Makita Jobsite Gear You Probably Missed: A Cooler, a Coffee Maker, and a 40V Microwave

Introduction

Makita’s tools get plenty of attention, but some of its most interesting recent products are the ones that never make the front page: battery-powered gear for the outdoors and the jobsite. We’re looking at three of them here. Two are already on the market, and one, a cordless microwave, has just been announced.

Makita 18V LXT Cordless Cooler/Warmer

At first glance this looks like a fairly ordinary cooler, but it is fully digital and runs on batteries. It takes two Makita 18V LXT batteries, and it works as both a cooler and a warmer. There are four cooling modes: 15, 30, 40, or 50 degrees Fahrenheit, plus two heating modes at 130 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Power flexibility is a strong point. Beyond the batteries, it can run from a vehicle’s 12V or 24V supply or plug straight into wall power. A built-in USB port lets you charge devices, and the compressor-style cooling design is intended to deliver stronger cooling performance than simpler cooler designs.

Run times are reasonable for the capacity. With an 18V LXT 6.0Ah battery set to 0 degrees Fahrenheit, Makita claims up to 5 hours of continuous run time; set to 40 degrees, two 6.0Ah batteries are rated for up to 17 hours. The lowest reachable temperature is -0.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Capacity is 20 liters, or about 21 quarts: not huge, but not small either, and the whole unit appears weather resistant. It has been seen listed around $699, well below a $1,251 list price that would be hard to justify.

Makita 18V LXT Cordless Coffee Maker

This one has been out for a while and it shows up in two versions, an outdoor edition and a jobsite edition. It is well reviewed, sitting at about 4.7 out of 5 stars, and costs around $134.

It works with Makita 18V LXT or 12V Max CXT lithium-ion batteries, and with one battery attached you can brew a cup of coffee right on the jobsite. It brews one 5-ounce cup in about five minutes, and clearance under the spout is 3.5 inches, which sets the limit on mug size.

Battery capacity determines how much coffee you get: up to three 5-ounce cups on a 5.0Ah battery, 2.5-ounce cups on a 4.0Ah battery, and 2-ounce cups on a 3.0Ah battery. The box includes a coffee cup and lid, a measuring spoon, and a removable water tank. If a morning coffee fix matters on site, this is a neat solution.

Practical Jobsite Uses

Both of these products share a common thread: they use battery platforms many tradespeople already own, so the real cost and hassle of cold drinks or hot coffee drops considerably. The cooler is equally at home in a truck bed or at a campsite, and the coffee maker lives comfortably on a bench between tasks.

Neither is essential, but both remove small daily frictions that add up over a long work week.

Makita 40V Max XGT Cordless Microwave

This is the one that has just been announced, and it may be the most surprising of the three. Makita has unveiled a 40V Max XGT cordless microwave, currently in the final stages of engineering. It offers two power levels, 350 and 500 watts, accessed via a simple door-front control layout.

Run time testing gives a sense of what to expect. With two 8.0Ah 40V batteries, the microwave ran for 37 minutes at 500W output, which is impressive. With two 2.0Ah batteries it ran 6 minutes at 500W and about 8 minutes at 350W, which covers a quick lunch without issue.

The unit looks compact and portable, with room for a carry strap, making it easy to move between the truck and the break area. This is not for feeding an entire crew all day; it is for heating your own lunch wherever you happen to be.

Why the 40V Microwave Matters

Cordless microwaves barely exist as a category, and Makita putting serious battery capacity behind one says something about where the XGT platform is heading. If the company can deliver this kind of appliance-level performance on batteries, more jobsite and outdoor products in the same spirit seem likely.

For buyers already invested in Makita batteries, the cooler and coffee maker are easy add-ons today, and the microwave is one to keep on your radar for launch.

Conclusion

Makita’s battery-powered lifestyle and jobsite gear is easy to overlook, but the 18V cooler/warmer, the coffee maker, and the upcoming 40V microwave each solve a real problem for people who work or spend time away from wall power. The cooler offers the most flexibility, the coffee maker is the cheapest entry point, and the microwave may end up being the most interesting of the three once it ships.