Choosing a microwave for your home may seem like a daunting task – but with our best Panasonic microwave buyer's guide, you're in safe hands. After all, you're not choosing just it for your kitchen, but your lifestyle, a reflection on what food you like and how you desire to prepare it. Nothing is more convenient than a microwave, as it's a versatile, easy-to-use and quick way to cook a meal. Luckily, Panasonic has some exciting features that we are very excited to talk about.
Personal tastes will always come into play, too. How your kitchen looks and feels – and what you've taken inspiration from will influence your decision. If you want that seamless, integrated look or to free up some counter space, a built-in microwave may suit you best. However, this option can be pricier than a freestanding microwave, so it's worth looking around for deals. Further, if you're looking for a microwave under £100, you've come to the wrong place.
Perhaps one of the most sacrosanct features of a microwave is its ability to do, well, everything you need it to. Some households may need a microwave to reheat leftovers, whereas others require innovative grill functions to quickly whip up a meal for a hungry family. For this, combination microwaves are best. You may want all the features and as many possibilities with your microwave – or just something basic. Fortunately, the versatile home appliance brand Panasonic has an extensive range of microwaves to cater for each and every one of us. It'll save time and energy in the long run.
Best Panasonic Microwave At A Glance:
• Best value Panasonic microwave: NN-ST48KSBPQ Solo Microwave - View Offer at Currys
• Best Panasonic microwave: NN-CD58JSBPQ Combination Microwave Oven - View offer at John Lewis
• Best Panasonic microwave for smaller households: NN-K18JMMBPQ Microwave With Grill - View Offer at AO.com
• Best budget Panasonic microwave: NN-E28JMM Standard Microwave - View Offer at Argos
But you're probably thinking: What business does Panasonic have making microwaves? Panasonic has risen in the ranks and proven itself a worthy adversary in the tech industry. But, much like Samsung's microwave range, Panasonic's latest venture into kitchen appliances is – by far – its most impressive feat. With its impressive range of microwaves, you're hit with microwaves that take the guesswork out of your cooking with weight sensors and pre-set programmes. We've handpicked the best Panasonic microwaves for creative cooking.
Best Panasonic Microwaves 2023
Best Panasonic microwave for even cooking
The Panasonic NN-SD27HSBPQ Inverter Microwave provides constant cooking energy on all power settings, thanks to its advanced Inverter Technology. Uncooked spots or frozen patches in the middle of the food are a problem of the past. With this appliance, meals are cooked faster and evenly, and all nutrients stay intact.
Customer Review: "This Panasonic microwave is the best microwave oven I have ever owned. It looks sleek, it cooks so quickly and so easy to operate. Great buy and would definitely recommend."
Pros
- 10 Auto One-Touch programs
- Inverter power cooks food evenly
- 23L means fits up to 2kg of food
Cons
- Smaller capacity than others
Best slimline Panasonic microwave
www.johnlewis.com
Offering family-size cooking, the compact NN-CT56JBBPQ Slimline Combination Microwave has a grill and a fan-assisted oven. With 1000W Inverter Technology, there is super control for evenly-cooked meals - whilst retaining essential nutrients, vitamins and flavour. Choose from 29 programmes for healthy, homemade meals.
Customer Review: "We purchased this product to replace a Samsung that had developed a fault, under warranty and Samsung refused to repair! John Lewis stepped in and offered us a replacement. As the Samsung microwave before had developed two faults in two years and because their customer service was lacking we opted for the Panasonic.
So far it seems to be working well, we haven't used most of the programmes yet and probably never will but it seems to be a good solid appliance and as always we have the backing of a two-year John Lewis warranty."
Pros
- Choose from 29 auto programmes
- Convenient, quick and easy to use
- Combi features include an oven and grill
Cons
- Some customers found it hard to read the control pad
Best value Panasonic microwave
www.currys.co.uk
The NN-ST48KSBPQ Solo Microwave guarantees even cooking results with Inverter Technology. You'll have healthy, homemade meals at your dining table in minutes, as it saves you time and energy. With a Genius Sensor and 25 auto-programmes, this appliance is impressive and comes equipped for most food types.
Customer Review: "This works very well and is more powerful than our previous Panasonic microwave; care required when first using it could be much faster than your previous model. There is plenty of space inside for larger plates or bowls. Plenty cooking of options (although for me too many to be honest)."
Pros
- Intelligent weight sensor
- Impressive Inverter Technology
- 16 programmes include Defrost
Cons
- Not a combi microwave
Best Panasonic microwave
www.johnlewis.com
Enjoy fresh and healthy cooking with Panasonic Inverter Microwave technology. The NN-CD58JSBPQ Combination Microwave Oven provides 20 per cent more worktop space compared to other combination microwave ovens. Ideal for family-sized cooking, this tremendously-spacious 27L appliance comes with a large 34cm turntable for big dishes.
Customer Review: "Some family thoughtlessness led to the "death" of our previous Panasonic combi-micro-wave. We were using this more and more on different modes to save energy and therefore money, so it was a huge relief to find we could replace it exactly! It's simple to use, effective in all modes and doesn't occupy much space! Very highly recommended!"
Pros
- 27 litre slimline design
- Large turntable for bigger dishes
- Automatic programmes galore
Cons
- Some customers found it larger than expected
Best Panasonic microwave with steam cooking
www.johnlewis.com
The NN-DS59 4-in-1 Steam Combination Microwave is your helper in the kitchen – letting you create healthy, tasty dishes for everyone. Using steam, oven (top/bottom heater), grill or microwave power, you can preserve nutrients and enjoy crispy results quickly and easily. We love this model, as it's versatile and offers healthy ways of cooking.
Customer Review: "We purchased this combi microwave to replace an older similar Panasonic model which has performed well over a number of years. The things we really like about this combi are: No turntable - the flatbed design enables the use of a wide range of your own different size dishes which often won't fit or turn on a rotating turntable. Also, there is more height inside than in conventional microwaves. The enclosed grill/oven element makes it much easier to clean the oven (our previous model had an exposed element).
Intuitive controls and automatic programmes. So far we have experimented with the auto micro/steam programmes on vegetables and fish, which has performed well, as has the basic microwave function. The size is as expected and we have not found an issue with the display brightness (our oven is in a corner adjacent to a window). Overall we are very pleased with our purchase."
Pros
- Microwave, steam, roast and grill
- Easy to use and compact design
- Plenty of space and easy cleaning
Cons
- Some customers claim it takes a while to pre-heat
Best Panasonic microwave for large households
www.currys.co.uk
Combination cooking is made easy with direct buttons for pre-set Combi Cooking options. Plus, the advanced Inverter enables the simultaneous use of two heat sources for faster cooking results. Whether microwaving, grilling or baking, the NN-CD87KSBPQ Compact Combination Microwave is equipped to deal with family-size meals with decent power.
Customer Review: "Produces tasty and delicious food, especially pizza at convection 220C and jacket potatoes at Combi 200C. Is a bit too complicated for the average person and could easily be redesigned to be simpler to use, why wasn't it? However, using the guidebook has been productive so far. I can't understand why the guide calls for the tray to be on the turntable for most recipes, daft, I use it just as my old unit and do much better cooking without it. I also don't understand why there's only one rack supplied, luckily I have two from an old LG oven of the same diameter, so I now have low, medium and high racks to improve my cooking, come on Panasonic think about it. However overall a good piece of equipment."
Pros
- A microwave, grill and oven, all combined in one.
- Genius Sensor ensures ideal results
- Auto programs take the guesswork out of cooking
Cons
- Heavier and bulkier than other models
Best flatbed Panasonic microwave
Panasonic's NN-CF87LBBPQ Combination microwave is a 3-in-1 sensation, offering a number of easy solutions to recreate a variety of healthy and fresh dishes. With the sensor and a range of 32 auto programmes, it makes cooking easy as pie. This microwave does all the work for you and in two-thirds of the conventional cooking time.
**
Customer Review:** "Excellent product. Easy to use and efficient. Low noise & easy wipe clean inside & out. Large oven size, no turntable and having a large tray that fits the base perfectly any spills can be cleaned up perfectly. Smart to look at with an easy drop-down door. The exterior is flat with touch controls so wiping clean is quick."
Pros
- Sleek and minimalistic design
- 3-in-1 combination oven, easy to use
- Dual-level coking, time-saving
Cons
- Some customers found it tricky to operate
Best Panasonic microwave for smaller households
ao.com
Make mealtimes easy-breezy with this NN-K18JMMBPQ Microwave With Grill. This Panasonic model has a 20-litre capacity, so it's great for smaller households and stomachs. Not only does it have five power levels and nine auto-programs to choose from, but the impressive quartz grill is also an added crispy bonus. All with a button!
Customer Review: "Chose this product as a like-for-like replacement. Simple, straightforward microwave. Perfect for us."
Pros
- Choose from five power levels
- Efficient quartz grills
- Automatic programmes
Cons
- Controls can be daunting
Bet budget Panasonic microwave
www.argos.co.uk
Lastly, Panasonic's NN-E28JMM Standard Microwave comes with 800W power and lets you enjoy a delicious meal in no time. Flexible features such as nine programmes, including Auto Defrost and Auto Reheat, make your daily cooking routine simple. With five power settings, choosing the correct cooking method has never been simpler.
Customer Review: "I bought this a few weeks ago to replace one which broke down with a mini firework display! Arrived the same day from Argos, well packed and very simple to work out what it's capable of doing. Been a great asset so far. Best to keep the instruction leaflet for more complex operations not used regularly though."
Pros
- Flexible features and programmes
- Has a quick 30-second start
- Features a handy child-lock
Cons
- Simple, no frills
Our Verdict: Best Panasonic Microwave
We've chosen the NN-CD58JSBPQ Combination Microwave Oven as the best Panasonic microwave. It's decked out with Panasonic Inverter Technology, making it a worthy adversary against uneven cooking. Despite having a generous and family-friendly capacity of 27 litres, this microwave won't take up too much space. As for Panasonic's pricing, it's pretty mid-range – making it a fantastic and nifty appliance.
FAQs
Are Panasonic Microwaves Any Good?
Here, A Modern Kitchen aims to get you up to speed with Panasonic's range, finding you the best Panaspnic microwave for your kitchen. For this, you'll need to understand the available features and programmes. For example, some of Panasonic's combination microwaves not only combine the conventional microwave function with grill and roasting - they even steam your food! We've picked out all the interesting bits that give Panasonic the edge…
Inverter Technology
Panasonic Microwave Inverter Technology cooks your food gently and evenly, according to the brand. "Thanks to precise power control, foods are not overcooked, and nutrients are preserved." Panasonic guarantees great, healthy cooking results with precise temperature and power controls and sensors. This smart technology saves time and energy, too.
Space
Our biggest issue with microwaves is that they can take up a lot of valuable counter space. After all, you want to be able to cut your veggies up and prepare meals in peace. So, with these excessive combination microwaves, surely space is an issue? Well, Panasonic promises their range has been designed with optimum interior space. Whichever model you choose, space won't be a concern.
Built-In Sensors
With grilling and oven cooking, another gripe of ours is working out how long to cook something. This is all a worry of the past with Panasonic's microwave range. Pre-set programmes may come in handy for some. However, some of Panasonic's models are built with sensor technology to take the guesswork out of cooking, taking into account the weight and food type for stress-free perfection.
Versatile Cooking
As you've probably already understood by now, Panasonic is hot on combination microwaves, which are energy-saving appliances to keep bills down. By replacing ovens, grills and steamers, you're cutting down energy, time and cost. Add steam functionality, and you have "versatility that can't be beaten," says Panasonic, as it's all "in a single appliance a fraction of the size of an oven."
How Do I Clean A Panasonic Microwave?
Panasonic describes the combination microwave as the "Swiss army knife of home appliances." By all means, we all agree. But even a product as mighty and epic as a combination microwave needs some TLC from time to time. Keeping it clean does seem like a challenge, but it's really no big deal.
With their help, we've written a guide to cleaning Panasonic microwaves. After all, no matter how well you look after your home appliances, they're bound to get a bit mucky. Especially when you live in a fast-paced and busy household, it's easy to let things get a little gross. But before you reach for the abrasive cleaning products, remember that Stainless Steel doesn't require anything strong.
As the range typically will have Stainless Steel interiors, cleaning can be simple. Using natural, simple and eco-friendly cleaning products is much preferred by the brand – and by us.
Panasonic has recommended two methods to get your combination microwave sparkling.
The Lemon Method
All you need for this are three simple things: a microwave-safe bowl or jug, one lemon and a clean, dry cloth. Make sure to pour at least a cup of water into the bowl or jug. Slice your lemon in half and squeeze each half gently into the water. You could even add the halves to the bowl.
Then, place it in your combination microwave and heat it on high for three minutes. When complete, leave the door close and let the infused-infused steam do some hard work on those tough, unappealing stains that have collected on the interior walls. Let it stands for five minutes.
After this time, remove the bowl and set it aside. Now, just wipe free all those once-tough splatters.
The Vinegar Method
Simply replace the lemon from the above method with a tablespoon of white vinegar for every cup of water you have in the bowl. Again, heat for three minutes and allow to steam for five minutes. Then, go in with the cloth to wipe away those once-tough stains internally. Don't forget the turntable and ceiling, as these can get surprisingly mucky.
Panasonic offers a handy tip if you're concerned about the water boiling the appliance, which is to "simply add a wooden toothpick or cocktail stick to the water mixture to prevent it superheating and boiling over." For any other stubborn stains, vinegar in a spray bottle and baking soda can help.
Piper Huxley is a Homes, Gardens and Wellness Product Writer for A Modern Kitchen, specialising in cookware. When she's not cooking up a storm in the kitchen, Piper is re-watching a TV show or listening to a podcast.