Panasonic NN-SD697S, 1.2cuft 1300 Watt Sensor Microwave Oven, Stainless Steel

I just bought the Panasonic NNSD697S Stainless Steel 1300 Watt Microwave Oven, for $100 at Costco. I previously owned an 1,100 watt Panasonic microwave oven that lasted me for 8 years of excellent service before it stopped heating and then started smoking one day. So, I was pretty much pre-sold on the Panasonic brand.

However, this model disappoints me. The LED time display is dim and reads "All 8s"; it is hard to see at any angle other than direct-on. The time has to be entered using a pop-out dial, or by the "1 minute" button. You can't use the two methods with each other; either you use the dial or the 1-minute button. The more/less time button only works with pre-programmed cooking functions, either reducing or increasing the pre-determined cook time by 10%.

The dial adds time in increasingly larger increments; the more time that is entered, the more the time changes with each turn of the dial. At larger time amounts, over 5 minutes, you can only change...Read more

I've had this microwave for about 9 months now. It's quite powerful, doesn't take up too much counter space, and has a decent (albeit not great) look to it. [...]I would agree with the other reviewer about some of its design flaws, namely, the light doesn't come on when you open the door (the light is on only when cooking), and the dial method of entering the time is a bit unconventional, but you do get used to it. If you're looking for a powerful microwave but don't want to spend a fortune, this is a good option if you don't mind its few quirks.

I had bad experience with this oven. Only after a couple of months of gentle use - it shuts down after 10 seconds of use !!

If you search, you will see many other similar Panasonic models have similar issues:
* The oven will shut down after a few seconds of use
* or the oven will reset
* or the lights on the control panel will behave erratically.

When I called the service number, they asked me to reset the oven by taking off the electric supply for an hour - which helped for a few days but then oven went back to 10 second shut off.

I think there is a software issue with this type of Panasonic models and I will suggest people to stay away from them.