.
It also has a high peak power of 4 kilowatts so high you could use multiple game consoles or charge laptops and smartphones at the same time.
Never Forget
It might seem like a chore to purchase the right power inverter because you have so many models and types to choose from in today’s market. However, this is why you searched for this guide in the first place, right? You’re here to learn more about power inverters for microwaves and other appliances.
To make a long story short, your power inverter should at least have as much wattage as the peak wattage of one of your appliances, which should enable you to run that at least. Extra wattage means extra appliances you could run.
The best truck power inverter for our money is Ampeak 2000W Power Inverter. This is then followed by Kinverch 2000W Continuous/ 4000W Peak Power Inverter. The reason for that is because they’re both high-quality inverters despite being MSW-type units.
