Panasonic NN-SN75LB cu.ft Cyclonic Inverter Countertop Microwave Oven 1250Watt Power with Genius Sensor Cooking, 1.6 cft, Black

This unit replaced a still working but very noisy 2009 inverter microwave of the same brand. I'd love to fix the turntable motor of the old one, but I'm more of a software guy. Anyway, this new microwave is actually cooking better than any other microwave I've ever used. I didn't think it was possible for a microwave to cook as evenly as this one does. As an example, I toss in 1lbs of frozen peas into a bowl, microwave at 50% power for 6 minutes, and out comes ready to eat peas. What a pleasant surprise that "Cyclonic Inverter" is more than just marketing.Comparison between my 2009 and 2024 Panasonic microwaves:* Cooking quality: 2024 model is just much better and the 2009 one is quite good among other microwaves I've used* Power: 2009 has greater max power at 1350w rather than 1250w, so I do need to adjust to using 80% on the 2024 model where I would have used 70% on the 2009 model. This is a win for the 2024 model for me since I need to push the power level button 1 time less. Since I almost never use 100% power to minimize cold/hot spots, this is a huge win for the 2024 model.* User interface: identical buttons and key press sequences. The new LCD display is a big larger and brighter though. 2024 model has an interior light which is very nice. Door hinge/latch is significantly better, although this may be due to wear and tear on the 2009 model.* Size: the 2024 model is much larger than my 2009 model, which is annoying. It's the smallest cyclonic inverter I could find though. In my case, this means it takes so much counter space I can't put a plate in front of the microwave when I open the door, which is convenient for quick stirring and tasting.Only functionality I use on a microwave (why my popcorn button is so lonely):* Set power level somewhere in range 30% to 80%* Set time precisely, such as 2 min 33 seconds (scrambled eggs)* Add time: +30 sec* Start/stop buttonWhy I selected this microwave:I did far too much research on every microwave I could potentially purchase, including commercial ones. Discovered that most of them are actually manufactured by just two Chinese manufacturers and have almost identical specifications. Also, the commercial microwaves were rather ugly (to my eye) and generally don't have inverters. Since I'm almost never using 100% power (I really want my food to cook evenly even if it takes longer) an inverter is a must. So after all that research, I came down to Panasonic and Breville. I really love the user interface of the Breville, it's absolutely perfect to my needs, whereas Panasonic is suboptimal (needs 7 button presses to access power level 30% for example). However, I chose Panasonic due to reviews that indicate to me that Panasonic is more reliable and cooks more evenly. Further chose the new "Cyclonic Inverter" despite not find any reviews conclusively showing advantage over the regular inverter models. Glad I did though.

Several years ago, I had purchased a Magic Chef microwave. Just a few months after plugging it in, it died on me. Magic Chef agreed to replace it, but it would take several weeks, Being impatient, and loathed to be without a microwave for so long, I came to Amazon, and found a Panasonic with invertor technology. Oh my, what a game changer. Loved that microwave to death, literally. When the replacement Magic Chef arrived, I stored it in the attic. I was in love with my Panasonic.Well, 4 Years later, my Panasonic died. From what I've heard, they don't last forever, like the old microwave ovens seemed to in the past. But what does, nowadays? Anyway, with the exorbitant prices for everything today, and a brand new, unused Magic Chef in the attic, I could not justify buying another Panasonic at the time. Well, guess what. A year later, and the Magic Chef died. So much for that brand. Not for me.This time I decided nothing else would do, but the Panasonic with invertor technology. And that is where we are today. I am thrilled with it. Nothing works like these microwaves do. They practically do the job alone. Maybe not quite, but they do such an excellent job of cooking or reheating foods perfectly every time, I am over the moon, happy with my new oven.Awesome product!

In March of 2018, I purchased a Whirlpool 1.6 cu-ft microwave oven (model WMC30516HW). After two years and four months of use, some of the digits on the keypad started randomly flickering. The oven still worked, but the flickering was very annoying. Since it was out of warranty, I figured it would probably cost almost as much to have it fixed as it would be to buy a new one (welcome to the mantra of modern appliances).Aside from the flickering display I liked the oven. I considered its early demise a fluke. So I took a chance and purchased the exact same model as a replacement. That was a mistake.Four and a half years later, the second Whirlpool microwave suddenly quit working. Whatever happed to appliances that were made to last? Back in 1994, I moved into a new apartment. I lived there for twenty-two years. And when I moved out, the original over-the-range microwave was still working without a single service call.After my not-so-happy experience with the longevity of my Whirlpool microwaves, I decided to try another brand. I’d heard that Panasonic microwave ovens are supposed to be pretty good. So I purchased this model (NN-SN75LW), in white.PROS:1. This oven is rated at 1.6 cu-ft, the same as my previous Whirlpool. Yet it appears much larger inside. How is this so? In comparison with the Whirlpool, the interior space of the Panasonic is about 1” less in height, an inch or so wider, and about 2” deeper. To help put that in perspective, the rotating glass plate in my Whirlpool was 13.5” in diameter. In the Panasonic, it’s a full 15”. Obviously, Panasonic felt that interior height wasn’t as important as width and depth. I agree.I don’t microwave whole chickens or food items that are tall in my oven. For this reason, I don’t mind giving up some interior height for the extra width and depth this oven offers. I have a large casserole dish that couldn’t be used in my Whirlpool (it hit the sides while rotating). However, this same dish fits just fine in the Panasonic. Note: The exterior depth of this oven is about 1.5” deeper than my old Whirlpool. But I don’t find this an issue, especially since my oven sits on a shelf in a kitchen panty.2. It has an inverter. If you select a reduced power setting on a microwave without an inverter, the oven doesn’t actually apply reduced power throughout the entire cooking time. What it does is cycle on and off. In other words, it applies full power for a few seconds, then the power goes off for a few seconds. It repeats this 100% ON/100% OFF cycling over and over. In fact, if you listen carefully while a non-inverter microwave is running at a reduced power setting, you can hear the magnetron (the part of the oven that produces microwaves), cycling on and off.Inverter microwaves (like this one from Panasonic), work differently. Example: If you set the power level on this oven to 50%, it microwaves at a constant 50% power level (there’s no 100% ON/100% OFF cycling). But is this really a big deal? Well, it depends on the circumstances. If you’ve ever tried to soften cold butter, you know how easy it is to end up with melted butter instead. A microwave with an inverter makes this process more successful.Some sources say that inverter technology is nothing more than a marketing gimmick. And it’s true perhaps that on many foods, inverters offer little or no real benefits. But I look at is this way. Even if the only benefit from inverter technology is when softening butter, that’s something I find useful.3. The oven interior is a speckled grey color instead of white. White interiors show stains. The grey color is more forgiving. But it does make the interior of the oven darker (more on that later).4. The keypad and end-of-cycle beeps can be turned off if desired. This isn’t important to me, but it might be if your oven is being operated near someone who’s sleeping or trying to take a nap. Or perhaps you’d rather not alert the entire household that you’re warming some chocolate chip cookies in the microwave!5. The keypad has a timer feature. This allows you to use the timer for other tasks when the oven isn’t being used to cook anything.6. To keep little kids from fooling around with the microwave, you have the option of easily locking and unlocking the keypad.7. As of April 1 2024, all countertop microwave ovens sold in the United States must be equipped with a child-resistant door lock. Panasonic gives you a way to turn off this feature by pressing three specific keys in order on the keypad. However, the door lock function returns after a power outage (more on this later).8. Instead of a handle, the oven door opens by pushing a large rectangular button in the lower right corner of the oven. If you’re like me, you’ve often approached the oven holding a large dish (loaded with food), using both hands. It’s only then that you realize that you forgot to open the oven door first. No problem. Even with both hands in use, you can use a knuckle or an extended finger to press the door release button. And unlike some microwaves with the same design, you don’t have to press the button really hard to get it to open the door.9. It has a keep warm function (select power level “0“). I’ve tried it, and it works.CONS/SUGGESTIONS:1. Although the interior is lit with a fairly bright LED and not a bulb, I still think it could be a bit brighter. My microwave is located in a panty. If your microwave is located in a well-lit kitchen, you may not find this an issue at all. Part of the darkness is due to the fact that the interior is grey, and not white. The other issue is that there’s only one LED (located on the right side of the oven). This creates a shadow, making portions of the interior too dark. It would have been nice if Panasonic had installed two LEDs (one on each side of the oven), to reduce shadows, increase interior brightness, and make it easier to see what’s inside.2. Some reviewers have noted that you have to push the keypad a little harder to make an entry. Yes, I agree. But I don’t find it to be a deal-breaker. What I’d really like is if Panasonic had chosen to make this oven with a glass capacitive touch-screen. I have this type of keypad on my dishwasher, and I really like it. All that’s required with a capacitive touch-screen is a light touch. I realize this type of display would make the oven more expensive. But I’d be willing to pay more for the upgrade. It would also be helpful if the markings on the keypad were backlit. In dim lighting, they’re not easy to see.3. Panasonic doesn’t give you a way to completely turn off the clock. I already have three other clocks in my kitchen, and I don’t need another one that needs to be reset after a power outage. However, it is possible to simply not setup the clock when the oven is new out of the box (or after a power failure). But if you decide not to setup the clock, the keypad will display two dots that look like a colon ( : ). So, you can either set the clock, or you can leave two dots in the display that make people ask “What are those dots for?”4. Unfortunately, all settings are lost after a power outage (even for just a few seconds). This means that you’ll have to reset the clock (assuming you’ve decided to use the clock). Also, the oven will default to the door lock function, and you’ll have to turn that off too if you don’t use it. It would have been helpful if Panasonic had equipped this oven with a battery that kept the clock running and saved consumer preferences after a power outage.5. If you want an oven with a white exterior (like mine), be prepared to pay more. Personally, I’ve grown tired of stainless steel appliances.FINAL THOUGHTSThough not perfect, this is a very nice microwave. I like it better than my previous Whirlpool ovens. Will it be reliable and last a long time? Only time will tell.Despite being double boxed, my Panasonic oven arrived from Amazon with a couple of dents. I ordered a replacement, and it arrived in perfect condition. Returning the dented oven to Amazon was easy. I’ve been an Amazon customer for over twenty-five years. The ability to return something without a hassle is one of the key reasons I like buying from Amazon.Country of Origin: The Panasonic microwave I received was made in China.I am in no way associated with Panasonic. My opinions are my own. And I received no product, incentive, or compensation of any kind for writing this review.

This replaced a microwave that was 17 years old. Seems to be working just fine.