If your kitchen equipment isn't working properly, it's time to check the electrical requirements. Operators hooking commercial kitchen equipment to the wrong voltage is the No. 1 reason for its malfunction. Prevent this by identifying the volts, amps, and watts of your foodservice machinery and confirming their compatibility with your building's utilities. If you only have two of those electrical ratings, you can calculate the missing data. We provide a calculator that instantly converts amps to watts or volts, and we also offer a series of electrical conversation formulas so you can calculate the conversions yourself.
Electrical Calculator
Use our voltage calculator to accurately calculate amps, voltage, or wattage. Simply fill in two of the blank boxes below and click "Calculate" to calculate amps, volts, and watts.
Electrical Conversion Formulas
Alternatively, a handful of basic equations allow you to calculate the missing information on your own.
Watts = Amps x Volts
Examples:- 10 Amps x 120 Volts = 1200 Watts
- 5 Amps x 240 Volts = 1200 Watts
Amps = Watts / Volts
Examples:- 4160 Watts / 208 Volts = 20 Amps
- 3600 Watts / 240 Volts = 15 Amps
Volts = Watts / Amps
Examples:- 2400 Watts / 20 Amps = 120 Volts
- 2400 Watts / 10 Amps = 240 Volts
Watts Equation Cheat Sheet
Save this watts and amps cheat sheet to help you make calulcations whenever you need them:
What Are Amps, Volts, and Watts?
Wondering what the difference between amps and volts is? Voltage, amperage, and wattage are all related. Read on if you’re interested in learning more about these electrical terms and how they work together.
Amps: Amperes, commonly known as amps, measure the flow of electricity as an electric current. Specifically, they measure the amount of electrons that flow past a certain point per second. A common analogy used to describe how amps work is a garden hose. Amps can be compared to the volume of water flowing through the hose. The more gallons of water flowing through the hose per minute, the stronger the current. Or, as the number of electrons flowing past a certain point per second increases, so do the amps.
Volts: How do we make those amps flow? Voltage. In sticking with the garden hose analogy, voltage is similar to the water pressure in the hose. The pressure, or force, is what causes the water to flow. Volts are a measure of how much force each electron is under, which is called "potential.” Potential is what causes electricity to flow. The difference between volts and amps is that amps measure the volume of electrons flowing while volts measure the pressure causing them to flow.
Watts: Amps and volts combine to create watts, a measurement of the amount of energy being released. In the case of the garden hose, this would be the amount of water flowing. The higher the wattage, which we now know is the combination of electrical potential and flow, the more power and output we'll see. For example, the more wattage a microwave has to offer, the faster it will cook your food.
Why are Electrical Ratings Important?
Hooking up your foodservice equipment to the wrong voltage is the number one reason for equipment failing to operate as it should. If you connect your new equipment to the wrong power supply, it won’t work as efficiently and may even become damaged.
Considering the investment required to outfit your kitchen with commercial equipment, you’ll want to make sure the electrical requirements are met. Use our voltage calculator to accurately calculate amps, voltage, or wattage so you can avoid this common misstep.
Commercial Kitchen Equipment Electrical Requirements
It's important to note that most of the refrigeration units, cooking appliances, and ware washing equipment on our site is designed for commercial or institutional use. The electrical specifications and requirements can vary greatly from item to item. For example, many larger items such as ranges, bakery convection ovens, and oven-proofer combos don't come with a cord and plug. These units must be hard-wired by an electrician. We highly recommend consulting an electrician if you are unsure about the suitability of a particular piece of electrical equipment for use in your business.
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