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> a 20A microwave is probably something you'd want to supervise pretty closely

Aren't standard microwaves 15A? Wouldn't a 15A -> 20A microwave just be 33% more powerful? Is that a dangerous jump?

I know very little about electricity

If I’m not mistaken 15A is a standard residential wall outlet with 14 AWG wires. 20A isn’t that much more but since it’s not standard, I think it would require a higher gauge of wire such as 12 AWG and an updated breaker. I don’t know much about electricity either

20A is now standard in kitchens[0]. For example, when I moved in, all my kitchen outlets were 20 amps. The sockets look like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NEMA_5-20R.svg

[0]Requirement: Provide at least two 20-amp, 120-volt circuits to supply power to GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) electric receptacles for countertop and eating areas. -- https://www.thespruce.com/kitchen-electrical-code-basics-182...

Oh that's nice! About a year ago I was considering a 20A countertop appliance (espresso machine), but my kitchen only had 20A plugs for the fridge/oven.

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