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What Power Level Is Defrost On A Microwave? Finding the right answer could dramatically change how you use your handy appliance.
Defrosting food is one of the best things about microwaves. Even if you forgot to take out that frozen soup before you left for work in the morning, you can still enjoy it after a quick defrost in the microwave.
But what if your microwave doesn’t have a specific defrost function – how do you know what power level is defrost on a microwave?
What Power Level Is Defrost On A Microwave?
The ideal power range for defrosting food is around 30%. This typically ensures that food is gently thawed.
The percentage (%) power level doesn’t mean you are restricting the power output (wattage) from your machine as that never actually changes. Instead it is the amount of “on time” in a given setting.
If you’re wondering how to get 30% power from your microwave, the handy tables below might help if you have a machine with power levels set from 1 – 10:
| Power Level | Equivalent % On-Time | Best For |
| Level 1 | 10% | Warming up food |
| Level 2 | 20% | Gently defrosting large items around 2kg or less |
| Level 3 | 30% | Defrosting food and gently simmering items such as rice. Also good for slow cooking |
| Level 4 | 40% | Gentle cooking as well as simmering dishes and baking. Also good for food that contains dairy and gently cooking beef dishes as well as casseroles |
| Level 5 | 50% | Reheating leftovers and items that have previously been in the microwave but have come out hot on the outside and cool in the middle. |
| Level 6 | 60% | Dense foods such as cuts of meat. |
| Level 7 | 70% | Larger dense items. |
| Level 8 | 80% | Reheating foods with lots of water e.g. soups and stews. |
| Level 9 | 90% | Pasta, minced meat and fish. |
| Level 10 | 100% | Jacket potatoes |
Best Microwaves For Defrosting
Read our reviews of the best flatbed combination microwaves if you’re looking for awesome microwaves with defrost functions.