The graph above shows the way a normal microwave oven uses electricity. The microwave oven was first set to defrost for 10 minutes, after that it was set to maximum power and run for another 10 minutes. The unit tested was a Daewoo KOR102M. Its output power rating is 1000W. You can see a number of key characteristics:
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The microwave oven is almost entirely a resistive load at full power. The kW and KVA readings coincide almost completely. However when running at less than full power the power factor starts to decline (a minimum power factor of 50% was recorded whilst defrosting).
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Microwave ovens are clearly quite power hungry when used at full power.
The summary figures for the test are:
| Max. Power drawn | 1406W |
| Minimum Power Factor | 50% |
| Total energy consumed | 0.28kWh |
