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Have you ever been craving a hot meal when you’re on the go, but had to settle for a sandwich with a meal deal instead?
Well, the days of cold pasta pots may soon be over, as Japanese utensil maker Makita has unveiled a cordless, portable microwave.
The MW001G can provide 500W of power for up to eight minutes to heat up your food, without being connected to a power outlet.
It weighs approximately 19.4 lbs (8.8 kg), so it can be easily carried to a job site, campsite, or charging point, but a shoulder strap can also be purchased and attached.
The microwave is currently only available in Japan and retails for ¥110,000 ($840, £670), but this does not include tax, the cost of the battery and charger.
The MW001G can provide 500W of power for up to eight minutes to heat up your food, without being connected to a power outlet
It weighs approximately 19.4 lbs (8.8 kg), so it can be easily carried to a job site, campsite, or charging point, but a shoulder strap can also be purchased and attached
The microwave has an eight-gallon storage capacity and internal dimensions of 10 x 4.7 x 9.5 inches (255 x 120 x 241 mm), so Makita says it “fits a large lunch box.”
“Being a flat table, it’s easy to clean and maintain,” the company adds.
It’s also perfect “for on-site and in-car meals, and for disaster preparedness.”
The microwave has room for two 40V lithium-ion batteries, but only needs one to function, so the other can be used as a backup.
When both are used, it gives the oven enough power to heat up about 11 lunch boxes or 20 cups of coffee.
However, installing higher capacity batteries can extend battery life.
Two 2.5 Ah packs give up to eight minutes of cooking time, but two 33.5 Ah packs extend this for almost an hour and a half.
It can also be switched between delivering 500W and 350W of power depending on whether the user wants to keep their charge.
But the MW001G isn’t just a microwave, it’s also a portable phone charger.
On the back is a dedicated USB slot that allows the owner to use their powerful batteries to charge other devices, with a maximum output of 2.4A.
The top has a display that shows runtime and battery life, and four buttons that turn it on, start cooking, stop cooking, and switch between the two power modes.
While it doesn’t have a trusty turntable, it does have a sponge filter that catches crumbs or dirt and can be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.
It has a storage capacity of 8 liters and internal dimensions of 10 x 4.7 x 9.5 inches (255 x 120 x 241 mm), so Makita says it “can hold a large lunchbox”
The company says it’s perfect “for meals on site and in the car, and for disaster preparedness”
But the MW001G isn’t just a microwave, it’s also a portable phone charger. On the back there is a dedicated USB slot that allows the owner to use their powerful batteries to charge other devices, with a maximum output of 2.4A
The microwave oven comes with safety features as it shuts off immediately if the door is opened while it is on or if it is tilted.
While it’s currently only available in Japan, it can be seen in a teaser video on the TikTok channel for Makita Netherlandssuggesting it will soon be released elsewhere.
While the company is best known for making power tools, the microwave isn’t its first foray into portable cookware.
Makita also offers a coffee maker, kettle and cool box, all of which are compatible with the same batteries that power the cordless screwdrivers and drills.
The official Instagram for Makita Denmark has even released a promotional image of one Makita Air Fryerbut since this was posted on April 1st, it’s unclear if it’s a joke.
They are all designed in the same teal blue color and with a robust, toolbox-ready look.
The top has a display that shows operating time and battery life, and four buttons that turn the unit on, start cooking, stop cooking, and toggle between the two power modes
The microwave has space for two 40V lithium-ion batteries, but only needs one to function, so the other can be used as a backup