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After testing the Panasonic NN SN936B for more than 12 hours, we can confidently say that this is a great full-size microwave for big families and busy homes. It’s especially good if you want to prepare larger amounts of food without consuming much energy.
It can also work if you’re starting your journey in the food serving business as it can be used in a café or a restaurant.
We specifically loved the Inverter Technology as it provided a consistent stream of heat output, and the Genius Sensor improved our cooking results every time.
- Preset Menu
- Turbo Defrost
- Keep Warm Feature
- Sensor Reheat
- Child Safety Lock
- Loud Beeping
Our Review of the Panasonic NN-SN936B
Table of Contents
Before starting our detailed Panasonic NN-SN936B review, we noticed that it costs less than other appliances of the same cooking capacity. Does this mean that the brand chose to sacrifice quality and functionality to offer a less expensive model?
Luckily, the opposite proved to be true. This microwave is packed with more than what you can get with any other model in its category and there are a few features that made us believe that this microwave stands out among the rest.
Chic Exterior
If you’re looking for a full-size microwave, this appliance should be one of your top choices, as it combines elegance with functionality in one unit.
Choosing this black Panasonic microwave will give your kitchen a sleek and modern appearance if you want to add a darker element without changing the cabinets.
The cooking functions are displayed on an intuitive membrane touch keypad that shows all the information on a brightly lit LED display. The door is opened when you push the door tab.
We loved the contrast between the keys and the font, as it makes the button easy to see even if you have poor vision.
The Interactive Menu Screen is a big plus for those who aren’t that confident about their cooking skills because it shows step-by-step instructions for multiple recipes.
We know that spending time in the kitchen means that grime and grease are likely to accumulate on the surfaces. However, this unit’s exterior is easy to clean, allowing you to keep your kitchen germ-free.
Size
Despite being a large Panasonic countertop microwave, this one can easily fit on most countertops and it provides an immense capacity for a reasonable footprint.
This appliance is made of aluminum, keeping the weight at 37 pounds, despite the dimensions of 19.44 x 23.88 x 14 inches.
By comparing it to similar microwaves of the same capacity, we found out that this one is about 8 or 10 pounds lighter. The reason is that aluminum is more lightweight than stainless steel, which other units are usually made of.
Cooking Capacity
This unit works great for large families and can be used in a restaurant or café since it’s able to accommodate larger batches of food at the same time.
Thanks to the 2.2 cubic feet of cooking capacity, preparing family meals won’t be an issue, as this oven is designed to fit a turkey. This also means that you won’t have to turn on the appliance multiple times to cook food for everyone. As a result, you’ll also save on energy consumption.
There’s also a 16.5-inch turntable that rotates to help distribute heat more evenly and cook food to perfection.
Once you’re done using the microwave, you can easily clean the white interior of the oven using a damp cloth to wipe all the oily residue.
Given the price of this microwave, we strongly believe that it’s good value for money. Other models of the same capacity usually cost at least $50 more. So if you have a big family and a limited budget, this will definitely be the right model for you.
Power Output
This Panasonic 1250 watt microwave offers enough power output to cook different types of food to perfection. You will face no problems whether you’re trying to reheat leftovers, cook snacks, or prepare delicious meals.
This power output is also compliant with the 2016 DOE Energy Conservation Standards, so you might need to consider this if you’re trying to decrease your carbon footprint.
You can adjust the power output into 10 settings. When you press the Start button, the power will be automatically adjusted to 100% and you can change the time using the 30-seconds button.
The Delay Start button is a smart addition, as you can program it using the microwave’s timer to start preparing your meal in advance.
When food is done cooking, the appliance will beep 5 times. We tried to turn off the beeping, but there was no luck. If this sounds like a deal-breaker, you might want to look for a model with a mute button.
Inverter Technology
The Inverter Technology guarantees better heat distribution, as it provides a steady stream of heat to cook your food to perfection. While other microwave ovens alternate between two power outputs to reach an average, this microwave guarantees more consistent results.
This was more evident when dealing with delicate ingredients that shouldn’t be overcooked, like shrimps, salmon, or vegetables. You will notice a better texture and more vibrant colors.
We definitely felt that our dishes had more flavor, tasted better, and there was never the risk of food that feels soggy in the center with burned or overcooked edges.
Moreover, food will retain its nutrients as you don’t need to exceed the power. This also helped us have our meals ready in less time. Now for family cooking, we felt that this would be a huge selling point.
Turbo Defrost
In addition to allowing you to cook tasty recipes, this microwave oven with inverter technology also offers the Inverter Turbo Defrost function.
The main difference between this one and regular defrost functions is that it is more efficient, faster, and guarantees better results, in fact, it distributes the heat from all angles at the same time.
Food won’t feel cold in the center while having cooked or burned edges, so when you get to prepare your recipe, your ingredients will cook evenly.
Smart Cooking with Genius Sensor
Panasonic understands the challenges of modern family life, so they included 14 Smart Cooking options to help you prepare your favorite dishes and snacks in less time.
The 14 built-in functions correspond to the most popular dishes, including pasta, potatoes, oatmeal, omelet, and frozen entrées. All you have to do is to press the button, and the microwave will set the power output and time to cook this recipe to perfection.
If you love popcorn, there’s a button devoted to this healthy snack. You can press the button three times to choose the adequate serving size.
These smart functions are complemented with the Panasonic Genius Sensor. It constantly measures the humidity in the food, so it adjusts the power output and the cooking time. As a result, you will never have undercooked or overcooked food.
Sensor Reheat
With other models, reheating leftovers might result in overcooking ingredients, so your steak will feel rubbery, and the edges of your lasagna will get burned.
The Genius Reheat feature detects the moisture level and adjusts the power output. Leftovers will be heated to the perfect temperature without being overcooked or burned.
Keep Warm
The Keep Warm function is a huge plus, as some types of food are best served warm. This feature is designed to keep your soups, gravies, sauces, desserts, and appetizers warm until it’s serving time.
You can use this feature while you’re cooking other parts of the meal if you’re using the appliance in a café or restaurant. At home, you can keep a family member’s dinner plate in the oven until their arrival, and they will enjoy a warm and tasty dish that feels like it has just been made.
Child Safety Lock
This microwave has a practical Child Safety lock that you can activate to prevent your children from using this unit without supervision.
You will have to press the Start button three times to activate this function and press the Stop button to deactivate this function. We didn’t find this to be much of a hassle, although a single button would have been easier.
Panasonic NN-SN936B Reviews: what buyers are saying
People who bought this microwave oven loved the roomy cooking capacity as it allowed them to cook food for multiple people in one go.
The Inverter Technology made a huge difference in the lives of those who owned older units. Food tasted more flavorful, had a better consistency, and even looked more delicious.
The Sensor Cooking functions were terrific as they allow you to prepare different dishes using a single button.
Some users were a little annoyed because of the loud beeping. Other than that, reviewers agreed that this model is a good choice if you need to prepare food in large batches with consistent results every time.
Final Verdict on the Panasonic NN-SN936B
By reaching the end of our Panasonic NN SN936B review, you probably have an idea of what we think of this unit. We truly believe that it’s a versatile microwave that caters to the needs of a big family.
It can even be used in a restaurant, as it has several valuable features like the Reheat and the Keep Warm function.
We loved how the Genius Sensor guaranteed better cooking results while the Inverter technology cooked food from the inside out. Every dish we prepared looked, smelled, and tasted better.
There’s no way to turn off the beeping, which can be a little annoying. However, if you can live with this, we guarantee that this microwave will deliver the expected performance for years.
- Preset Menu
- Turbo Defrost
- Keep Warm Feature
- Sensor Reheat
- Child Safety Lock
- Loud Beeping
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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