Panasonic NN-SN68KS Compact Microwave Oven with 1200W Power, Sensor Cooking, Popcorn Button, Quick 30Sec & Turbo Defrost, 1.2 cu.ft, Stainless Steel

I absolutely LOVE this inverter microwave!! I used to sell appliances, and we also sold these (in a larger size). I always knew that when my old GE microwave crapped out, that I wanted a Panasonic inverter microwave next. FIRST, an inverter microwave is SUPERIOR to a regular microwave. It’s more powerful, cooks faster, doesn’t change the texture of your food (ie- frozen bread can be thawed in it and it comes out soft and not ruined), it does a great job with defrosting overall, and doesn’t turn hot dogs into rubbery sticks. Time to heat a cup of coffee to a perfect hot temperature is only slightly more than a minute.I have a small shelf built into my kitchen cabinets on which a microwave sits. It really only can accommodate a small microwave with a small interior. But this fits and it has a nice big interior in which I can put full size plates and casserole dishes.Now let me address some negatives. The sensor technology, which senses steam, doesn’t work the greatest. You have to leave the food uncovered to get it to work its best, which means the possibility of food “popping” and getting all over the interior of the microwave. If you cover the food, even loosely, the steam sensor can’t pick it up. With foods that I can put in without any cover, I often find them not hot enough, even with the additional time feature, but sometimes it’s perfect. So the sensor is hit or miss.One disadvantage is that the directions on frozen foods don’t work with this, so you have to learn how long to cook things. So if your Marie Calander’s meatloaf dinner says 4 minutes on high in a 1200 watt microwave, that’s going to be too long in this one!I did buy the extended warranty (through Amazon) because when I used to sell the larger version of these, I had more than one customer who told me theirs died after a couple years. But the inverter technology is so superior to a regular microwave, that I wasn’t discouraged by that. If it dies after my extended warranty, I”ll just buy another!This was made in Communist China for Panasonic, which is a Japanese company.

after being opposed to a microwave in my house for quite some time i must say we love this microwave. the design is very nice its a good size heats up my food precisely great durability and functionality, no foul smells

Initially I was annoyed with some of the user interface features, but I reminded myself that my old Sharp microwave lasted for 14 years and so I was very used to the way it worked and didn't really have to think about it. The longer I have used this Panasonic model the easier it has become to use. Plus, I could have gotten the new model for not much more and that appears to have an easier user face.Things I like:It looks really nice, very sleek and modernIt heats well and quicklyIt has a "Quick 30" button and I find myself using that the mostI has a Popcorn buttonit is lighter than my old one and takes up a little less space, but is just as powerfulThings I don't likeNo beverage button (though the new model has one. 3 presses of the Quick 30 takes care of thatThe light doesn't seem as strong as my old microwave, but it might be an illusion. If I turn off the kitchen light it seems just as strong and I think what is happening is that the kitchen light bounces off the shiny door and reflects back at you so it is harder to see insideNo button for common uses like Frozen Vegetables. I have to press the Sensor Cook 10 times for frozen vegetables. I got an index card and wrote down the number of times I must press Sensor Cook for the items I most often use. Now that I have gotten used to it it really isn't a big deal, just annoying at first.The cord sticks out from the back of the microwave, the plug sticks out from the outlet and the cord is not flexible as most aren't for this type of appliance so I have to have the machine pulled out a good five inches from the wall so the cord doesn't rest against the microwave. I am not sure if it is okay for it to touch or not. Unfortunately my outlet is directly behind the machine. This might not be a problem if you have your outlet in a different place.It is noisy, but no noisier than my old one, and maybe just a bit lessThe reason I gave it four stars is that it does its most important job well--heating food. So far everything has come out just the way I want it. And the longer I use it the easier it is to use.