Customer Ratings & Reviews

This is a new more automated microwave that takes a little time to learn, but once you understand the censor feature, it’s a lot more accurate in cooking and reheating food! It’s very intuitive and has many pre-programmed functions, but still offers the standard cook time and temp option as well. I find it reheats a plate of food to just the right degree of done-ness without drying out anything on a mixed plate. The sensor relies on the moisture in the food instead of an old-style probe that used temperature as a guide.

We were going through a home remodel, and I bought the product in Dec 2020 but didn’t start using it until summer of 2021. It’s essentially new and worked great until it stopped and gave an error message (H97). My husband reset it and discovered on line that it’s an issue that would cost more to repair than replace. Not good, and this product was recommend by Consumer Reports.

Would definitely recommend this unit – it heats fantastically well – and is light and powerful. It is leaps and bounds beyond our 10-year-old microwave. Pros; Sleek black design with silver stainless steel highlights and feels solidly built (seems all stainless steel). 80% of weight of our old 1.6 cu ft microwave 15-inch turntable vs 12-3/4 inch of our old microwave - even though this unit is slightly smaller in size. How did they manage to do that? Nice sensitivity of touchpad control panel. It only lights when in use (for 6 minutes after door closed or reaching end of cooking time). You decide how complicated or easy it is to operate. You can use the built-in heating/defrosting options or simply press the 30 second addition symbol to get to time you want and press start. Fantastic fast even heating. If you are setting cooking time be prepared to lessen the heating times by maybe 15%. Literature mentions “cyclonic wave and inverter technology”, all I can say is it certainly seems to work and work well. My reheating test was lasagna which usually came out rock hard on top to get middle heated. No such problem/issue with this unit. Lasagna came out heated through and while the top was a tad hard around the edges it was great overall. Interior design and finish make cleaning a breeze, which you will have a chance to test if you don’t reduce your heating times. Fairly quiet when using 1-year warranty Cons; If off touchpad does not light if touched, must open the door. Most times not an issue but if you put something in to heat but decide to wait or heating is done - and the touchpad light has gone off - you will need to open the door to get the touchpad buttons to light and be active. Touchpad only has symbols – no verbiage to tell you what the buttons do (descriptions are given on bottom panel you can see when door is open). While this seems to be the trend on a lot of items these days it can make things confusing (definite learning curve). Anyone adverse to smartphones or electronics in general may find this daunting. Turntable is raised about an inch. I assume it is to help this units heating technology. Not a big issue but does cut down on the height of items you can put in the microwave. Overall, I highly recommend!

At first glance, this microwave oven looks like many others, an attractive steel cabinet, smoked glass and a touchpad on the right side of the door. But when you look closer, there are no numbers on the pad, instead they look like alien symbols from outer space. The whole idea behind this oven is that most of the time, you don’t really need to program your cooking by entering a time. When you think about it, it’s true. In the past, when I went to reheat leftovers, I usually entered a time, started the oven, then it would finish heating. I would open the door and usually find the food is not hot enough and I kept doing this until the finally my food is sufficiently hot and even then, there are almost always unevenly heated areas. With THIS Panasonic oven, you select the “Sensor Cook/Reheat” button, next select “Reheat” on the slider bar. That’s it. This oven features something called “Genius Sensor Technology” which then takes over and adjusts the power level and monitors the moisture in the food and sets the perfect time to get your meal hot. Also, the “Cyclonic Inverter” feature does actually seem to work. In the several times I’ve heated leftovers for this review, there were no cold spots anywhere. The food was heated evenly, all this automatically. There also are programs to automatically cook 19 different kinds of food, anything from oatmeal to fish filets. There’s a separate button on the touchpad to “Turbo” defrost meat, poultry and seafood automatically by just entering the weight. There are buttons on the touchpad to reheat coffee or milk, a “keep warm” button, and of course, a popcorn button and more. Also, the touchpad lights up brilliantly when you open the door, so you can use it in a darkened kitchen. After a few minutes the buttons turn off. This is good and bad. It’s bad because if you want to use the oven as just a timer, you must open and close the door even though you’re not cooking anything. It’s good because if you want to clean the outside of the oven, you can wipe the entire glass panel without the oven starting suddenly, which my old oven always did when I tried to clean it. If you really want to do things the old-fashioned way, you CAN enter your exact cooking time by using the slider bar and also adjust the oven’s power level manually. There’s also a “30 second” button which will allow you to set or add cooking time in 30 second intervals up to 5 minutes. You’ll probably be using this method when you first start using the oven before you’ll realize you get better results by letting the oven handle the timing and power tasks on its own. About the only negative I could see is that the heating compartment is lit by only one small LED. Looking through the glass while cooking your food it’s not lit as well as other microwave ovens. It’s not a big deal, just an observation. I was going to give this oven just 4 stars because you really DO need to sit down with the manual and read it slowly and carefully to understand the oven’s operation before you start using it, and even then you’ll probably want to keep the manual handy in the kitchen to refer to it. After I thought about it, since the oven really does SUCH a great job in heating much more evenly than any other I’ve used and does it automatically, I gave it it’s fifth star. It really is the best microwave oven I’ve ever owned. And also, if you have guests over, you’ll never have to worry about them using this microwave oven without your knowledge. They’ll never figure it out. :)

The Genius Prestige Plus is a modern take on the traditional microwave, featuring cyclonic wave and sensor cooking technology. The exterior and glass touch sensitive buttons give the microwave a refined appearance. The script font of “Genius Prestige Plus” isn’t my taste but others may like it. The microwave was larger than I anticipated, measuring 12” H X 22” W X 19.5” D. Inside the interior seems spacious for the 1.6 cubic foot size and features LED lighting. The control panel is a radical approach to how you interact with the microwave. Instead of directly entering your cook time, the microwave is geared more towards cooking functions. Initially I was put off by the approach, but overtime I became use to this method and don’t have any trouble quickly using the proper function. Fortunately the microwave also lets you cook in 30 second increments easily or has a swipe function to dial in cook times. Once you get use to the layout you can operate it as fast as a traditional number pad. Though I find using the functions useful, the genius function (smart cook/reheat) doesn’t work well when using a cover as the microwave can’t detect the temperature/humidity as accurately, causing the food to be overheated for my preference. This issue is specific to covered food that you don’t want to splatter, which I tend to cover everything out of habit. Using a paper towel instead or perhaps a better ventilated cover might work better. When using a paper towel or cooking uncovered, the smart reheat does a fantastic job at heating the food to the proper temperature taking out all the guess work. The cyclonic wave also seems to heat more evenly than a traditional microwave as well. If you have the space for it, the Panasonic GPP is definitely one to consider and despite my issue with the sensor reheat I feel it it the best microwave I have owned.

The Panasonic Genius Prestige 1.6 Cu. Ft. Microwave is truly the next "wave" in microwaves. Panasonic has loaded this unit up with all sorts of great technology like Cyclonic Wave and Inverter Technology...which really works. Upon opening the box and unwrapping the unit, the first thing you'll notice is the very sleek and modern design for a microwave. The exterior footprint seems small compared to the internal 1.6 Cu. Ft. size...and this is a great space saver on the countertop. The stainless exterior is very well constructed and the touch screen and controls feel very solid to the touch. The next thing you may notice on setting it up is there are no numbers on the control pad...for a minute I was confused as every microwave I've owned in 30 years has a numeric keypad. Well, Panasonic removed the numeric keypad and replaced it with Touch Screen Controls which make cooking or reheating food as simple as one button in many cases. It did take a few minutes of studying what the different controls mean, but after a few uses, I forget there was ever a numeric keypad on a microwave! The LED display is bright and clear and the touch controls are very responsive...so much better than my previous microwave's controls. As for cooking, I couldn't be happier. There is a pretty much a touch control for any item from a bag of popcorn up to reheating a steak. So far the sensor cooking/reheating options have been spot on. With the use of Cyclonic Wave and Inverter Technology, food is cooked evenly with no cold or super overheated spots. Overall this is a very good looking, space-saving and great cooking/reheating microwave. Once you are familiar with the new control pad layout, this will most likely become your favorite appliance in the kitchen. I would definitely recommend this unit to others.

Hey pals! Quick shout-out to my latest kitchen pal, the Panasonic 1.6-Cu. Ft. Cyclonic Wave Microwave Oven. This isn't your regular old nuke-box - it's a total foodie's dream! Aesthetically, it's a beaut. Stainless steel finish adds that modern edge to my kitchen, and the size is perfect - not too big, not too small. But let's talk about the real magic - the Cyclonic Wave and Inverter Technology. Sounds like fancy science stuff, and well, it is! It heats food evenly, and let me tell you, it's a game changer. No more cold spots in my reheated leftovers or quick meals. The auto-cook menu is pretty sweet too. Popcorn, pizza, veggies - it's got you covered. And the food comes out cooked just right. One more thing - it's super quiet. I can barely hear it running, which is a big plus in my book. In a nutshell, this Panasonic microwave's made my life easier and tastier. If you're on the hunt for a new microwave, give this one a shot. Microwave master signing off. Happy zapping, everyone!

First off, I really like this microwave. It’s very spacious and very aesthetically pleasing with its stainless steel design. I found through daily use that most of the microwave including the controls were fingerprint resistant, which is a big plus in my book as it helps to keep that clean look. The touchscreen controls took a little bit to get used to, but I actually appreciate it now and prefer it to the traditional set up. When it comes to heating up different types of foods , this microwave is superb. Not only does it heat up a variety of foods quickly it also does this evenly, which is great. I have to say this is one of the best microwaves I have ever used and I would suggest it to anyone especially those who wants a sturdy looking spacious microwave with many features.

I was excited to receive the Panasonic Microwave because of its many features and its sleek look. First off this is one of the best looking microwaves on the market and it is provides a ton of cooking options and is very cutting edge. With that said, this is such a big microwave for a counter top unit at 18 inches deep and 22 inches wide it takes up a lot of space. If you have a large counter area this is not a problem, but if your counter top is limited this may not be for you. For cooking this unit works very good, better than any other microwave that I have had with cooking options and speed. Now for the not so good for me. Maybe it is generational, but the touch pad is all symbols with no numbers at all. To set the cook time there is a slide bar at the top of the display that advances time as you slide your finger from left to right. It is very high tech and a bit frustrating for me to get the exact cooking time. You can also set the power level and associated time by pressing the power level symbol and then selecting the quick 30 second icon to advance the cook time in 30 second increments. I just prefer the old power level and number key pad for ease of setting time and power level. With that said my 19 year old son using the Panasonic has no problem using the keypad symbols and adapted quickly to it. I wanted to love this unit but the counter robbing size and the keypad with symbols are a turn off for me. I would recommend this to someone with lots of counter space and wanting the latest tech touch-pad.

This is a great microwave. Everything heats evenly. My last microwave was a cheap door buster special for $40. Defrosting meats left me with cooked sides and iced middles. This microwave can thaw the thickest steaks or the thinnest fish fillet evenly. It’s fantastic. With no number panel, it has a slight learning curve of a few days to really become proficient at using it, but it’s reasonably intuitive. Roomy enough for a whole frozen pizza or casserole dish.

Nice machine. Good size and very powerful at 1250 watts. Not as intuitive to learn how to use for my senior mind. The sensor feature is probably great, but I've overcooked with it so far. Looks great and I'm sure we will figure it out soon.

I'm still in the process of learning how to use the functions and programming it for use, etc. My biggest two gripes about this model is the lack of a keypad to punch in the time and the overall size. First, the slider buttons always end up over shooting the time I want and the same goes as far as going backwards to it. As for the "futuristic" and cryptic buttons, they're easy enough to figure out. Finally, I think it is bit "large" for a counter top MW. It needs to loose about two inch in depth, and width. This unit is replacing a competitor's machine that was a bit smaller than this one and was perfect for my countertop. I needed to replace my old unit and due to the pandemic, I had to settle for what was in stock. Yes, this was my number two choice.

The wife and I really approve of this technological upgrade for the household. I know inverter tech isn’t new for consumers, but it is for us. I feel like I’m dreaming when I take food out and don’t have to stir it just to put it back in the microwave. One trip and the food is done. I enjoy the absence of the numbers and it makes my old house feel a bit up to date. There was some questionable workmanship (slight cosmetics that I wouldn’t bother returning for) but other than that, this microwave is just about perfect.

We chose Panasonic and this model because of the 1,250 wattage and reviews saying it's dependable and quiet - features of our old Sharp microwave. We've had the Panasonic for three weeks and are getting used to it. It is quiet and it does the job. The "slider bar" for adding time is not precise; so is annoying to use. At maximum power it takes longer than our old microwave, but the heating is fairly even. The touch pad does not light or respond until you open and close the door. Once you learn the icons and shortcuts the machine is fairly easy to use and versatile. The stainless case is NOT smudge-resistant. We hope this microwave will last a long time and we like it so far.

So to start off I love the style and design it's like a microwave wearing a tuxedo. It was so pretty out of the box I kind of didn't wanna cook in it in fear of getting it messy haha. It is a fingerprint magnet so I wear white gloves when using it haha All jokes aside though this thing is amazing. I was a lil thrown off by it not having actual numbers on the buttons. That's probably my only negative ding for this microwave. Some of the icons are self explanatory but you're definitely going to have to read the owners manual to get the full use of all of the options for this microwave. Some aren't, for example kitchen timer.. They're are no words under the icons on the buttons. This is definitely a cooks microwave. I'm a simple person when it comes to microwave use I just throw a microwave meal in or warm up something quick and easy but with reading the manual this thing throws in every option but a kitchen sink as far as being able to literally cook meals. Another plus for me is the center glass dish that rotates is much larger in diameter almost filling the microwave to the edge unlike my last microwave that was the same size. It took some getting used to because of the difference in keypads as I had mentioned above. But with time It's my new favorite toy in the kitchen and I'd highly recommend it for those looking for a serious upgrade in microwaves.

Just as advertised: great appearance, good size & easy to operate. Warms, defrosts and cooks evenly and quickly. This is our 2nd Panasonic oven and we appreciate how they are manufactured and their reliability. Consumer Reports gave this micro a very high rating. Kudos!

Microwave is great! Heats food evenly, sensors are great for cooking, defrosting, reheating, etc. This is our second time getting this brand. The last one lasted 9 years of daily use. Hoping this one will be the same. The only complaint is the user interface. It is ok once you get used to it, but some text under the icons would have been nice. In terms of cooking and heating….. excellent.

This Microwave is great. The first thing I noticed about it upon taking it out of the box was how sleek it looked and how light it was. The front LED lights are very sharp looking, and the black and chrome contrast make it look very elegant. As far as the operation, so far the swipe timer for food is a very handy feature and makes "popping something into the microwave" extra simple. The LED button display is also great as you can one touch cook many common drinks/foods. I also appreciate how spacious the interior is and the rotating place seemed to be easy to take out and clean. I am very happy with this microwave and I am excited to try some of the features. It also heats food consistently throughout without cold areas and much faster than my previous microwave had. I plan to mount it above my oven eventually. All in all, worth the price tag due to sturdy build with all the desired features

Best Buy did a great job of getting this microwave to us from order to delivery. Unfortunately, the unit itself leaves a LOT to be desired. EVERY function is via an icon which are not intuitive. It took 40 minutes scouring through the manual to figure our very basic functions. NOT GOOD! There is no number pad to set heating cooking times, only a + or - to increase/decrease the time. Further, you cannot set a time of 12 sec, or 33 sec as the timer goes from 1 to 10 then jumps in increments of 5 sec. (15, 20, 25, etc.). In its normal state the operating pad is dark with only the time displayed. You have to open and close the door for it to light up The unit is rated at 1200 watts, but does not seem to warm things very well. Our previous unit was also 1200 watts and heated items much more quickly at lower time settings. Be aware that Panasonic has no customer service call center to ask questions. Everything must be done online via an overly complicated problem search. We're keeping this machine, but would not buy it again despite high Consumer Reports rating. VERY INADEQUATE for msot uses of a microwave.

Very happy with this purchase from BestBuy and the sale price was good ! Heats food well and Itz pretty quiet compared to my old Elite Sears Kenmore microwave !