A microwave is one of those small appliances in your kitchen that you’re probably going to be using on a daily basis, so it’s very important that you make the right choice when you buy one. The stainless steel Panasonic NN-SN686S countertop microwave is perfect for day to day microwave cooking, and at about $160, it’s definitely not one of the more expensive microwaves in the market. It’s packed with about 1200 Watts in cooking power, and has a capacity of 1.2 cu ft. The microwave’s compact design helps make sure that it doesn’t take up too much space on your countertop, and its intuitive controls make it very easy to use. Are these features enough to make it the best built in microwave you can get? Let’s find out.
Why We Like It – Panasonic Microwave 1200w
The NN-SN686S Panasonic Microwave 1200w is one microwave oven that’s sure to heat up your food evenly thanks to its inverter technology. The technology is great since it makes the microwave more efficient in terms of energy consumption while still shortening the cooking time, and with sensor cooking on board, you’ll still be able to enjoy great meals even if you’re not that skilled in the kitchen.
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- Inverter technology heats up your food evenly
- Sensor cooking takes the guesswork out of meal preparation
- Child safety lock to protect against unauthorized use
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- Short 1 year warranty
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Power & Performance
This Panasonic microwave relies on inverter technology to make sure that your food gets heated up evenly, as this kind of technology creates a seamless stream of regulated microwave energy to get your food well prepared. The same kind of cooking technology is also used in the NN-SN67KS Panasonic Microwave Oven 1200 Watts, even though it happens to be slightly more expensive. Also, if you’re not that good at cooking, you might appreciate that this countertop microwave oven features a genius sensor that’ll decide the power settings and time it will take for a meal to get cooked. All you have to do is identify the meal from the microwave’s list of options, and let it get to work. If 1200 watts is too much for you, try the EMERSON MWG9115SB with 1100 Watts.
Durability
With a good cleaning and proper use, a quality microwave should be able to last between 5 and 10 years before you need to buy a new one. You should expect the same period of use from the NN SN686S Panasonic microwave, and since it also comes with a 1 year warranty, the first year should be problem free.
Ease of Use
The controls on the Panasonic NN-SN686S microwave are well indicated so you shouldn’t have an issue figuring out which button does what. The control panel may not be as sleek as that of the Samsung MG14H3020CM, but they still look pretty good, and are well labelled. There, you’ll find a popcorn button for making instant popcorn, a sensor cook button that has up to 14 different preset menu items, a turbo defrost button that thaws your frozen food pretty quickly, and right at the top, there’s a green lit LCD display where you’ll always have the status of the food you’re cooking well displayed.
Additional Features & Versatility
Just like the NN-SD372S Panasonic Microwave Oven, this Panasonic NN 686N stainless steel countertop microwave features a keep warm button that still radiates low energy past the cooking time, so that even if you take out your food from the microwave up to 30 minutes later, it’ll still be nice and warm enough for you to eat.
Value
With a 1200 Watt power output, this Panasonic microwave is packed with cooking power that’s enough for preparing heavy duty meals, and with up to 10 power levels to choose from, you’ll have a wide range of options in how exactly you’d want to have your food done. Also, the fact that this microwave uses inverter technology to get your food prepared makes it much more efficient than a regular microwave in terms of energy consumption, so despite its high power output, it might end up lowering your electricity bill in the long run.
Panasonic Microwave 1200w Wrap Up
While most microwave ovens are only available in black, you’ll be able to get the Panasonic NN-SN686S microwave in up to 3 different colors. You can get it in black, white or silver, depending on the choice that matches the best with your kitchen’s interior decor.
