Panasonic NN-SN966S

UPDATE 7/2022: I just noticed this review I wrote was now 5 years old and this model IS still being sold. So I thought I’d note this unit is still going strong. Used several times daily for over 5 years without a single hitch. Other than the need to wipe it down when someone forgets to cover a bowl of spaghetti. But alas, they haven’t seem to have invented the self-cleaning microwave yet so it looks like I’ll be using this one until they do. ORIGINAL REVIEW 6/2017: I waited for nearly a year of use before posting this review. And having briefly re-reviewed a few of the lower ratings/comments, I can say I have not experienced any of the specific complaints reported (i.e. door button sticking, poor door fit, wi-fi interference (although that has a lot of variables), etc.) What I can say is that this microwave is big and powerful. I remember pulling the turntable glass out of the box during unpacking and saying "holy cow, I could nuke a whole cow" on this. At just over 16" in diameter, what you can cook is 2-3 bowls of frozen vegetables at the same time. While the unit is certainly one of the larger non-commercial microwaves I've seen, the large cooking area appears to come more from efficiencies in Panasonic's design. In other words, more cooking area out of the same footprint of a microwave of this size from a few years ago. When I was first evaluating this purchase I wasn't sure if the "Microwave Inverter" technology, now unique to Panasonic due to licensing/patents, was gimmick or not. But now I don't believe it is (despite at least one non-Amazon/independent buying guide that tried to claim otherwise). This unit doesn't "pulse" on and off during the cooking cycle like other microwaves I've used. It's more like the described "steady stream of power" which definitely reduces cooking time and makes trips to the kitchen faster. However, you do have to be aware that similar to switching from a standard toaster oven to a convection toaster oven, cooking times need to be reduced or your food will truly be "nuclear" (ok, overheated). The inverter technology also appears to improve defrost mode in my experience. If you flip the food as instructed, it generally avoids partially cooking the edges of food like other non-inverter units I've used over the years. The only thing (or two) I personally didn't love about this unit was the power function on the controls. I'm used to hitting "power" and then a number. This unit starts at power 10 and you have to hit the power button 1-9 times to reduce it to the level you want. Admittedly, part of my aggravation is having had "power #" a habit long ago formed. But I actually find it less efficient this way. Also, I feel I should comment that the "cheat sheet" for the smart cooking modes is on the inside of the door on the bottom, conveniently printed for those of us that like to keep a magnifying glass velcro'd to the side of our kitchen appliances. I don't know why manufacturers think this is a good placement or print size but this issue is not unique to Panasonic. I guess my disappointment is that after buying a microwave several years newer than my previous, the leap in generation fails to provide any leap in improvement in the capability of the timer/display and keypad controls. Simply allowing you to scroll through the cooking options to appear on the display by hitting each number. (i.e. hitting "Sensor Cook" and then 1 would display "Frozen dinner", then 2 would display "Popcorn", etc.) would be a welcome improvement on the printed microscopic label approach. However, I can't honest say these cons outweigh the pros and I feel this is a very good unit overall. I'm not sure how often the models change over time, so this review may not be relevant for very long. But in general, I wouldn't hesitate to consider the Panasonic brand and their unique "Microwave Inverter" technology again if I had to. (Hopefully at least 9-15 years from now. ;-) ) Happy nuking!

If you are finally shopping for a replacement for that microwave your family has been using since the 80's, this model nn966 2.2 cu. ft. is the replacement you are looking for. Its just as huge, just as over-powered, and is just as easy to use. You wont even have to retrain your family how to heat leftovers. If you are upgrading from a much smaller unit, however, you will need to retrain everyone so they don't keep setting off your smoke alarms. Be warned; this box really cooks. And, remember, they simply do not make them like they used to. In a big box store, you can compare the various makes and models. I did. Although earlier or perhaps lesser models do appear to have less robust door latches, models nn965 and nn966 both have very different latches, even different from each other. This model has a more refined and very sturdy door latch, and that gives me hope that the widely reported problem has been resolved. This unit (I purchased) latches firmly, and sounds exactly like another unit we have had for several years. By all measures, this latch appears to conform to industry standards. The differences do not stop there. model nn966 also has slightly raised buttons, where the nn965 and other models have perfectly featureless and flat touch screens. These are small pressure sensitive push pads that depress when you poke them. The great advantage is that blind and visually impaired users can feel the buttons. Feeling the slightly raised button also helps any user know exactly where to press; a feature some touch screen users will well appreciate. The surface of the control panel remains seamless, so cleaning is still easy. I went with the 2.2 cu. ft. version. It is cavernous inside, but its not consuming any more counter space than our 2.0 unit. The 16-inch glass turntable is shaped like any other but rides well above the bottom of the cooking box, so removing it for cleaning is simple. This may also improve the evenness of heating. It runs at the same loudness of any large unit, and it beeps just like you expect; no surprises. A close look at an assortment of microwaves shows that they all rest on tiny metal feet about the diameter of a nickle or penny. Although these feet sadly never appear to be adjustable, they are always placed a few inches back from the front edge of the unit and frequently far back from the inner edge of the door. Placing nickles or pennies under these feet still appears to be the universal trick for leveling a microwave. Given the substantial weight of the unit, tipping appears to be no problem and neither does it appear to be that leaving the unit to overhang a deep cupboard shelf is any problem at all. My plans call for the unit to rest on a custom built shelf above a kitchen counter, because I have no desire to sacrifice over 30-inches of counter top work space. This may well be one of the largest and most powerful microwaves intended for residential use. It can accept any stupidly tall coffee mug, a number of moderately sized serving dishes, or even a 16-inch pizza. Once you learn how to adjust it properly, you can even keep that pizza nicely warmed through an entire football game. Just be sure to remove it from the box. And, yes. This unit will incinerate popcorn in well under 2 minutes, so adjust your programmed settings accordingly. When you get it programmed, everyone can make it perfect every time ... until you change your brand of popcorn.

I bought this on 12/1/18. It died 2 days ago, and I just bought it again. Wait! I have a method to my madness. I spent at least 10 hrs last night researching all brands, and found that this one is no worse than any others. Read Wirecutter's review for 2022 microwaves. They investigated, and they document good info abt the general sad state of microwaves quality these days. And Amazon's reviews are spot on re. the error codes 88:88 and P10-1, and the unstoppable beeping, of which death groans come not only from Panasonics, but other brands as well. No workaround. They are too expensive to diagnose or repair any one of the many parts that can, and do, fail. We are stuck with junk. Mfr's should be ashamed of themselves. I know of micros that lasted 30 or 40 yrs. and had to be replaced only because all magnetrons eventually lose power over time. I did have one major issue with mine from day one. The door is thin, tinny metal and makes a very loud racket when you close it. Noisiest micro I've ever heard. It echoes in the housing. In fact, the entire housing is really cheap. Apparently Panasonic doesn't want to waste $ on acoustic insulation...ha-ha. All other factors, such as user interface and simplicity of use are good. I chose this one again for the turntable's flat area of 16 3/4" d. which can hold a rectangular baking dish, and I wanted another inverter. Many mfr's models are out of stock now, due to the scarcity of electronic chips, etc., so selection were further limited. I am very pleased with the inverter, and the 1250 watts cooks food really fast. It defrosts meat well. The housing requires only 3" clearances, including the top. I considered Toshiba, but they required 12" on top, and they were out of stock. If you haven't cooked with 1250 w before, there will be a learning curve to finessese different dishes without burning them up, particularly frozen meals and veggies. I learned to reduce the power to 10% and then check it. In 3.5 yrs, I have yet to find any frozen prepared meals that are being developed using 1250 watts. Good luck with yours, whichever brand you choose.

Built-in microwaves are difficult to find and the one I was replacing was no longer available. I was happy to find this Panasonic with the coordinating frame kit available on Amazon for a reasonable price with fast shipping. Install was fairly simple. I like all of the features of this microwave and I like the nice bright interior light. The clock runs perfectly which I was worried about because I have an oven directly beneath and it that also has a clock and my toaster oven constantly gains time and gets several minutes ahead of the microwave and oven clocks which drives me crazy! I was happy that the microwave clock is accurate and it matches the oven. I'm also happy with the instruction manual, it's thorough and easy to find what you need. Pros: Bright interior light Cooks/heats evenly and quickly Sensor reheat works well Looks nice Cons: - I don't that you have to push start after selecting the "quick 30 sec" button, my Whirlpool would just start automatically when you pushed the 1 min button and I prefer that - My Whirlpool had a reference for the sensor cook items inside the microwave door. And/or it would list the items on the display as you pressed the sensor cook button to go through the options. This microwave doesn't have anything listed on/in the microwave and only has numbers (1-14) displayed as you press the button, so you need the manual to know which number corresponds to the item you're cooking. - This is for the frame kit, not the microwave: the vents in the frame are large and get dust inside very easily which bothers me because it's very difficult to get the dust out. The openings are sharp so whatever I try to use (paper towel, microfiber cloth, swiffer duster) gets caught and/or shredded and I still don't get all of the dust out. Overall, I'm very happy with this microwave because it looks nice, it was a great price and works great.

2018-06-13-122924 In 1987 I purchased my 1st microwave for $350. It was a KENMORE 7218783580 MICROWAVE and it performed flawlessly from 1987 to last week with no issues. No burned out bulbs or anything . . . until last week. A plastic part in the door gave out and made the locking mechanism stop working. The part required to repair the lock is not available and patching up the existing lock did not seem prudent so the hunt for a new microwave was on. After looking at MICROWAVES and REVIEWS on AMAZON.COM (and other sites) I decided upon the PANASONIC NN-SN966S as the replacement for my tried and true KENMORE. I ordered the PANASONIC MICROWAVE, it arrived on TUE-05-JUN, and was put into service TUE PM. PROS: ** This is a very nice looking unit ** It fits well in the space allocated for a microwave in my kitchen ** It cooks food well. CONS: ** I dislike having to press a button on the microwave to unlock the door and then open the door as two separate actions. ** The stainless steel portions of the face (including the door button and the door handle) show finger and palm prints easily. ** The keypad is not a touch pad or a set of mechanical switches, it is a pad of buttons that seem similar to the ones used on some cell phones where there are contacts are under layers of plastic and pressing the contacts together activates the switch. My luck with switches like this has not been good in the past. ** Accessing the POWER LEVEL FUNCTION was very inefficient. On my old microwave if you wanted to cook something for 2 minutes at 1/2 power you pressed TIME + 2 + 0 + 0 + POWER + 5 + START. On this new PANASONIC microwave if you want to do the same thing you have to press POWER (100%) + POWER (90%) + POWER (80%) + POWER (70%) + POWER (60%) + POWER (50%) + TIME + 2 + 0 + 0 + START Old = 7 buttons vs New = 11 buttons. Old wins. If you want power 2, Old = 7 buttons, New = 12 buttons. This seemed to mean the POWER BUTTON was going to get a lot of use and would probably have issues before the less used buttons on the control panel. ** Steam / Condensation appeared inside the door and the inside the time display (please see attached photos, red outlined areas = condensation behind plastic panel) ** The interior light was a small LED that did not do an adequate job of illuminating the inside so the cooking process could be monitored through the door (and/or the door tint was to dark). ** There are no handles or hand holes on the cabinet to use when lifting this unit. ** There seems to be no way to disable the TURNTABLE so if an item cannot rotate freely within the oven, it will hit the walls or slide around on the turntable. This must be the difference between the volume of the interior (2.2 cu ft) and the usable space (1.4 cu ft). SUMMARY: The PANASONIC NN-SN966S is a very nice microwave but (after a bit more checking) I have replaced it with a Kenmore Elite 79399 2.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave Oven w/ Inverter - Black (last picture below). The KENMORE is not as highly rated as the PANASONIC and it is a bit more expensive but I believe that it suits my needs better. I will be doing a review on the KENMORE 79399 shortly.

I'm on my third unit now. The first was returned for a loose door, it would rise and drop 1/16" on the right side and pull in and out 1/16" as well. I figured this was a dangerous defect. My Sharpe Carousel is solid as rock and it's 33-36 yrs. old. The second one had the same defect. Also, it wobbled making me think my counter top wasn't flat since the feet aren't adjustable. Now I'm thinking they're all like this so I used it a bit and found if it sets overnight, the first time you try to open the door the latch doesn't function. Come to find out, if you lift the door at the bottom right corner with your finger tip and press the latch it pops right open. This is a combination nuisance so I sent it back. This is my third try, a charme? Idk yet. It has the same loose door only something < 1/16". It's tight enough that the latch works every time and it sits flat on the counter so the second one was also bent. If I try for a forth I don't know the odds of getting a better or worse unit so I'm keeping number three. It's a beautiful microwave, silver metallic with black and stainless trim. It's very big and quite powerful. I'm only using power level 8 so far and that's faster and hotter than my old Sharpe on full power (of course she's pretty 'long in the tooth'). It's not as intuitive as the Sharpe but that's what instruction manuals are for and in short time I think I will become accustomed to the Panasonic. Why there is so much slop in the lower hinge of a 21st. century microwave is beyond me. Maybe Panasonic doesn't think it will affect the lifespan of the unit. Maybe when the warranty is up the door falls off the next day. I'm going to take the chance it lasts or I can fix it with a YouTube video. Right now as of this writing, I'm happy with it!

Bought in 2018 for $160 and it lasted 4 years. I feel like it was a good buy. Fairly quiet, heated quickly and was large enough to cook side dishes for meals, heat up a cup of coffee in 30 seconds and made great popcorn using the one touch button. Easy to clean and operate. It did disturb our wi-fi signal until we adjusted our repeaters away from the microwave. In the end it succumbed to some sort of electrical failure that, although didn't seem dangerous, was just annoying - needed to be unplugged between uses or it would make a constant beeping noise while going through a countdown of numbers on the display. We put it on a switchable power plug until we could order a new one.

A great microwave! I waited almost a year after purchasing this appliance to write a review so I could honestly say how it really works over time. I have owned GE units and was very pleased with them but they did not last more than a few years. So when the last one gave out I decided to find one that boasted a better long term lifespan. The GE and the Panasonic have many of the same features. They are large and they have numerous cooking features. The GE names the cooking features the Panasonic gives you a numerical code that you lookup on a page in the manual. I printed it out and posted on the fridge. The Panasonic is more accurate in the defrost mode and the reheat mode. The interior light is better in the Panasonic. The revolving tray is identical in both models. I also think the automatic food cooking settings are more accurate on the Panasonic. For example vegetables don't come out overcooked. It takes a bit of getting used to when using the numerical codes on the Panasonic but after a while you remember that 9 is for potatoes and 8 is for vegetables.

large interior, easy to use and the sensory reheat is a dream (just not for use on liquids) - food only it cooks till it senses steam then stops - love it 1250watts seems to be the most powerful countertop model i could find - the 1200 w takes a full 30sec more to reheat coffee

Excelente producto

Me encanta su tamaño, el color El único inconveniente Es que hace interferencia con el wi-fi de la casa

It stopped working after just 4 years, the display started cycling through 'P1 to P10' repeatedly all of a sudden.

No me gustó que, aunque antes de que pasarán 6 meses de haber comprado el artículo este falló, se negaron a proporcionarme la factura del mismo, lo que impidió que hiciera valer la garantía del aparato. Dinero desperdiciado y mi necesidad de un buen microondas sigue aún.