Kitchens use short bursts of heavy power. Here is how that works on solar.
How much power
| Appliance | Watts | Typical use | Energy used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microwave | 1,000–1,500W | 5 minutes | About 0.1kWh |
| Electric kettle | 1,500–2,200W | 3 minutes | About 0.1kWh |
| Blender | 300–1,000W | 2 minutes | Very little |
| Air fryer | 1,200–1,800W | 15 minutes | About 0.4kWh |
| Hot plate / cooker | 1,500–3,000W+ | 1 hour+ | 2kWh+ |
The rule: one at a time
These items use a lot of power at once. Your inverter has a limit. Use one heavy item at a time. Read inverter overload: what to do.
Which inverter
- 3kVA: microwave or blender with light loads on. Kettle maybe.
- 5kVA: microwave, kettle, blender more freely.
What about cooking?
Electric cookers and hot plates run for a long time. On batteries, that is expensive. Most solar homes keep gas for cooking.
