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.JPG "WaveBox")
The most ubiquitous kitchen appliance – the humble microwave – suddenly has gotten legs.
That's to say it has become portable, not just transportable. It even comes with a proud handle on top and looks like a lunchbox for the whole family. But here's the brilliant bit: it's powered by the sun.
Just kidding: that would be the fourth power option and would take a really loooong time to cook. However, the WaveBox can not only be powered by a standard 110 or 230V outlet but also comes with cables to plug into a cigarette lighter outlet or directly to a battery with alligator clamps.
Let's take the WaveBox on a roadtest.
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Here in Australia "boiling the billy" is the way you'd make yourself a cuppa when in the bush. Gotta light a fire first, rig up a stand for the kettle over the open flame and sing half a dozen songs around the campfire waiting for the billy to boil. That's romantic but not always handy or even permissible in this drought-stricken continent.
If you got to this remote place on wheels or if you're out in a boat somewhere you've got access to the vehicle's battery. And with the WaveBox, the world’s smallest microwave, your hot liquid is only a few minutes away. Did I say it was brilliant? Just wait and see what else is in store, or rather inside the cooking cavity: is has the so-called CoolWave soft-sided cooler, which fits perfectly inside the WaveBox to keep food and beverages cool during transport. The zippered, thermally insulated CoolWave is the real lunchbox which you can pack at home and store inside the WaveBox for extra insulation until ready to heat and eat. Go shopping with the CoolWave and if the frozen meal fits inside it you know you can cook it in the WaveBox!
The WaveBox arrived straight from the factory in the retail box, inside a strong, sturdy and plastic wrapped carton. Great packaging because even though the WaveBox is built for the outdoors environment, I like to receive it without any damage, thank you.
On that note of sturdiness: I'm not game to try out how well this appliance will hold up in really rough situations. Apparently, the factory has done drop testing onto cement surfaces with reliable performance afterwards and no structural damage. The reinforced ABS plastic on the outside looks like it can be scratched easily but will probably stand the test of time. After all, if you're going to go rough you wouldn't care about any scratches either, would you?
The rest of the design is functional and funky. It comes in various colours, including the tomato-red of my review unit. The short mains power lead came (in my case) with an Australian plug with our unique slanted prongs. Great! However, the retractable cord does not completely retract into the case because of the larger plug. Not a big deal. The other cables are stored inside the CoolWave for shipping together with a light rack for cooking popcorn. The 10' long alligator-clamped leads are pretty heavy and might be the first you'd want to leave behind if you must travel lightly. The WaveBox itself weighs in at 14 lbs or less than 7 kilos. I've got hernia from relocating my old microwave around when moving house! This one is around 20 percent smaller and about 40% lighter than most models.
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Testing Times
The retail box was clearly made for the US market, mentioning the 110V power option only. The WaveBox itself had no label to indicate it was suitable for our 230/240 mains supply. The only indication was our Aussie plug. It worked as hoped!
Tim Frank from WaveBox told me that Australia requires the A/V and C-Tick certifications which they are holding on for a launch here, so my unit was pretty much a pre-production model for this market. They have been selling the WaveBox already in the EU and soon also in Japan whilst the FDA approval is forthcoming shortly as well.
I boiled my first cuppa on mains power and noticed that it takes a fair bit longer than what I'm used to: 3 mins on the Coffee setting (there's also a Pizza and Popcorn setting in addition to the standard means of setting the duration). The unit is reasonably quiet and 6 beeps indicate you're done. After this, the fan keeps on going for a few more minutes which is normal says the manual but not really necessary I would think. The machine puts out 660w AC/Direct Connect and 175w via a Vehicle Power Outlet. That means it's gonna take 3 times longer when you're out and about, but, hey, you're on vacation! And you don't want to get stuck with a battery that gets depleted when you're in the Outback either so better to run the vehicle's engine at the same time or hook it up to a second battery.
Our next long holiday is next year in June so that'll be the real roadtest. For now, a few short trips will have to do. Finding a handy spot for the WaveBox in your car might be your biggest hassle but presented no problem in my Ford Falcon station wagon. Plenty of room in the back and even the 8' long cable was long enough here. There's no rattling rotating platter inside the cooking cavity either so the unit can sit there unobtrusively until needed.
Conclusion
Don't just think of using the WaveBox on holidays only. It can certainly be taken on the job, in the back of your ute (make that truck if you don't know what "ute" stands for) to heat up a mince pie or some leftovers. Another interesting use for my wife when we travel is that she often needs to heat up a gel-based or wheat heat pack. Just pop it in and you're right, mate!
And what about a hot cuppa in bed in the morning? Bedside convenience or the ultimate in decadence? You be the judge but I can find plenty of practical reasons to own one for just USD199.
The WaveBox has already won a slew of design awards and I can see this device conquering the continents for its convenience.
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Specifications:
Shell Reinforced ABS plastic
Base Rubber footings
Exterior Width 15"
Exterior Depth 10"
Exterior Height 11"
Cooking Cavity Width 10"
Cooking Cavity Depth 7"
Cooking Cavity Height 6"
Net Weight 14 lbs
Color As requested
Voltage 120v or 230AC; 12v or 24v DC
Wattage 660w AC/Direct Connect
175w Vehicle Power Outlet
Retractable AC cord length 3'
DC power outlet cord length 8'
DC direct connect cord length 10’ with alligator clamps
Cooking Times
Refrigerated slice of pizza
AC 2 minutes
DC direct connect 2 minutes
DC cigarette lighter 4.5 minutes
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