The truckers often have a hectic schedule, so they have to manage their lunch on the way. Eating at restaurants is not suitable everyday and nobody likes to eat cold food that was cooked in the morning. So, getting a trucker microwave is the best possible solution to enjoy home-like warm food in the truck.
A portable microwave for trucks is a compact microwave oven for heating up food on-the-go. Such a microwave gets required power from truck batteries. So, you just need to plug it into the port of your truck to heating up your food on demand.
Some microwaves for trucks can cook raw food and heat up leftovers. On the other hand, some portable microwaves can only heat up the food but cannot cook the raw food.
You may have a truck or a semi truck with/without an inverter. Depending upon your truck types and port type, you need to select a portable microwave that fulfill your need to heat up food on the way.
| Image | Product | Ratings | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 9.9 | Check Price | |
 | 9.9 | Check Price | |
 | 9.8 | Check Price | |
 | 9.7 | Check Price | |
 | 9.5 | Check Price |
5 Portable Microwaves for Truckers
After testing many countertop and battery powered microwave ovens, I have picked top 5 portable microwaves for truck drivers that are high quality and durable. Here I provide detailed information about each each trucker microwave to help you choose the best microwave for your truck.
#1. Comfee’ Retro Compact Microwave Oven
Comfee’ Retro Compact Microwave Oven is a countertop microwave designed for small spaces. With 0.7 cubic foot food capacity and 700W power usage, this portable microwave for truckers can cook raw food, thaw frozen food and heat up leftovers in minutes.
It is available in 5 different colors among which red microwave will look great in your truck. It comes with a bright display on front as well as the control panel with a large dial and 5 buttons. The sound on/off button allows you to silence it to avoid beeps when using the microwave.
Its 9 preset menus allow one-button cooking of pizza, pasta, potato, popcorn, soup, meat, vegetables, beverage and reheat. It also has +30-second button to cook/heat up your food for 30 seconds more.
It has 10 different power levels for manual use, you can set the power level needed for your food. The child safety lock prevents accidental use when you are driving the truck. It also has ECO mode to save energy when the microwave is in standby mode.
- Full Functional Microwave with All Required Features
- 10 Different Power Levels and 9 Auto-Cook Preset Menus
- Child Lock Provide Added Safety When Driving Truck
- ECO Mode Reduce Power Usage to Save Truck Batteries
- +30-Second Button Heat Up Food for 30 Seconds More
- Can Mute It with Sound Button for Peaceful Cooking
- Some Users Got Toxic Chemical Smell from It
- Need a 110V outlet, Won’t Work in Trucks without Inverter
My Opinion:
The Comfee’ compact microwave is 17.3-inch wide, 14.1-inch deep and 10.2-inch tall. It requires 12-inch clearing space on its top for ventilation, make sure that you have enough space in your truck for using this microwave without overheating or safety issues.
It offers 9 auto-cook menus that you can use for cooking your favorite food at one-click. Its power cord has a 110V plug that connects with an AC outlet. You must have a built-in or portable inverter in your truck to use this portable microwave for truckers in an ideal way.
#2. Commercial CHEF Countertop Microwave
Commercial CHEF Countertop Microwave is a compact microwave for trucks and RV drivers. It comes with 0.6 cubic foot food capacity and it uses 600W power to cook or heat up the food.
It is available in black and white colors, you can choose your desired color at the time of purchase.
It has two large dials on its control panel. The first dial contains 6 power levels from low to high, while the second dial has timer setting from 1 to 30 minutes.
It doesn’t have any complicated functions to confuse you, so you can easily operate this truck microwave while driving your truck.
It has a 9.5-inch glass turntable that rotates in 360-degree to cook the food evenly. It can cook raw food, reheat leftovers and defrost frozen food properly like a standard microwave.
You should have an inverter in your truck to install and use this compact microwave oven.
- Easy to Operate with 2 Simple Dials
- 6 Power Levels for Customized Cooking
- Can Defrost Frozen Meals Effectively
- Rotating Glass Turntable for Even Cooking
- 0.6 Cu Ft Capacity is Enough for 2-3 Persons’ Food
- Does Not Have Auto-Cook, Sound On/Off and Child Lock
- Doesn’t Have Add 30-Second Button
My Opinion:
The Commercial CHEF Microwave is more compact compared to Comfee’ Retro Microwave Oven. Its simple control panel makes it a perfect microwave for truck drivers.
It does not have any auto-cook functions, you should consider this before buying it.
This compact countertop microwave will work in any truck or semi truck with a power inverter. Because it requires a 110V outlet which is possible only through an inverter. It has 17.75-inch width, 12.5-inch depth and 10.25-inch height, it also requires some clearance space that you should provide when installing it in your truck.
#3. Hot Logic 12V Portable Microwave Oven
Hot Logic 12V Portable Microwave Oven is a battery powered microwave for truck drivers. It comes with a power cord and a 12V plug to connect with the cigarette lighter port of your truck.
It is a smallest microwave cum food warmer with 1.42-liter capacity that fits easily in tight spaces.
It is made of high quality polyester with thermal insulation interior to provide safe and fast heating of food. It contains a hot plate on which you need to place your food bowl. Make sure that you have a heat resistant, flat bottomed container with a lid to seal it.
You can use glass, Tupperware, metal, plastic, cardboard and aluminum foil container.
If you have cooked food, you can reheat it in this portable microwave in 30 to 45 minutes. You can also cook raw food for which it will take 1 to 2 hours and for thawing frozen meat or veggies, it will take 2-3 hours or longer. So, it’s a slow cooker but very useful for truck drivers to get warm food on the way.
- High Grade Polyester with Thermal Insulated Interior
- Heat Up Food in 30 to 45 Minutes
- Work with Any Truck with 12V Cigarette Lighter Port
- Cook Raw Food in 1 to 2 Hours
- 1.42-Liter Capacity Allow 1 Person’s Meal
- Keep Food Warm for 12 Hours After Heated/Cooked
- Support All Flat Bottomed Containers with Lid
- Not Suitable for Trucks with 24V Lighter Port
- Does Not Have Any Microwave Functions
My Opinion:
The Hot Logic 12V Microwave for truckers is a super compact microwave cum food heater for outdoor use. It is an electric bag with thermal insulation and a hot plate to cook or heat up food.
You can use it in your truck by connecting its plug into the lighter port for heating up your lunch in just 30 minutes.
It does not have any auto-cook, power levels or programmable functions. But it works really well for quickly heating up food and it also saves a lot of space in your truck.
Moreover, you don’t need an inverter in your truck as it operates on DC power of the truck batteries.
#4. FORABEST 2-in-1 Portable Microwave
FORABEST 2-in-1 Portable Microwave is an electric lunch box with an insulated carry bag. It is made of food-grade plastic and stainless steel to provide quick heating on-the-go without compromising safety.
It includes a 1.5-liter steel container and a 0.45-liter plastic container, both containers have tight sealing lids to prevent leaks.
This trucker microwave comes with two 47-inch power cords. One cord has a 12V/24V plug and the other cord has a 110V plug. It means that you can use this portable microwave for car at home, office and in your truck with or without inverter.
It also includes a spoon and a fork made of steel for your eating comfort.
It comes with an indicator lamp on front to keep you informed when the microwave is on. It takes 25 to 50 minutes to heat up cooked food but may take longer in winter. It cannot cook raw food.
It has a handle on top so that you can carry it easily, while the storage bag provide added safety.
- Food-Grade Plastic and Stainless Steel for Safe Use
- Heat Up Food in 25 to 50 Minutes Only
- Sturdy Insulated Bag Provide Safe Storage
- Work with 12V and 24 Lighter Port of Trucks
- Also Work with 110V Outlet at Home and Truck Inverter
- Steel Spoon and Fork Included for Home-Like Eating
- 1.5-Liter Box for Main Meal and 0.45-Liter Box for Extra Food
- Cannot Cook Raw Food
- Take Longer than 1 Hour to Heat Up Food in Winter
My Opinion:
The FORABEST microwave for semi truck is a food warmer with steel spoon and fork. It is designed to work in trucks, cars, SUV, RV, Campervan, semi trucks and other vehicles. You can also use it at home, office, garage, basement and other places.
It has two power cords that support power supply of 24V, 12V and 110V. So, you can use it in your truck with an inverter and also in a truck without an inverter.
It can’t cook raw food, so you should not buy this if you want a microwave for cooking meals.
#5. Hot Bento Self Heated Portable Microwave
Hot Bento Self Heated Portable Microwave is a battery powered microwave with built-in battery. It works like your phone, you need to charge it for 2 hours to fully charge its battery and then you can use it to heat up your meals in your truck, semi truck, car, forest, hill station or any other place.
It comes with a charging cable and an adapter, You need to connect its cable with the microwave at the time of charging only.
At the time of heating up, it works as a cordless microwave for trucks without any outer power source. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to heat up the food inside without drying it.
For charging its battery, it needs a 110V outlet, its LED light indicates charging status. You need to press its power button twice to turn it on.
It is made of high grade plastic and stainless steel with a leak-proof lid. It generates heat to reach 145°F to 165°F temperature level to heat up food on demand.
- Compact Microwave Works Great and Saves Space
- Simple Design, Easy to Use for All Truckers
- Take 10 to 15 Minutes to Heat Up
- Uses Built-in Battery, Not Your Truck Batteries
- Get Fully Charged in 2 Hours, LED Indicator for Charging
- Safe to Use: Food Grade Plastic and Stainless Steel
- Heat Up Only, Cannot Cook Raw Food
- Users Complain about Its Poor Battery Life
- Quite Expensive for a Small Size Lunch Box
My Opinion:
Hot Bento Self Heated Lunch Box is a cordless microwave for outdoor use. It contains a 2200mAh battery and a 100-240V AC adapter with cable to charge it.
You can charge it to full in the morning and carry it with yourself in your truck. Then turn it on before 15-20 minutes of lunchtime to heat up your food.
It works properly but I feel that its too high cost for a portable microwave cum lunch box. But it is still a good option for truck drivers to keep their food safe in this lunch box and heat up fast when they want to eat.
What Type of Microwave Can I Use in My Truck?
You can use low wattage countertop microwave in your truck with an inverter. In case you don’t have a power inverter in your truck then you can use a 12V or 24V battery powered microwave in the truck.
The countertop microwave cooks and heats up food faster than a battery powered microwave but it also uses more power from your truck batteries.
You should check your truck batteries and inverter carefully before you select a microwave for truckers to use in it. After proper inspection, you will be able to pick the right portable microwave that will be compatible with your truck power supply.
How Can I Use a Countertop Microwave in My Truck?
You can use a countertop microwave in your truck by plugging it into the 110V port of the truck inverter. It means that you must have a power inverter in your truck to use a standard microwave oven that requires AC power/electricity.
Your truck batteries have enough power to run a compact microwave in the truck. But the truck batteries generate DC power, while the microwave requires AC power supply. So, you need a power inverter that can convert DC power of your truck batteries into AC power to run the microwave safely and properly.
Some trucks and mini trucks come with a built-in inverter for truckers’ convenience. In case your truck doesn’t have an inverter, you can buy a portable power inverter and install it for using a countertop microwave to cook your food in the truck.
Can a Portable Microwave Cook Raw Food in a Truck?
Yes, a portable microwave can cook raw food in a truck as long as it is mentioned by the manufacturer. At the time of purchase, you should check the product description of a trucker microwave to know if it can cook raw food or not.
You can use either a compact countertop microwave or a battery powered microwave cum food heater. The countertop microwave can cook raw food and heat up cooked food in your truck. On the other hand, a battery powered microwave may or may not cook raw food.
Most battery powered microwaves are designed for heating up cooked food but some of them can cook raw food but it may take longer up to 2 hours. So, if your trucker microwave can cook food on-the-go, you will have to wait for 1.5 to 2 hours to get your food ready.
Is It Safe to Use a Microwave in a Truck or Semi Truck?
Yes, it is safe to use a microwave in a truck or semi truck as long as the truck and the microwave are compatible with each other. The microwave for trucks requires either AC power supply or DC power supply, you should check it at the time of buying a portable microwave for your truck.
If you get a portable microwave for truckers that needs 110V AC power then you must have a semi truck with a power inverter. In case you choose a portable mini microwave that needs 12V or 24V DC power then you can plug it directly into the lighter port of your truck.
There is a risk of fire hazard or explosion in the microwave if you try to use an AC powered microwave with DC power supply in your truck. To avoid unwanted accidents, kindly check and follow the power & voltage requirement instructions given in the user manual of your microwave.
FAQs about Portable Microwave for Truckers
When you search for a portable microwave for truckers/truck drivers, you need to be careful about size, capacity, voltage and other things. You should also check if the microwave can only heat up food or can also cook raw food in the truck.
Here I provide some common yet essential questions about trucker microwave ovens. You should read all FAQs and their answers carefully to understand how to choose a microwave for a truck or semi truck and how it works.
Q.1 What microwave can I use for my semi truck?
You can use wither a compact countertop microwave or a portable battery powered microwave for your semi truck. Make sure that you have a power inverter in your truck to provide a 110V outlet to the countertop microwave or a 12V/24V lighter port for the battery powered microwave.
Q.2 Can I plug a microwave into my truck?
Yes, you can plug a microwave into your truck right in the cigarette lighter port to get power from truck batteries for cooking/heating up your food.
Q.3 How do truckers heat up food?
The truckers heat up food by using a portable microwave oven in their truck with help of a 12V/24V lighter port or a 110V power inverter outlet.
Q.4 What type of microwave do truckers use?
The truckers use either a countertop microwave with 600W to 700W or they use a portable microwave powered by 12V or 24V truck batteries.
Wrapping Up: Warm Meal for Every Trucker
The truckers spend a lot of time of the day on roads, they work to transport important things from one city to the other. But they also deserve to drink a hot coffee or soup and warm meals that is possible with a portable microwave in their truck.
The truckers can prefer a countertop microwave or a battery powered microwave to fulfill their need of warm meals. Eating warm food help truck drivers to stay healthy and a cup of hot coffee or tea keeps them fresh to drive the truck safely.
