Panasonic and Sharp are two big names in the world of microwaves and you’re in the right place for a full comparison of the two companies. Whatever type of appliance you need for your home and kitchen, you can guarantee that our advice will lead to happy defrosting and reheating.
We’ve researched and reviewed each of these respective brands’ flagship line of microwaves to provide the best consumer recommendation. We’ve analyzed buying factors like reliability, ease of use, features, and range of options to enable you to choose the best microwave to purchase.
Panasonic Vs Sharp Microwave
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.
Features
Panasonic‘s standout feature in its microwaves is its patented Inverter Technology. This delivers a steady stream of low heat when using low power modes.
Compare this to normal microwaves that turn on and off again continuously to approximate low power.
Put your Panasonic microwave on a 30% defrost mode and it will actually apply 30% power, giving you more evenly and consistently heated foods.
This is just one in a long line of superb additions that make Panasonic the top of the range when it comes to any brand of microwave. Here are a number of other features you can expect with a Panasonic:
– Sensor reheat that automatically cooks using a humidity sensor.
– Turbo Defrost which speeds up thawing and defrosting times.
– Popcorn button with three different levels.
– Smart controls combined with a beautiful LED interface.
– Ten different power levels for low power modes.
Sharp occupies the more budget end of the spectrum when compared to Panasonic so its features are less diverse and robust, although that’s not to say without merit.
The Sharp line of microwaves spans a wide range of options so features are not always consistent so we’ll examine the typical features you can expect.
One excellent feature found with Sharp microwaves is a sensor heating function. This modern advancement takes all the guesswork out of cooking, defrosting and reheating.
Rather than select a time, simply choose the type of food you are heating, the microwave will use its humidity sensor to detect when the food is perfectly cooked. No guessing how much time is needed!
Other features you see in Sharp microwaves are:
– Ten different power levels for low power modes.
– Preset modes including “popcorn”, “pizza”, “potato” and more.
– Kitchen timer on the LED display to conveniently time anything you want.
– Auto defrost function.
– “+30 seconds” button.
WINNER: Panasonic
The extraordinary array of features offered with Panasonic microwaves makes it a clear winner in this category.
Power and size options
The Panasonic range of microwaves occupy the higher end of the market. They are big, powerful, expensive and packed with extras.
A consequence of this is there are no budget options or microwave suitable for small spaces in the Panasonic line up.
The models of countertop microwave ovens offered by Panasonic are as follows. They also sell a modest range of over-the-range microwaves as well.
– 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
Sharp offer a wide range of size options with specific names for each type like “compact” or “XL Family”.
These come with an equally wide range of power outputs so the larger microwaves will cook super quick but the smaller budget microwaves are low on power and less quick cooking times.
All their microwaves come in a range of different colors with white, stainless steel and black being the common options.
Some of the models offered by Sharp are:
– Sharp Carousel Countertop Microwave – 700W with 0.9 cubic feet
– Sharp (SMC1131CB Microwave Oven – 1000W with 1.1 cubic feet
– Sharp SMC1662DS Microwave Oven – 1100 with 1.6 cubic feet
– Sharp SMC2242DS Microwave Oven – 1200W with 2.2 cubic feet
You can check out the full range here.
WINNER: Tie
While the Panasonic microwaves are big and powerful, the Sharp microwaves offer a wide range of sizes and powers along with some cheaper options. It’s hard to pick a winner here so I’m calling this one a tie.
Ease of use
Panasonic microwaves differ quite a lot across the range, much more so than other brands, so you should check out the model you want to buy in particular.
General themes are a sleek modern look with most microwaves being offered in that stainless steel/black look that seems to be in right now.
Using Panasonic microwaves is a dream. The user interface is loaded with functions but without feeling too packed. It’s simple to choose every option and the labeling is nice and simple.
Sharp microwaves are workmanlike and unspectacular. The brand eschews the sleek, modern look you see in many modern microwaves and goes for an aesthetic that reminds you of electronics in the 80s, for better or worse.
Using Sharp microwaves is simple enough. The keypad may not be pretty to look at but options are clearly marked and there are not clear errors. This kind of simple “no frills” style could definitely appeal to the right person.
Winner: Panasonic
Both brands’ microwaves offer excellent ease of use with clear keypads that outline their features, Panasonic takes this by a nose.
Reliability
Panasonic has a fantastic reputation when it comes to reliability of its microwaves. This is evidenced in thousands of user reviews on Amazon with little in the way of complaints or reports of commonly occurring faults or breakdowns.
This is all backed up by a 1-year warranty on all parts and a 5-year warranty on the magnetron itself.
Sharp have an equally solid record on reliability with complaints and other reports of faulty parts of breakdowns being relatively rare. Sharp offers a 1-year warranty on their microwaves.
Winner: Tie
These two brands are arguably the two frontrunners on the market when it comes to reliability and longevity of their microwaves. The occurrences of breakdowns and faulty parts that plague many other companies are simply not in evidence here so, happily, this is a draw where both of them win!
Overall
It’s nice to be able to do a comparison like this and say that both options are good and worth having.
Sharp microwaves have a lot to be enthusiastic about, and might be the right choice for those looking for a simpler or budget microwave.
In the end though, Panasonic knocks it out of the park with its wide array of excellent features and easy to use microwaves which makes it the winner in this particular battle.
Check out their range here, I’ve linked to the most popular model but you may like to browse around the choices of size, power, dial input etc.
