Testing 19 Home Appliances For EMF Radiation (With Numbers)

We have a ton of electric appliances in our kitchen and homes but how much EMF do they emit? and which ones have the highest readings on our meters?

Here’s a list of home appliances and the amount of electrical and magnetic fields they create.

EMF Reading On Kitchen Appliances

Let’s start with the kitchen. This is the room in the house with the most electronic devices and we find a ton of generators and transformers inside these things. The radiation levels vary a lot from device to device as we will see below.

Important Details Before We Proceed

It’s important for me to clarify a few things before we get started on all the numbers. I did all these readings with my Cornet EMF meter. It’s an excellent meter that is recommended by a long list of billing biologists and specialists in the field.

Secondly, I want to let you know exactly how I did all these readings.

I placed my EMF meter directly in front of the device. For some appliances, there will be much more radiation emitted from the back. This is especially true from the refrigerator and the freezer. They have a separate article here but you can read more about EMF readings on freezers and refrigerators. This is also important when we talk about other kids on appliances like the blender, the toaster, etc. because you can (much) get higher readings if you turn them on the head and measure just above the generator the electrical motor.

The same holds true when we come to the electrical devices from the bathroom and the toilet. I have measured these handheld devices at this point where you would hold them in your hand. Some of them can also get higher readings if you measure the electromagnetic fields around the heating device or the motor itself.

I chose to do all the readings from three different distances:

• 1 inch
• 3 inches
• 1 foot

For most of the appliances, it didn’t make sense to measure anything outside of the distance of one foot. This is because electrical and magnetic fields decrease quickly as we move away from the source.

That is also why it’s important to know about these things because when you know this it’s easy to stay clear of the radiation zones.

I will also include special notes for some of the appliances where think it makes sense.

Let’s start with the two worst of them all, the induction cooktop and the microwave oven.

1) Induction Cooktop

Brand: Brandt (German design)

In many homes, the induction cooktop is the device that can emit the highest level of EMF radiation. This also holds true in our home.

I got some very high ratings from the induction cooktop I turned it to the maximum output. Especially with the electrical fields where I got so high readings that my EMF meter wasn’t even able to detect it. Here are the numbers:

I was really surprised to find that our induction cooktop was this bad. My meter couldn’t even measure the amount off EMF being emitted from the front of the thing!

It’s important to note here, that there are different types of induction cooktops. Our model is made from the German manufacturer called “Brandt” and they tend to place the transformer at the front of the cooktop. This is a really bad idea because this is exactly where you’re standing when you are operating it. It’s a lot smarter to place the transformer toward the back of the thing because it would lower the amount of EMF significantly.

It’s the transformer inside the induction cooktop that’s the problem. It’s a very strong transformer and this creates a very strong electromagnetic field around you as you use it.

We have already decided to get rid of the thing that we haven’t managed yet to find a replacement.

2) Micro Oven

Brand: Melissa (Cheapest from the grocery store)

Next up on the list of some micro oven. It’s also one of the worst sources of radiation in our homes. They can email to extreme levels of radiation when we are talking about the big stronger models. My micro oven is actually a pretty small model with a low level of radiation because I don’t like the big ones.

Here are the readings:

You might be surprised to find that the the the electrical field around the microwave oven is that strong at a distance of 3 inches. When you compared it to the induction cooktop you should remember that I am measuring from the front.

Some microwave oven designs will emit more radiation toward the sides of them than toward the front. It depends on how deep it is and where all the electrical parts and components are located inside the thing.

Again, as we always say, it’s really important that you do your own readings and don’t just take our numbers of final answers here. It’s very easy to do and the EMF meters is very affordable.

3) Kettle

Brand: Siemens

The kettle wasn’t as bad as I expected. This might also be due to the fact that I’m doing my readings around the grip of the kettle and not where the transformer is located.

Here are the readings:

4) Toaster

Brand: Tefal

This is a pretty big toaster where you can change the plates in order to make everything from panini to waffles. I measured the levels from the top of the thing and from the front.

The transformer is typically placed at the bottom of these appliances which is excellent as it adds some distance to your hands and body as you operate it.

Here are the readings:

5) Blender

Brand: Wilfa

The blender obviously has a pretty strong and electrical motor. The model we have is extremely strong and very durable so I expected high readings from this monster. We like to crush ice and many other tough things in the blender so we wanted a really heavy-duty model.

Here are the readings:

6) Food Processor

Brand: Magimix

This is also a heavy duty model which can take anything you throw at it. We have destroyed to food processors in the past (cheap knock-off’s we bought at the grocery store) so this time we wanted the real deal.

We like to cook and prepare food and meals from the bottom so we know exactly what’s inside our food. In order to do so we need some good strong appliances in the kitchen and this food processor it’s really strong.

Just like the blender, the food processor has a very strong electrical motor which creates a strong magnetic field around the thing as it runs at full power.

Here are the readings:

7) Juicer

Brand: Philips

The juicer also has a strong and electrical motor which means we are dealing with pretty strong magnetic fields here as well. But notice again, how quickly the magnetic field decreases as we move away from the source.

Here are the readings:

8) Hand Mixer

Brand: No brand (old design from a grocery store)

The electromagnetic fields from the hand mixer were very high. I expected this to be the case because we are dealing with a strong electrical motor which we hold very close to our hand.

The model I am assured looked very similar to this old bandit:

These are very high numbers for the device you hold in your hand because you are very close to it. You will probably be using it for a while when you are making cream of other things in the kitchen.

So beware of this machine.

I have found that many of the tasks can just as easily be done inside one of the machines I can use at a safe distance like the blender or the food processor.

Here are the readings:

9) Fridges & Freezers

I tried to take readings from the front of the fridge. But the thing with the fridge does that it’s made off several layers of metal and the generator is placed toward the back in most models. This means that we hardly get any radiation directed out toward the front.

I took measurements with the generator turned on and off the results were the same. I didn’t get any magnetic and electrical fields coming out toward the front.

This doesn’t mean that we don’t have any magnetic fields around our fridge. We certainly have, because it contains a strong generator.

You can read more about how strong the radiation is from a fridge and freezer when you’re putting the electrical meter toward the back of the thing.

10) Upright Vacuum Cleaner (battery-driven)

Brand: Bosch

We have a battery-driven Bosch vacuum cleaner. We threw out the old model we had with a long cord because the battery-driven model is much more convenient.

Because it is battery-driven, the amount of radiation is limited. I didn’t take readings on this thing while it was plugged into the charger because it’s placed so we don’t stand right next to it when it is charging.

That’s a good way to protect yourself from the electromagnetic fields around your appliances. Make sure to replace all chargers out in a corner and not close to where you sit or stand- and definitely not where you sleep.

All the chargers in our household half transformers inside them. You can read more here about how transformers and chargers emit radiation.

Here are the readings:

11) Canister Vacuum Cleaner

Brand: Miele (S4280 1800 Watts)

It turns out that canister vacuum cleaners are really high-emitting EMF monsters. Once again, my meter was maxed out but this time it was a magnetic field that was too strong around the machine.

The EMF readings from the vacuum cleaner were against the roof.

This is because we have a very strong electrical motor inside this thing. It is probably the strongest electrical motor we have in the home. So now you know that you should never let the kids play with the vacuum cleaner or sit on it while you clean the floor. It’s not a toy and it is definitely a very high-emitting EMF machine.

You need to be several feet away from the vacuum cleaner in order to stay out of the electromagnetic fields. But this is also a model that your drag along as you clean the house so you will typically not be very close to it.

Here are the readings:

12) Dryer

Brand: Siemens

I found very low readings on the electric and magnetic fields around the dryer. This is probably due to two factors:

1. The electrical motor is placed toward the back of the machine. So, the signal doesn’t get picked up from the front where I did my readings. This is also where are you would normally operate it so there’s no need to do measurements from the back
2. The motor doesn’t turn around very quickly so it’s probably not nearly as strong as the motors inside our washer and our vacuum cleaner. 

Here are the readings:

13) Dishwasher

The electrical fields around the front of the dishwasher were pretty high. We might have a lot of electrical stuff at the front of the machine (which was not the case with our fridges and freezers).

450 V/m is very high from the front of the machine so you want to make sure your kids won’t be playing in front of it as it runs.

Our dishwasher has a little blue light that shines down on the ground in front of it. It’s in stored there in order to make it easy to see if it’s turned on or off because you cannot hear it when it’s drying (toward the end of the program). Our toddler likes to sit and place his finger on the spot but not after we found out how strong the electrical fields are in front of the machine.

Here are the readings:

14) Extractor Hoods

Model: Old cheap stuff (no name)

I’m pretty sure the motor of this thing is placed far away from the front. The model I measured was a design similar to this:

The reasons for low and I’m happy with how it works because it seems like the electromagnetic radiation is being emitted further up into the system. I was quite nervous about this one because it’s placed right in front of your forehead which is obviously bad if it was emitting high levels of EMF.

Luckily, it wasn’t too bad at all.

Here are the readings:

EMF Reading On Electric Devices In The Bathroom

15) hair Dryer

Brand: OBH

The dryer is one of the high-emitting devices in our households. You might get surprised when you read the numbers below.

It’s a lot of milliGauss four handheld device! Remember that you’re holding this thing in your hands and pointing directly toward your head. You are probably holding it as close as 3 inches to your head while you’re using it and if you have really long hair you might be drying your hair for a long time.

I know my wife was before we found out that she is very sensitive to EMF.

Here are the readings:

16) Hair Trimmer

Brand: Philips

My hair is getting really thin up top so I need to trim my hair in order to look decent. This half trimmer is a wired model which means that it is plugged in while I use it. It can also be used on battery-mode but I wanted the highest possible numbers for this test in order to let you know what we are dealing with.

Here are the readings:

17) Shaver

Brand: Braun

This is a cordless shaver with a lithium battery. You will get much higher ratings if you’re using one of the older models with a cord that goes into the electrical grid when you use it.

It’s actually one of the advises you get from reading the “Non-Tinfoil Guide To EMF” which I can REALLY recommend, by the way. It’s an excellent book for newbies and beginners who want to learn about EMF from a very practical angle.

Here are the readings:

18) Hair Straightener

Brand: Babyliss

This device was another surprise to me when I turned on my EMF meter. As I turned it on I noticed some very low readings at the beginning. But after half a minute or so when the thing started to heat up the numbers just kept spiking.

230 mG is a very high reading from a device you are holding directly on top of your head for quite some time!

Building biologist will advise you to always stay below 1 mG so unless you are using your hair straightener several feet away from your body (hi there, Rapunzel!) you should leave this thing in the bin. That’s where it belongs.

Here are the readings:

19) Nose Hair Trimmer

Brand: Wahl (Chinese knock-off from the grocery store)

This is a teeny tiny little thing with a few batteries inside it. I didn’t even care to include it at first because I thought the numbers would be very low. But this thing does contain an electric motor which is why we aren’t getting some pretty high numbers.

We point this device into our noses where we could just as easily be using a scissor! Just silly!

110 mG is way too much for any device we hold near our heads. Mine is going in the bin, that’s for sure.

Here are the readings:

5 Tips To Stay Save From Radiation Around Appliances

Now we have looked at a ton of numbers and readings from a long list of household appliances. Before you get all confused let’s look at a few ways you can make sure you will get as little radiation from these electronic devices as possible.

First, remember the distance is always your friend when we are talking about radiation.

1) Add Distance When Possible

The longer you get away from the appliances and their electronic devices the last radiation you will get. So far so good. But you don’t need to get as far away as you might think.

Every time you double the distance between you and the source of the radiation you will lower the amount of radiation four times. 

This law is called the inverse-square law. We don’t have to get very technical here but you should just remember that every time you add a little more distance to the appliances and machines, the radiation will decrease exponentially.

That’s the first thing to remember.

Next, remember to be extra careful around the machines and devices that you are using for long periods of time. If you’re heating a cup of water in the microwave is not a big problem for two reasons: 1) It’s only a minute of radiation 2) You can easily get away from it while it runs. Things look a lot worse and we’re talking about hair dryers or hand mixers.

2) Be Careful With Handheld Appliances

You want to extra careful with hair dryers, hand mixers, vacuum cleaners, and other appliances with strong electrical motors. This is because these electrical motors create very strong magnetic fields around them

The same thing holds true for handheld vacuum cleaners.

All of these machines can easily be replaced by a model that isn’t handheld. It’s much better to put all your food in the food processor or the stationary blender than to use a handheld blender or hand mixer.

Everything with a strong electrical motor we don’t want to use near our bodies.

3) Use EMF Protecting Gloves

If you cannot avoid operating these handheld devices you can always use EMF shielding gloves.

Check the price here on Amazon.

They can be a very good idea if you are working with these machines on a daily basis. Let’s say you’re working at a café or a restaurant and it’s your job to use the juicer for several hours each day.

In that case, you should definitely get a pair of the EMF blocking gloves because they will protect your hands and your wrists from the radiation. Your plot is cycling quickly free arrests so after a couple of minutes, you will have exposed all your blood to ELF radiation.

4) Use Cutters On Battery Mode

Most of the newer models of hair trimmers, shavers, etc. can be used on battery mode. Even though you can plug them in you will do better by using them with the built-in battery.

If you have an old shaver which can only be used with the cord you should throw it out and get a new battery-driven model. It will emit much less radiation (and it’s also easier to use without the cord anyway).

You might not be able to find a stationary hair dryer and it doesn’t make a lot of sense anyway because it will still be way too close to your head. We want to get the devices away from my buddies and especially our heads. So you should get rid off that hair dryer completely and just let it dry naturally.

I have seen some extreme numbers from old shavers. The problem again is that you are using this device directly against your skin and very close to your brain. This is not where we want the electromagnetic radiation to go.

5) Put Chargers Out Of Sight

All electric chargers contain transformers because they are changing the power input to fit the device.

Therefore, all electric chargers are emitting high levels of magnetic fields.

A Macbook, for instance, does emit a strong magnetic field off around 548 mG when you are one inch away from it.

I used to place it under my feet in order to keep my feet warm in the winter months. That habit died pretty quickly when I started to educate myself on EMFs!

In Closing

I hope you have learned a lot about which electronic devices and home appliances emit the most radiation. I have tried to focus on both the electronic fields as well as magnetic fields because they are closely related when we talk EMF.

If you remember the tips above you should be good to go. Just remember to keep your distance and lever allow these machines around your brain.

The last tip I will give you is to get your hands on a good EMF meter. It’s the best thing you can do for your health these days if you ask me. I’m using the Cornet meter here simply because I saw it being used by several building biologists on YouTube and other experts in the field.

I did all the readings for this article with this EMF meter.

Here’s a picture of it while I’m doing a reading in front of the cell tower outside our window. As you can see, the red indicator to the right is showing me that these limits are way too high. You don’t even have to understand all the numbers. You can focus on the items that turn on the red lights.

It’s a very cheap meter and it’s so easy to use. It has a scale to the right with red to green indicators that will show you instantly when you are outside the safe radiation levels.

Happy hunting for your EMF emitting sources!