What kind of tester did you use? If it's a meter, you should get about 120 volts between the hot and both the neutral and the ground (separately).

thanks - i was using the regular proximity tester on one side and a 3 pin plug on the back, that lights up if the outlet is working. I also have a multi meter, will try and measure the voltage - appreciate the help!!.

I have been led astray by proximity testers many times. Often, if there's one hot wire in the box, all will test hot!

So the proximity tester is indicating power but the 3 pin plug isn't?

Then it's a false positive with the proximity tester.

Is this a counter top outlet? If so, it probably is protected by a GFCI somewhere. Try searching around for one that's tripped.

Or maybe it's a downstream outlet from one of the other counter top outlets and there's a loose wire in that other box. Start opening up the other boxes and checking the connections especially any that are connected to the 'load' side of a GFCI receptacle.

The proximity tester woks fine on other outlets in the house - including those outlets that have switches. You put the switch off and no power in the outlet. Put the switch on and proximity tester alerts you. And those outlets have regular power on..

This is an in wall outlet, not on the counter top. I see one black/white and neutral coming in to the box, connected to the outlet.

The proximity tester picks up tiny amounts of voltage that can happen when a wire is just near another one that has full power.

It's something called 'phantom voltage'. Google it if you want more info.

It's a false positive.

If a proximity tester tells you there's no power, then you can be confident that there's no power. If it says there's power, then there may or may not be power.

i tested i using the meter - i am not getting enough voltage. I followed the power cable down to the basement - there are 3 power cables that are coming up together, unable to figure out which one ends up in the outlet. Any next step recommendations please? Thanks in advance.

mtvhike - the proximity tester i think alerts even if there is a very small voltage.. so that's a lesson learnt..

Can you follow those 3 cables back to other boxes?

If so, try opening up those boxes and seeing if there are loose connections or power in those boxes. It just becomes a process of elimination to determine where each cable goes.

one is coming to this outlet, 2 of them are gong to 2 light switches, both of them are working fine. I think i am going to trace the outlet one all the way back to the breaker box - i have false ceiling, so its easy to track.. any other ideas? Appreciate the support..!!

Maybe draw a diagram to keep things straight. If you can physically or visually trace each cable back to the breaker box, and confirm which breaker controls which cable, you're almost there.

This sounds like a case of a poor connection in a back-stab receptacle somewhere between the kitchen and the breaker panel. Not a wire that is visibly loose but one that has a high resistance connection with one of those infernal/internal spring clips. Just the movement of temporairily extending the offending device will often reestablish the connection, until the next time. I replace back-stabs or move the wires to the screw-connections whenever I find them.

JM$.02W

thank you - will try and investigate from that angle too..