What to look for in an inverter/charger?

They still sale the 458.
The 2000 should work with the coffee maker. With 4 6V batteries.

The 458 is a modified sine-wave... Many of the newer electronic items (incuding coffee machines and such that may have a computer chip inside contrrolling it) do not play well with the modified sine-wave inverters...

Check out this pure sine model... (It includes a nice popout remote)
http://www.xantrex.com/power-products/inverter-chargers/freedom-hfs.aspx

As said, get a PSW. Newer technology is going to present problems with MSW. Outback is top of the line, GoPower and Samlex are pretty good too.

To power the entire coach with my Prosine I intercepted the shore power's connection to the panel feed line at a jct box just inside the basement where the shore power arrived, and spliced the inverter 120v input to the shore cord, then the inverter's 120vac output splices into the panel feed line. That worked wonderfully for 10 years.

If you have enough battery (4 at least) to run a coffee maker you should be able to handle the MW.

I did my own install.

Look for user serviceable relays, if you get one with a transfer switch.

Compare idle current draw, operating efficiency at various loads, operating temperature range, overload capacity (ex 200 pct for n seconds)

Compare weight, light weight is a digital inverter, heavy is old school analog. Pros and cons to each technology.

The Outback VFX2812M would be an excellent unit. Also the Magnum MMS1012 (1000 watt) MS2012 (2000 watt) would be good choices. Any of these units can be set up with remote displays, battery capacity meters, and auto generator start if you want to get fancy.

I prefer separate components. Dedicated sine wave inverter, transfer switch, and a three stage smart converter. Something fails and that is all you replace.

If you have a 50a rig the Freedom SW is a good choice. The SW has dual input/output which makes wiring much easier. It is similar to the freedom 458 but it has pure sine wave output.
Dave

Hey Dave,
The Magnum will do all you ask with ease. Running the entire rig, or not is just how you wire it, and whole house is way simpler. Do not look at anything other than Pure Sine Wave (PSW). Some will say MSW is fine, but there are LOTS of things that will puke smoke and it's not easy to blow it back in. MSW also tears up AM receiption worse than PSW, and it's often heard in the audio of some TV and audio equipment. Some folks like separate components, and there are advantages to both systems, but I think you will find the problems with inverter/ chargers are extremely rare. Even so, Magnums are actually serviceable (unlike Xantrex) and the support staff is great (at least one of the tech's hangs on the forums). If you want come take a look at mine again and a tour through the remote (this one has all the option), let me know.

Having a 50A system totally depends on the way the rig is wired. My 2nd phase only supports the second HVAC compressor/ heat pump, and the water heater element, everything else else is on the 1st phase (although one day I may swing the fridge elements over and get it off the inverter too), so it's a simple job: YMMV

As far as running the microwave, we do it for a quick heat up or popcorn, anything longer than about 4 mins, we use the generator. It's all about battery capacity, the 2000w class inverters can run most microwaves given enough supply current.

I will divide it into two groups

Inverter portion:
True sine wave, if you want ALL outlets powered you need to be thinking the 3,000 watt range,, NOTE this much inverter needs at least 3 pair of GC-2 DEEP CYCLE batteries, more would be nice. But True Sine is important.

Converter Portion: 3 Stage with optional equalization (manually invoked)
Programmable so if you change battery type, You can re-program.

Informative remote display.

That about covers it (Informative means voltage (both sides 12 and 120 volt) and current (likewise) as well as error codes and modes) 120 voltage should be both IN and OUT, current needs only be out.