How many watts does a crock pot use?
A typical crock pot uses 190–380 watts when running and draws 1.6–3.2 amps at 120 volts.
Crock pot watts, amps and circuit
| Running watts | 190–380 W |
|---|---|
| Voltage | 120 V |
| Running amps | 1.6–3.2 A |
| Circuit | standard 120 V outlet |
Also called: slow cooker, crockpot.
What size generator runs a crock pot?
A crock pot needs a generator that supplies at least 380 running watts. A 2,000 W generator covers it with its running rating alone; add the watts of anything else you run at the same time.
How long a portable power station runs a crock pot
| Battery capacity, Wh | At 380 W, h | At 190 W, h |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | 1.1 | 2.2 |
| 1,000 | 2.2 | 4.5 |
| 2,000 | 4.5 | 8.9 |
| 3,600 | 8.1 | 16.1 |
A 500 Wh portable power station runs a crock pot drawing 380 W for about 1.1 hours at 85% inverter efficiency. Runtime = capacity × 85% ÷ watts; the 85% efficiency is an assumption. The power station's AC output must be at least 380 W.
What it costs to run a crock pot
Running a crock pot at 285 W, the middle of its 190–380 W range, for one hour a day uses 104 kWh a year. That costs about $19 a year at $0.18 per kWh, the US average residential price for August 2026.
Your bill's total ÷ kWh used. 0.18 is the US residential average.
- Per day
- $0.05
- Per year
- $19
- Energy per day
- 0.29 kWh
- Energy per month
- 8.7 kWh
How it is calculated
- kWh per day = 285 W × 1 h ÷ 1,000 = 0.285
- Per month = 0.285 kWh × 30.4 days × $0.18 = $1.56
What affects crock pot power use
A slow cooker heats with a low-power element wrapped around the crock. The low setting draws less than the high setting, and larger crocks have bigger elements. Over a full day of cooking it still uses less energy than an electric oven.
How the amps are calculated
Amps = watts ÷ volts. For 380 W at 120 V that is 3.2 A. The 190–380 W range covers typical models; the nameplate on a crock pot gives the exact figure.