Panasonic is a Japanese electronic appliance brand known for its TVs, hi-fis, and video recording devices. The company also makes quality microwave ovens and offers the latest features in microwave technology including “genius sensor” functions, preset modes and the company’s patented “inverter technology”.
We’ve reviewed and tested the full range of Panasonic microwave ovens to give a comprehensive round up of how useful they are to consumers. We’ve looked at ease of use, reliability, features, and much more to provide thorough analysis of these products and give you the best Panasonic microwave oven reviews.
Panasonic’s newest range of microwave ovens offer an outstanding array of features along with power output that’ll give you rapid cooking times.
Throw in fantastic reliability backed up by a comprehensive one-year warranty and you’ve got a microwave that will last and last.
We’ll start with the most talked about of Panasonic’s microwave components, the so-called “Inverter Technology.”
Inverter Technology: Is it worth it?
Panasonic’s unique, patented “Inverter Technology” affects how low power is delivered.
For normal microwaves, a low power mode like defrosting is achieved through switching the magnetron on and off again. So a 30% power would have something like 3 seconds on full power then 7 seconds off for the duration of the cooking time. While this approximates a 30% power, it is not what people assume the microwave is doing.
Inverter technology uses clever engineering so the magnetron runs at a consistent lower power. So a 30% power would be the magnetron running at 30% of its full capacity.
Food is cooked, defrosted and reheated the way it was meant to be. The result is thoroughly heated food with fewer burnt edges and cool spots.
The inverter tech and low power modes get glowing reviews and are the reason why Panasonic are, for me, the best range of microwaves currently available. But let’s look at some of the other features.
Genius Sensor – Hassle Free Microwaving
Sensor reheating, called “Genius Sensor” by Panasonic, is one of the latest trends in microwave ovens. It’s a way of cooking or reheating automatically, without you having to set a time.
It works by using a humidity sensor that detects water vapor in the air and uses it to determine when the food is at the right temperature.
Why is this good? Well, rather than setting a time and hoping it’s right, you just throw your food in and tell the microwave what it is. Pop back when you hear the “ding” for food that’s perfectly heated with none of the guesswork.
In Panasonic’s case, you have a wide range of 16 different food options for the Genius Sensor.
Power Output
Panasonic does not skimp on power output of its microwave ovens. All their microwaves, even the smallest available have between 1200-1250W, right at the top end of the power range for home microwaves.
This means your new Panasonic microwave will be blazing fast when it comes to cooking, reheating and defrosting. The wattage on a microwave works in a linear fashion, so to give you an idea, a 1250W microwave is near twice the cooking speed of a small 700W one.
For reference, microwave ovens historically have been sold at 700-900W and anything above 1000W is a powerful and fast cooking microwave.
Other features
As a brand that offers microwaves at the top end of the market, Panasonic offers a huge range of features to make cooking easier than ever. We’ve talked about two, here’s a full list of other features you can expect with Panasonic microwaves.
- Inverter Technology. Delivers a steady stream of low power energy.
- Genius Sensor. Automatically determines cook and reheat times.
- Keep Warm option for soups, gravies, and sides.
- Turbo Defrost. Thaws foods more quickly and evenly.
- Wide range of powers and sizes.
- Ten different low power levels.
- Three separate popcorn settings.
- 14 different pre-programmed cooking and reheating options.
- Convenient “+30 seconds” button.
What models are available?
Panasonic has a line of microwaves that offer similar features with different size and price options.
Your options are:
Panasonic Compact – 1200W / 1.2 cubic feet with 13.4″ turntable
Panasonic NN-SN686S – 1200W / 1.2 cubic feet with 13.4″ turntable
Panasonic NN-SN766S – 1250W / 1.6 cubic feet with 15″ turntable
Panasonic NN-SN966S – 1250W / 2.2 cubic feet with 16.5″ turntable
The Panasonic range covers a wide spectrum of sizes with the 2.2 cu.ft being massive (check it’ll fit in your kitchen!) while also offering more modest sizes around 1.1-1.2 cu.ft. Do note that it doesn’t offer any microwaves on the small end down at 07 cu.ft, you’ll have to look at other maunfacturers if that’s the only size that you can squeeze into your home.
Reliability
We all want appliances that work and stay working. And no one wants to spend a Sunday afternoon researching warranties and parts lists for a microwave oven…
In this case, I’m happy to state that Panasonic has a fantastic reputation for reliability with its microwave ovens.
Reports of breakdowns and other faulty parts are reassuringly rare. All Panasonic microwave ovens are guaranteed with a full 1-year warranty a 5-year warranty on the magnetron.
Customer service is also well regarded, any issues are dealt with swiftly and efficiently.
This is all reflected in Panasonic’s excellent ratings across review sites with a stellar 4.3 or 4.4 stars for all its current models on Amazon.
Overall
I can safely and wholeheartedly recommend the Pansonic range of microwaves for the following reason:
- Fantastic features like Inverter Technology and the Genius Sensor make cooking faster and easier than ever.
- Blazing fast cooking times from its high wattage power.
- Superb reliability and long warranty length.
You can check out the flagship Panasonic model here.
Any downsides? Well, there are no true budget options. If the Panasonic line seems a bit out of your price range then check out my article here for more affordable microwave ovens.
