Can you Cook Frozen meals in a 700-watt Microwave?

A frozen meal may not be as tasty or nutritious as a home-prepared meal, but sometimes a situation requires a ready-made dish. If you’ve got limited space in your small kitchen and can only fit the smaller 700-watt microwave, you may be wondering, can you cook frozen meals in a 700-watt microwave?

You can cook a frozen meal in a 700-watt microwave, but you may have to adjust cooking times. Frozen meals require defrosting and cooking, which already requires more time and power than most food items. Look on the packaging for recommended cooking times and determine how long the food items will need to cook in your 700-watt microwave.

Read on to find out if you can prepare frozen dinners in a less powerful microwave and receive some advice on cooking frozen dinners!

Can you cook frozen meals in a 700-watt microwave or not?

Yes, you can use a 700-watt microwave to cook a prepackaged frozen dinner.

Always check the instructions on the frozen dinner package on whether you can cook straight from frozen or need to defrost first.

If you need to defrost, follow the instructions on the package making sure you select the right power and time setting for the defrost cycle.

You may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the weight of the food being prepared. Most microwaves will have more power than a 700-watt microwave. If the packaging doesn’t have instructions for a 700-watt appliance, then you’ll have to calculate the cook times on your own.

For example, if a frozen meal requires 10 minutes of cooking when using a 1,000-watt microwave, you’ll need 14 minutes and 17 seconds to cook it in a 700-watt microwave. To find the conversions from a 1,000-watt to a 700-watt microwave, check out this resource.

Some items may require additional time for defrosting. Once defrosting is done, the food should not be icy at all. Follow the recipe instructions, making sure to select the recommended power level and cooking time or one of the preprogrammed microwave food-specific settings to cook the food.

Tips to adjust cooking times for a 700-watt microwave

The cooking time for a meal depends on the type of food, the quantity of food (oz), and the cooking power of the microwave.

So, depending on the meal and the other variables above, the cooking time can vary.

For example, frozen 10 oz spinach will cook in about 5-8 mins at full power, while frozen 10 oz beans will cook in about 6-9 min.

For cooking times for your frozen meal, refer to the instructions on the meal package or the microwave owner manual.

You may be interested in this post: Should you cook popcorn in a 700-watt microwave?

Is 700 watts enough power?

You can cook frozen dinners and prepare other meals that the higher power rating microwaves can in a 700-watt microwave, but it’ll likely take longer than a 1,000 or 1,200-watt appliance.

That said, the 700-watt microwave takes up less physical space compared to the larger microwaves with higher cooking power.

In these situations, a 700-watt microwave may be the better purchase. Just make sure you purchase a reliable brand.

Closing thoughts

Yes, you can cook frozen dinners in a microwave with a cooking power of 700 watts.

Actual cooking time depends on the type of food, its weight, and the cooking power that the microwave is set to.

Consult the cooking guide usually included in the microwave manual or the cooking instructions on the frozen dinner package.