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Panasonic is a leader in the electrical appliances market, as their products are a guarantee of quality. That’s why we tested 10 of their microwaves to find the 5 best Panasonic microwaves.
The Panasonic NN-SN966S proved to be the perfect microwave for families, while the NN-SD372S is small but powerful enough to fulfill all of your needs.
It was really hard to pick the overall best Panasonic microwave, but finally, we chose a model that you may not expect. Curious to find out which microwave won the race? Keep reading below!
| Image | Product | Our Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
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Editor’s Choice
|
Panasonic NN-SN686S
|
10
|
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|
Most Versatile
|
Panasonic NN-CD87KS
|
9.5
|
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|
Best Value For Money
|
Panasonic NN-SD372S
|
9
|
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|
Best Seller
|
Panasonic NN-SN966S
|
9
|
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|
Budget Option
|
Panasonic NN-SN67KS
|
9
|
Check Current Price |
The Best Panasonic Microwaves
Table of Contents
One thing that sets Panasonic apart from other brands is how technologically advanced their microwaves are.
There are many Panasonic microwaves with inverter technology on the market, which we believe is gonna be the future of these appliances because inverter technology guarantees better results when heating food in a microwave.
In the list we compiled below, you will find high-end microwaves as well as more affordable units, all of them inverter-equipped.
The price is certainly one characteristic we take into consideration when we compare Panasonic microwaves, just as we do for all our reviews.
However, as we all have long years of experience in the kitchen, we know that there are other properties to look for when buying a kitchen appliance, and you can be sure we used all of our knowledge to skillfully guide you through this purchase.
All the microwaves in this list are efficient machines that will surely make your cooking life easier, but if you’re still unsure about which unit is the one for your kitchen, you can read our final section on how to choose the Panasonic microwave for your needs.
Panasonic NN-SN686S
- Large capacity
- Lightweight
- Powerful
- Turbo Defrost
- Genius Sensor
- Hard to read control panel
This Panasonic microwave with inverter was already topping our list of the best microwaves with pizza oven and we still believe this is one of the finest models Panasonic has released in recent years. Let’s see all the reasons why.
First of all, as we mentioned before, this microwave has a large capacity of 1.2 cu. ft. which is perfect for basically everything you want to cook, including pizza. You can fit a large dinner plate inside this unit with no problems.
The NN-SN686S is also quite powerful with its 1200 watts, and actually, it’s one of the most powerful microwaves on this list.
When we first read the wattage and properties of this unit, we thought this must have been a really big microwave, but we couldn’t be more wrong. The NN-SN686S is quite compact and small despite its generous capacity. On top of that, it’s quite low-cost for being such an advanced appliance.
Aside from the inverter technology that will allow you to cook your food to perfection without leaving cold spots, this microwave also includes Turbo Defrost, Genius Sensor, 14 auto-menus, and a child-safety lock among its many features.
Turbo Defrost works with an inverter as well and speeds up the defrosting process while making sure the food is thawed evenly.
The Genius Sensor and its 14 preset menus take smart cooking to a higher level by automatically detecting humidity and moisture, in order to adjust power and cooking time according to the type of food.
If we found a flaw in this otherwise wonderful microwave, it’s in how the control panel is designed. Since we were presented with white letters on a light-grey background, we found that it was hard to read the panel when the light hits it directly.
For this reason, we believe this might not be the best choice for the elderly or those who might have eyesight problems unless it is placed in a corner where it receives the right amount of light all day long.
As you will find out when you scroll down this list, the NN-SN686S is neither the most multifunctional microwave nor the one with the biggest capacity on our rank, so you might be wondering why we chose this microwave as our winner.
We said before how we take into consideration all properties of a product, not only how expensive or powerful it is. That’s because we believe that what your kitchen needs is a product that is great overall and not one that has one or two great features and is otherwise pretty average.
In this sense, the NN-SN686S has everything you need while remaining affordable and compact, and we think it deserves the #1 spot as the best Panasonic microwave.
Panasonic NN-CD87KS
- Compact
- Large capacity
- Convection baking
- Air Fryer
- FlashXpress Broiler
- Combo cooking
- Sound On/Off
- A bit noisy
- The front panel needs to be cleaned often
The Panasonic NN-CD87KS is called “Home Chef” and it won’t take long for you to figure out why this microwave deserves the chef title.
In fact, there is nothing this compact unit cannot do. The microwave in its base form boasts 1000 watts of power and a large capacity of 1.2 cu. ft. which would be already enough to cook whatever you need.
But the NN-CD87KS takes its game a step further becoming a 4-in-1 Panasonic countertop microwave, including a convection bake oven, an air fryer, a FlashXpress Broiler, and, of course, an inverter microwave.
When we say that there is nothing this appliance cannot do, we mean it. From heating your pizza to cooking lasagna, to grilling your meat or frying your chicken, you can use this microwave in place of your normal oven and you wouldn’t notice the difference.
Or better, you would, because this microwave will probably achieve the same or even better results as any other appliance you have in the kitchen, but more quickly, efficiently, and, in some cases, with healthier results. For example, did you know that air frying your food is healthier than deep-frying it?
The NN-CD87KS comes with a cookbook full of recipes (which you can also find on the Panasonic App), plus all the accessories needed to make it work: a turntable, an air fryer basket, a wire rack, and an enamel tray.
This microwave also has a function to turn the beeping off, however as with many other multifunctional microwaves, it is fairly loud when operating.
Another thing we noticed is that the control panel easily retains fingertips, so if you’re using it after touching food or while cooking, you might get it dirty very quickly. We used it a lot while baking and cooking, so we made it a habit of cleaning it at the end of every day.
Considering its multifunctionality, power, and its predisposition to high-volume use, we believe that if it weren’t for the turntable, this model would be a good Panasonic commercial microwave.
Unfortunately, the NN-CD87KS is quite expensive. If you can afford it, this microwave can make a great addition to your kitchen, but if it’s out of your budget don’t stress over it and take a look at our other Panasonic microwave reviews!
Panasonic NN-SD372S
- Compact
- Lightweight
- Genius sensor
- Keep Warm feature
- Value for money
- Hard to read control panel
If you need a small microwave that can still fit a full-size dinner plate and cook food like a 1000+ watts machine, the NN-SD372S is the product for you.
This Panasonic microwave with inverter is exceptionally compact for all the functions it has. You can fit it in a corner of your countertop or in your cabin, camper, college room, or breakroom at your office.
Among the Panasonic microwave models we reviewed so far, the NN-SD372S is the lightest and the one with less power (950 watts). However, we must admit that we did not notice big differences in performance between this model and more powerful units.
If anything, we found that its low wattage can be an advantage because it allows you to keep your electricity bill in check.
One thing we loved about this model was how you can set the cooking time with a dial timer. At first, we didn’t quite know how to use it, and we thought we could just set 1 minute at a time, which isn’t very precise.
Upon reading the manual, we realized we can really set whatever time we want, down to seconds. Reading the manual is something we absolutely recommend before using this model, because the control panel may not be as intuitive as it appears.
On top of that, given how shiny the surface of this microwave is, it can be hard to read it properly when light shines on it directly.
Apart from this small issue, the overall appearance of this product is stunning, especially if we compare it with other stainless steel microwaves.
For being a microwave that uses advanced inverter technology, the price of the NN-SD372S feels more like a gift than an expense, so you will get a great value for money.
Panasonic NN-SN966S
- Family-size
- Large turntable
- Powerful
- Genius Sensor
- Keep Warm feature
- No one-touch functions
This is probably the biggest Panasonic microwave we ever tested and we were kind of overwhelmed by how big it actually is because the pictures don’t really give it justice, so if you go for this model, make some space on your kitchen counter!
The 2.2 cu. ft. capacity is enough for your craziest cooking fantasies and we believe this is the perfect microwave for families, as you can heat several dishes at once (or cook a very huge pizza, if that’s your need).
Like the other Panasonic microwave ovens, this one comes with a glass turntable which with its 16.5 inches probably makes half the price of the microwave alone.
In addition to being the largest microwave in this list, the NN-SN966S is also the most powerful, with its 1250 watts that along with the Genius Sensor feature can cook to perfection everything from popcorn to mac and cheese.
The control panel is quite unique, as it has a “real” keypad instead of touch screen buttons. However, there are no one-touch functions, which can be a little frustrating for those who wish for a quick setup. In fact, even the “Quick 30” function requires you to press the Start button afterward.
If you don’t mind this small disadvantage, we believe the NN-SN966S to be a great product for families or for those who need a large internal capacity for their cooking habits.
Panasonic NN-SN67KS
- Large capacity
- Compact
- Sensor Cook & Sensor Reheat
- 3-level Popcorn menu
- Powerful
- Fast heating
- Detailed user manual
- Control panel difficult to read
The NN-SN67KS is quite similar to the NN-SN686S and it was hard to choose which one had to take the first spot in this list. The truth is, while testing units for our Panasonic microwaves review we realized these 5 microwaves were all really top-quality products, so the rank matters relatively.
The NN-SN67KS is an inverter microwave with 1200 watts of power and a generous capacity of 1.2 cu. ft. that can easily fulfill the needs of the average-sized family, but it’s also a convenient appliance to have if you live alone.
Despite the large capacity, it’s a compact microwave that doesn’t take much space on your countertop and can be moved around fairly easily, whether you need to bring it along with you on holiday or you just need to move it closer to a power outlet.
Like the other microwaves in this list, the NN-SN67KS is equipped with an inverter, a Sensor Cook and a Sensor Reheat among other features. This unit is in fact designed to make cooking a quick and pleasant experience.
Indeed, we were surprised at how quickly this microwave can heat and cook food. It is fairly fast even when compared with products in the same category, so if your habit goes towards late-night snacks or last-minute meals, this is the unit for you.
One thing we absolutely adored about the NN-SN67KS is the popcorn option. This microwave has a 3-level popcorn button, which makes it impossible not to cook your popcorn to perfection.
The design of this model is quite simple yet elegant, with a shiny black control panel and white lettering for the buttons. Unfortunately, the stark contrast doesn’t make it easier to read the controls, quite the contrary, it can be difficult to read it properly.
However, we really haven’t found any other big flaws in this product, so we believe that despite this design slip, the NN-SN67KS can make a great addition to your kitchen.
How To Choose A Panasonic Microwave
This may seem obvious, but there really is no magic formula to choose a Panasonic microwave.
As you noticed, all the microwaves we reviewed are inverter microwaves, so you can be sure that whatever model you choose, it’s going to be a technologically advanced model that will hopefully make your life easier.
Panasonic produces many microwaves and they’re all top-quality products that have different functions and properties. The only way to choose the right microwave is to take into consideration your specific needs.
For example, if you’re looking for a family microwave that can fit more dishes at once, you should consider a microwave with a large capacity like the NN-SN966S.
On the contrary, if you need something powerful, but compact enough to fit in a small space, you need something with a good wattage/size ratio like the NN-SD372S.
The NN-SN686S and the NN-SN67KS are a good compromise between a small microwave and one with large capacity, and their prices are also mid-range so these are probably the best one-fits-all models you can find.
Lastly, if money is not a problem and you just want a product that can almost replace you in the kitchen, you should go for something as multifunctional as the NN-CD87KS.
As you can see, Panasonic really has a microwave for everyone, so the only thing you need to do is to look at your lifestyle and habits and decide which unit will fit the best into your daily routine.
He likes to call himself a ‘tech freak’ and if you ask him anything about whatever tech-trend is on these days, he will likely go on for hours.
Apart from his passion for technology, Lucas has worked in an appliance store for many years and is also an over-enthusiastic foodie.
He considers his job at ConsciousEating a ‘dream come true’ because it allows him to explore the two things he loves the most in the world: technology and food.
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