An oven utilizes electric current (amps) and consumes power (watts) to run. The longer it runs the more power and electricity it will use. Based on its type of utilized energy source, an oven may use a certain amount of amp and watt or even nothing at all!
However, how can we calculate the total amps and watts used? Well, let’s find out!
How many amps & watts does an oven use?
Standard electrical ovens use 30 to 50 amps and it’s measured in kW (kilowatt). This value depends on the size, type and run-time of the oven. The power rating is generally found on the specification sheet of the oven and is about 1500 watts on average.
Based on its design, function, use, and size, electricity (amps) consumption of ovens vary. We can get an idea about this value from the power ratings on the specification sheet of the oven.
A standard oven has a power rating range of about 3 to 5 kW depending on its function and size. Ovens built with a power rating beyond this, are used for commercial purposes.
The product of voltage (V) and current (amps) represents the power (kW) consumed.
Considering an oven draws 120V and has a power rating of 4kW.
Below, we list types of ovens discussing their range of amps and watts usage:
Toaster Oven:
The power consumption of toasters ranges between 800 to 1500 watts depending on their size; 2 and 4 slice toasters. Thus, the electricity consumption of toasters is 7 to 13 amps.
On average, an electric toaster uses about 1200 watts and 10 amps.
Electrical Oven:
Electric ovens have a high power consumption of about 1800 to 5000 watts which depends on the oven size.
For standard electric ovens, the average power consumption is about 2500 watts on a medium heat setting. The current consumption is about 21 amps.
Pellet Oven:
Pallet ovens are environment-friendly and use wood pellets as the main source of energy. These ovens require a small amount of electrical energy.
The average power consumption of palette ovens varies from 100 to 500 watts for a temperature setting between medium to high.
Gas Oven:
Gas ovens use gas as the source of energy to function. Depending on its type, a gas oven may or may not use electricity.
A gas oven with features like oven light, digital display, burners, etc. requires a minimal amount of electric energy.
This consumption is about 3.3kW when used for an hour. However, there are other types of gas ovens where the oven is fully operated using gas only and thus electrical usage is zero.
Microwave:
Who doesn’t have a microwave at home? It consumes power between 800 to 2000 watts depending on the oven size. On average, the electrical usage of a standard microwave is about 1200 watts and 10amps.
What determines oven power usage?
The oven power usage, as discussed above, varies. This power usage depends on factors like:
Temperature settings:
An oven operating on a lower temperature setting has lower power consumption. As the temperature setting of the oven increases, the power usage of the oven increases.
For example, the power usage of an oven set at a temperature of 400°F will be much higher than compared to a 375°F temperature setting.
Oven capacity:
As the oven size increases, higher energy consumption is required to generate the same temperature.
For example, a smaller oven will consume less power to generate a temperature of 375°F compared to a large oven with a much higher space.
Run time:
The longer an oven runs per day, the higher will be its power consumption. The energy consumption of an oven is calculated considering the total hours it runs per day per month.
How to calculate the energy consumption of ovens?
To calculate the energy consumption of ovens we need to determine the per day power usage of the oven in kilowatts.
For example, an oven consumes 2000 watts or 2kW for 2hours per day. Thus, the energy consumption of this oven per month:
Thus, the longer an oven runs the higher will be the energy consumption. Again, the number of days the oven functioned per month is multiplied to calculate the total energy consumption in a month.
Do baking ovens use a lot of electricity?
Electrical ovens are often referred to as baking ovens and so, yes baking ovens use a significantly high amount of electricity which varies between 1800 watts to 5000 watts.
Baking requires a higher temperature setting and takes a much longer run time. On average it takes about 30minutes to bake a good.
So, not only does a baking oven consume higher electric power, but also requires higher run time and temperature setting. Thus the overall energy consumption of a baking oven is quite high.
How much will it cost me to run an oven?
The total power consumption to run an oven depends on the size, function, and type of the oven and the run time per day of the oven.
The residential electricity rate in the US is about 13.9 cents per kWh.
For an electric oven, this energy consumption on average is very high, and based on the run time this consumption can be much higher.
For example, if a 2000 watt or 2kW electric oven runs for 5 hours a day for 20 days in a month, then the cost of running this oven for a month will be: (2kW x 5h x 20days) x 13.9cents = 2780cents or $27.8.
Again, for a 1000watt or 1kW microwave, the cost to run this oven 5hrs per day for 20days a month will be $13.9.
How to save energy in the oven?
There are different ways to minimize the energy consumption of an oven. Some of these ways are listed below:
Choose the correct type of oven:
If the appropriate type of oven is chosen for a purpose, then energy can be saved.
For example, a 2000 watt electric oven is not required to heat a meal. Instead, an 800-watt microwave can do this task with much lesser energy consumption, thus saving energy.
Clean your oven:
A clean oven can save energy as dirt, grease and other impurities work as insulation within the oven which causes increased energy consumption.
Switch off the power supply:
Once the cooking is complete, switch off the power supply. This helps save energy too!
The display, oven light everything consumes a certain amount of energy. Switching off the power once the work is done is a smart way to save energy.
Do not over pre-heat:
It is often seen people tend to pre-heat their ovens for 30 minutes or more! But a 10 to 15-minute pre-heat will do the same work. So, do not pre-heat the oven more than necessary to save energy.
Optimum temperature:
Know about the optimum temperature for a specific function. Or else if the temperature is below the requirement, the run time will increase and so there will be a waste of energy.
Close the doors:
Opening the door releases the heat built within the oven, thus the energy consumption increases.
How much energy does an 800-watt oven use?
The total energy consumption of an 800-watt oven with a 1hr run-time is 0.8kWh.
The total daily energy consumption of an oven depends on its run time per day. An oven that has a higher run-time will consume much more energy compared to an oven that has a lower run-time.
If the per day and per month run time is known, the monthly energy consumption and eventually monthly expense to run the oven can be determined.
How many watts does an oven use at 250f?
There is no direct relationship between power usage and temperature of the oven. The power usage depends on the size and type of the oven used.
Obviously, with the increased temperature there is higher power consumption but this does not provide an exact or relative value of the consumed power.
250°F is comparatively a low temperature for an oven. So, the power consumption will be low as well.
How does power consumption affect voltage?
Generally, the greater the drawn voltage the greater will be the power consumption. However, the change in power consumption is minimal for a variation of voltage beyond the desired value (commonly voltages drop below the desired value).
Thus, voltage affects power consumption. Due to load shedding often there is a fluctuation of voltage and this impacts the power consumption.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, an oven uses 30 to 50 amps and has a power consumption of about 1500 watts on average. However, this usage depends on the type of oven used. The use of amps and watts is significantly high for electric ovens however this value also varies with the size and run time of the appliance.