Microwave Oven Use
in Your Tractor Trailer:
What You Should Know

Application

How will you be using your appliance? If you plan to cook larger meals from scratch, your needs will be different from someone who will only be reheating food. For many drivers, smaller microwave ovens work well to cook or reheat smaller portions. Mike used a Sunbeam SBM7700W in his truck, which served him well for years.

• cubic feet of cooking space;
  
  
• number of watts of power;
  
  
• number of power levels;
  
  
• number of minutes on the timer;
  
  
• whether or not it has a rotating glass turntable that can be removed for easy cleaning; and
  
  
• its exterior dimensions (for storage in your truck).

You will need to determine what combination works best for you.

Now granted, some foods cook or reheat better than others in these devices. We've found that pizza gets soggy when reheated this way. It is best to reheat dishes like pizza and impossible spinach pie -- that have a crust -- in a Jet Stream Oven, so that they'll be a little crispy on the edges.

Power Levels

Before you buy your unit, consider both the number of watts that it will use and the power levels of cooking. Using a lower power level will enable you to cook food more slowly (such as for defrosting purposes). Using a higher power allows faster cooking but can also ruin foods. Vicki once burned a bag of microwave popcorn by popping it on too high a setting. The popcorn was inedible and the burnt smell lingered in the room for a long time. Regarding the number of watts, you will want to make sure that your truck's electrical system can handle it. We cover this a little more fully below...

Safe Containers

12-Volt Units

You may see some units for sale as "12-volt" but they always seem to come with an inverter and wiring kit (which we frankly don't understand). We don't think it is possible for these appliances to draw enough power to run from a cigarette lighter unless they draw an extremely low number of watts (in which case it will take longer to cook your food).

After our mixed results experience with 12-volt Pot-n-Pops, we have steered clear of most all 12-volt appliances, especially those with a cheapo 90-day warranty. We have found them to be of inferior quality and quite flimsy.

Anyone seriously considering the use of an appliance of any kind in a commercial motor vehicle would be well served, in our opinion, to invest in a standard 120-volt household appliance which can be run from an inverter. Do yourself a big favor and research this matter for yourself. We've been burned (figuratively) and want to help you not be.

Naturally, you will want to purchase a microwave oven that draws no more power than your inverter can provide and will store fairly easily in your truck.

Exterior Dimensions and Storage Considerations

In one of the trucks that Mike drove, he used a compact refrigerator. He was able to place a microwave oven on top of it and lash it down via bungee cords or rubber tie downs to the floor. This illustration shows the placement of the unit in the truck (not showing the tie downs).

As he had problems with using a refrigerator, Mike now uses an ice chest to keep his food cold. In another truck he drove for his trucking company, he left the cabinet behind the driver's seat intact under which to slide the ice chest. When he used a microwave oven in that truck he stored it in the cabinet behind the passenger seat. To use it, he removed it

and set it on the cabinet behind the driver's seat. He plugged the power cord into a surge protector strip plugged into the inverter.

Dangers of Microwave Oven Use

Because these appliances use microwave energy to cook food, there are dangers associated with their operation. For your consideration, we are providing links to these two articles from Dr. Joseph Mercola: The Hidden Hazards Of Microwave Cooking and The Proven Dangers of Microwaves.

Superheating

According to a page (and video) on the website of the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia(2):

There have been many reports of injury to people using microwave ovens to heat water to make hot drinks. Water heated in a microwave oven may be superheated and when objects (e.g. a spoon) or granulated materials (e.g. instant coffee) are put into it, the water may boil very vigorously or even appear to explode out of the container. The vigorously ejected boiling water can cause serious burns. Sometimes even the act of taking the container out of the oven and or putting it on the bench can cause the boiling.

Beware of this phenomenon and avoid setting up conditions to cause superheating.

Our Experience

Now, instead of radiating our food in a microwave oven to cook it or warm it up, we use a hot pot.

Helpful Hint

To keep the glass turntable inside the microwave from rattling while he was driving, Mike wrapped it in a thick cloth towel and put it back on the carousel before storing it away.

Money saving tip: Even though purchasing a microwave oven may be a significant investment, add up all of the savings of the meals you can cook in your truck instead of eating out on the road. There are many, many dishes, whether prepared at home or commercially, that can be cooked or reheated and eaten on the road. We strongly encourage you to measure the space where you are considering storing the unit in your truck before buying one so you don't buy one that is too large. Compare the features that you are most likely to use versus the price. Some units have other functions besides just microwaving, such as a convection oven. Research these prior to purchase so that you know what you're getting.

Reference:
1. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/microwave
2. http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/superheating.html