Would you plug am 800 watt cobra inverter into your cigarette lighter?

I am wanting to get a 700 watt microwave for the road. Would an 800 watt inverter burn out the cigarette lighter?

Should I instead get one wired up to a battery instead?

 

Yes

 

Shouldn't be a problem...

 

I believe you. Got to wonder why they make these things to plug them into that socket though.

 

150 watt max from a standard lighter outlet, 240 Watts for heavy duty ones.
Otherwise must be direct wired to battery with heavy enough gauge wire.

 

Just in case you did not know, you multiply amp x volt = watt.
So cig lighters are what, 15-20 amp fuses (and by extension, wire) So taking the 20 amp x 12v = max wattage of 240 watt. Of course that is absolute max and likely will not be able to sustain the current before a fuse blows.

So I guess it's a long winded way of saying no, it will not work.