Customer Ratings & Reviews

Love this microwave. I did a lot of research before purchasing this microwave and it has not disappointed.

Great friendly service everything went smoothly Puck up was easy no contact with anyone

First Panasonic MW for us. So far, so good. Controls make sense and it cooks a little faster.

The Panasonic microwave works great. Several useful features.Pa

The product was great, it works efficiently and is perfect

(Panasonic provided this unit in exchange for an honest review.) I've had a very reliable Panasonic microwave for the last 18 years. It's basic, and still works as well as ever. Its "smart" features (popcorn, defrost, etc.) are simplistic and don't work that great - but it's very easy to punch in the power levels and times from recommended instructions and cook something quickly. Panasonic's Genius Prestige Plus was an intriguing upgrade. It offers not only a more sophisticated system ("Cyclonic Wave" technology) for more even cooking, but a wealth of smart presets that cover just about any food you might want to microwave. After several weeks of use, I think it delivers on both promises. Unfortunately, the interface's focus on automatic presets means there's a lengthy learning curve. Unlike my previous microwave (and the microwaves that most people are using, from what I've observed), the Genius Prestige Plus interface eschews the traditional number pad used for direct entry of cooking times and power levels. Instead, it has a number of buttons to choose modes of operation, which you often press one or more times to choose sub-modes or power levels. There is a button to quickly add 30 second time increments, and a bar with +/- buttons to add smaller increments. The buttons are all touch driven and the panel seems to be capacitive, like a smartphone screen (in fact, the +/- buttons are on a bar that can be operated like a slider). The controls are all very responsive, and feel very modern. Unfortunately, this is also the most problematic part of this microwave for my wife and me. Due to the wealth of cooking settings, it's often time-consuming to find a useful preset. The microwave does helpfully scroll some descriptive text if you pause after making a selection, which helps with feature discovery, but my wife and I have found it faster to keep the manual next to this microwave ever since getting it. In time, we expect we'll learn where the options are and be far more efficient with the interface. (To be fair, the interface does respond quickly and fluidly once you know exactly what to press.) Of course, that won't help future guests of ours that may want to use our microwave - thankfully, that's not a significant concern for us. Manual time entry is the most frustrating aspect, for the times where you may want to cook according to package instructions rather than relying on one of the presets. There are two general ways to change the time - the 30 second increment button, or the +/- bar. The former allows time be added fairly rapidly, and you can stop exactly near your desired time. The latter allows finer increments to be made one at a time, or to be added rapidly by either "long pressing" the + or - buttons or dragging your finger on the slider part of the bar. Oddly (and most frustratingly), these time entry methods are exclusive. If you start using the 30 sec increments the +/- bar will be disabled, and vice versa. This prevents the operator from quickly adding time with 30 second increments and then fine-tuning with +/-. Instead, you must settle for times that are multiples of 30 seconds, or else press-and-hold and try to release at just the right time on the +/- bar. This results in time entry that seems so much slower than direct entry using a number pad An additional minor quibble is that, above one minute of total time, the microwave restricts the operator to 10-second increments. Therefore, if you want to enter 1 minute and 45 seconds of time, you'll need to pick either 1:40 or 1:50. (And, if you use the 30 second increments, either 1:30 or 2:00.) This aspect of the Genius Prestige Plus really reinforces the feeling that Panasonic wants you to rely on their built-in cooking settings… which again, will take quite a bit of time for each operator to memorize the layout. Well, that's enough negativity… on the positive side, neither my wife nor I has had any complaints about how well this microwave cooks. (Or, as the case may be, does *not* cook when we're softening/melting/defrosting.) Food heated in this microwave seems to be heated pretty uniformly, which is one of the benefits touted by the Panasonic Cyclonic Wave feature. Thus far, we haven't had reason to doubt Panasonic's claims for the benefits of this. Not all of the presets have been "set-and-forget" (for instance, the frozen entree setting didn't work well with an entree that produced little steam for it to detect, and I had to manually stop it to prevent over-cooking), but overall most have worked very well. The particular unit I'm reviewing has plenty of power for common tasks. It's not particularly noisy, and the mechanics (such as the door latch and push button) all feel solid and satisfying. My wife and I are very pleased with the performance of this microwave, but find the interface to be cumbersome. We're optimistic we'll learn to use it more efficiently, but it's difficult to recommend an appliance like this without fair warning about the learning curve. Should you feel up to learning the Genius Prestige Plus' interface, I think you will be pleased with the actual performance of it.

was OK for 1 year. Now is dead. My previous Panasonic was 100% functional after 40 years, but I wanted a smaller model and I bought into the hype about heating more evenly. Everything I buy now breaks after a couple years or less. It's usually too expensive to fix, so the manufactures get to sell me dozens more during my lifetime. I guess they have no incentive to make a quality product, and probably have forgotten how.

I purchased this microwave 2 years ago and did like it until the removable square silver reflector sparked and burned. I had to throw out that piece and amazingly enough it still works so I'm still using it. If I had young children in the house, I would not let them use it alone though for safety reasons. I'm checking to see if there was a recall on this. I have never had a microwave that did this.

Probably the worst microwave I have ever owned. Supposedly you hit (for example) the popcorn button ... half the popcorn isn't popped when it says it is. It's always a guessing game as to what button to push ... Loved old microwave and this thing costs twice as much and isn't half as good. Definately do NOT recommend!!!

The trim kit didnt matxh with this microwave each side atleast 2 inxh

Microwave -LOOK: I would prefer 100% black in color.But the silver/stainless steel will suffice. It's wide but flatter than usual. Nice and big. And quite light in weight. The symbol pad is bright white and the time is blue. -FUNCTION pt.1: There are a bunch of symbols and setting the time is different. If you are technologically disadvantaged (mentally) you may have a hard time grasping it.... might! Otherwise just skim the manual quickly to understand the settings and then just start using it. You will get it quickly. -FUNCTION pt.2: These are the foods I tried in the microwave... 1-oatmeal, 1/2 cuo dry quaker + 1 3/4 c. water in a huge blue bowl, "Sensor Cook" > "Oatmeal" (2) It says "SENSOR," with no time countdown shown. Did not pay attn to the actual time but it was NOT done. I warmed more with manual timer. Left it on regular power (10) for 1.5 min. It overflowed but was done to my liking. A mess at first use....... Ahh well. 2-spaghetti + meatsauce reheat, "Sensor Reheat" > "Pasta" (17) It says "SENSOR" at first. I timed the reheat. At abt 4 minutes, it beeped twice, then entered countdown stage starting at 1.5 min. Total time 5.5 minutes. That's long. Totally hot... All of it. No cold or cool spots. No burning around the edges. 3-Frozen Veggies in steamable microwave bag. Manual timer on regular power (10) for 4 min. (bag says 4.5 min for 1200 watts). I did them for abt 30 sec. less on my precious microwave so... same thing here. Came out fine. 4-Popcorn Setting, options 3.5/2.75/1.5 My bag was 3oz. so I went with 2.75 (i figured under was better). I didn't pay attention to the starting timer so I don't know how much time it put on, but I stopped it at 22 sec. remaining. It came out great/perfect actually. All kernels popped; none burned. Although, this has always been the case with new microwaves. Good ol' popcorn button. 5-Dinner, shrimp on top of steak on top of bed of veggies, and mashed potatoes. Sensor Reheat (1) It warmed for 3m23s then beeped twice and started a timer starting at 1m15s. So that makes a total of abt 4m38s. It warmed great. No burned edges. Obviously the shrimp slightly suffered but it was still totally edible. I knew what I was doing by leaving it in there with the foods that need much longer time to heat through, so all good. I tore it all up. All 5 of the aforementioned meals! I am impressed by the microwave. I like it. If electronics or tech is completely not your thing, you may have a learning curve with this microwave. I grasped it easily and right away, thank goodness. Side note: I do NOT cook in microwaves, except oatmeal, so I can't test the "Sensory Cook" functions. If you don't mind trying new things then I would definitely recommend it. It works super well!

The Panasonic Genius Prestige Plus microwave does a phenomenal job heating food and beverages, but it is overly complicated. The inverter technology works as advertised, which is quite a feat. Food is evenly heated throughout. No hot spots. No cold spots. The sensor cooking technology also works extremely well and helps make this very complicated microwave just a little less complicated to use. In terms of the primary function of heating things well, this really is an extraordinary microwave. But I'm docking it a star because the buttons on the futuristic control panel are small and overly complicated. Yes, there is a learning curve that can be mastered by most, but not all. I don't have young children, but I would hesitate to let young kids try to use this microwave. I'd also avoid having my parents, who are in their 70s, try to learn to use it. So, while the Genius Prestige Plus does a tremendous job heating food, it is a non-starter for a decent swath of the population. Even just making the buttons larger and easier to read would be a major improvement. But if you can handle the futuristic button layout, you will be rewarded with evenly-heated food every time.

I never realized how much a quality microwave could make a difference. We've had a standard, $50 Sunbeam model for about two years, and never thought anything of it. We never used the microwave everyday, and we cooked alright. Now, though, we use this Prestige Plus microwave almost everyday, and don't feel bad about it. Setup is simple, and really just plug and play. I'd recommend reading the manual, as it can get confusing to note all the different functions upon inception. Plus, all the modes and buttons are confusing at first. Once you've familiarized yourself, though, the cooking becomes easy, and your food tastes miles better. There is serious power in this microwave, which helps in producing the sensor cook functions and really giving you even heating. There are too many modes to list, but I've already used half of them, because they were there. No more guessing on if something is done or not; this kitchen device does it for you. Sure, you still need to use your judgement on coffee reheats or popcorn, but for almost everything else, it's hard to dismiss the beauty and power of this machine. I'm shocked at how much better the food I cook or reheat tastes in this oven, and the nutrients and flavors I've been missing out on over the years. Plus, while there is a bigger version of this device, the 1.6 cu. ft. version is plenty large, accommodating two salad plates at once. If you're like me and never had the luxury of using a nice microwave, you owe it to yourself to see the other side. I'm very glad I did.

This one is the similar and more improved model as the one we had. It has more modern looks too. It has the right size that just fit into our kitchen’s customized top cabinet, and right power for our use. We were so satisfied with our old one so we had no hesitation to get this one without looking/shopping around. We mostly use the microwave oven to re-heat and defrost so not sure about it’s cooking function. I’ll explore it in the future. We trust Panasonic microwave oven because it never failed and lasted long time based on our and our friends’ experience.

The Panasonic Genius Prestige Plus (from here on I shall call the PGPP) 1.6cu is one of the latest microwaves from Panasonic. Personally a microwave has always been a staple of the kitchen for me, however it also brings a stigma with it. Uneven heating, rubbery food, and overcooked defrosting have marred my view of the microwave. The PGPP has changed that for me - even if it brings some unnecessary complexity to the user interface. So with 2 small kids, the microwave is the lunch/snack saver in my house. We always used the microwave for these kind of quick heat ups, but also for different microwavable foods. Our old cheap microwave definitely got the job done, but it was always a guess how long a particular food would take, or if it would be heated all the way. Nothing is grosser than biting into your breakfast sandwich only to find one part burning your mouth and another cool to the touch. From a safety point of view with the kids, having uneven heating makes me worry the food isn’t hot enough - and of course overcooked chicken nuggets in the microwave are chewy gross. This is exactly where the PGPP is the perfect solution. This microwave has all but eliminated these problems producing such evenly heated food, I feel better when I resort to nuking a snack or meal for the kids. It’s also helped with our regular sides we microwave, like mashed potatoes or soup. Another huge pro for the PGPP is the size. While deeper than our old compact microwave, the PGPP has a huge 15” cooking tray. Seriously, you’d think the thing was a TARDIS or something with how much space is inside. Height wise, as others have mentioned, can be a limitation, but honestly it’s not been a problem for me. The finish and build quality seem excellent. The stainless finish is quite nice, however it does show fingerprints. The internal glass tray is easy to remove and clean, and the front panel is a pretty standard set of touch sensitive buttons. Now, unlike most microwaves I’ve used in the past 10 years, the PGPP isn’t a one touch. In fact, it lacks any number pad, or standard way of setting a time cook. The first reaction I had was annoyance (as well as my wife’s), but I almost want to say that Panasonic took a risk here. In a way, if you keep giving the same one touch interface, you’re basically throwing away all the advanced sensor features and modes due to the principle of the path of least resistance. Due to how the microwave’s buttons are laid out, it actively encourages you to use the various modes. Don’t worry though, while there isn’t a number pad, you can easily do a time cook by using the slider at the top. It allows you to set anything from 1 second to 20 minutes in increments. The buttons on the front cover everything from popcorn (which we don’t eat, so I can’t comment on it’s function), to reheating a drink (like coffee). The is a sensor heat, as well as a keep warm function. I didn’t use all the modes, but the drink reheat was magically perfect. I reheated a couple of cups of coffee for my wife and each of them turned out just the right temperature. The sensor reheat function does really well with leftovers or other more solid foods. I did find out when reheating some frozen pancakes that ‘breads’ don’t work with the sensor reheat - and overcooked a few pancakes. Turbo defrost actually did better than most microwaves I’ve used, only slightly cooking the very bottom of the ground beef were the juices were pooling. For the most part though, the PGPP’s extra features are pretty handy and work extremely well. This of course is also with excellent evenness cooking in all these modes. I will say that the child lock is pretty easy to use, but it didn’t take long for my 3.5 year old to figure out how to unlock it. He’s pretty adept though, so YMMV here. The biggest problems with this microwave are the learning curve, and lack of a one touch operation. While pushing an additional button may not seem like a big deal, it certainly can feel like one at first. If you stick with it though, the pros of this microwave outweigh the cons by far. The PGPP is an excellent microwave, with the most even heating I’ve ever experienced from a microwave. This has been a huge positive in my household, both easing my concerns if the food got hot enough, and also producing more evenly heated tasty food. The price is high, but for a daily use appliance, it quickly pays for itself.

Review for Panasonic - Genius Prestige Plus 1.6 Cu. Ft. Microwave with Sensor Cooking - Stainless steel This oven is a big improvement over conventional microwaves in several ways. It's roomy for its footprint, it heats and cooks very evenly, and it has a well-thought out display that, although it takes a little getting used to, is really so much easier and faster to use with a little practice. Everybody knows how to use a microwave, so I think designers are hesitant to offer better, faster ways to input your needs, because “it’s always been done that way.” This oven has several features that take a little learning, but make using it so much faster and easier. The time is entered using the plus and minus slider that can function with a press or a slide of your finger. It’s easy to select a time this way and less awkward than entering the time in minutes and seconds. But even that feature becomes secondary to the 20 pre-programmed cooking modes that cover reheat, breakfast items, soups, frozen items, fresh veggies, rice, etc. You can further tailor these settings with the more/less feature. The popcorn setting on most microwaves is rarely accurate, but the Genius Prestige allows you to choose from three sizes and then further personalize the precise time needed with the more/less keys. I liked the coffee/milk feature that automates heating one or two cups of either beverage. The most touted feature is the inverter technology that makes for even heating by varying the power of the oven instead of just cycling it on and off at high like almost all other microwaves. The nicest surprise (although I discovered it by accident when I reheated eggs without a cover - what a mess!) is how easy it is to clean. Unlike any oven I’ve ever owned, this one does not have a lip on the lower edge of the oven, which make cleaning it a breeze! If I had to call out any drawbacks, it would be with the stickers inside the door that help you remember some of the features. I’d make the big warning messages (in English and Spanish) briefer and lower, move the descriptions for the icons to the top and add the codes for the 20 pre-programmed cooking settings. As it is, the lower sticker does not seem to have been updated from a different model and references the “dial” that does not exist on this oven. In conclusion, the stainless steel exterior and the modern-looking display make this a handsome addition to any kitchen!

This microwave is amazing. Food cooks evenly. Frozen items defrost quickly and without issue. It has far exceeded my expectations of what a microwave can do. The ONLY drawback is there is a bit of a learning curve to properly use it. It's shocking to set it up then notice that the buttons that are usually numbers where you would type in a time are now functions. Once you get used to that, this will be the best microwave you ever own. Would recommend for anyone who can learn how to use it. If you're not into technology and learning how to use new tech, this may not be the microwave for you. But for everyone else, keep the manual handy and enjoy!

So let's get it out of the way.... It is a Microwave, and it warms/cooks food and drink. We all know what that means. This unit is larger then I expected, it does take the full depth of a standard counter. Would be PERFECT for installing inside a cabinet unit, on a shelf something designed for it's size. BIG cook area. will fit just a fully pyrex dish, (turn turntable off). What takes a few minutes to get use to... there are no numbers. You need to use the various arrows and other selectors to set your cook mode. It is relatively quiet. doesn't sound like a jet turbine about to take off when using it. Overall, very very happy with the microwave

Powerful and even heating. The child lock is a great feature.

This microwave looks great. It heats things very quickly and everything comes out very hot. Too hot. There's plenty of room inside to heat a large amount of things, but I find the design of the rotating glass dish to be very flawed. The roller ring stabilizer is far too small for the size of the dish, so if you stick something towards the outside of the dish it tips over. Also the dish too easily dislodges itself from the turning mechanism. Everytime you go to cook something you have to press the Enter button, I really wish it had a quick cook function like most other microwaves I have used. I really want to like this microwave but it just doesn't wow me.