Panasonic NN-SD967S 2.2 cuft, 1250 Watt Stainless Steel Microwave Oven, Inverter Technology

Pros:
It is a compact, lightweight microwave.
It does an above average job of thawing frozen foods.
It does an above average job of reheating uncovered entrees.
It appears to be one of the most uniformly heating microwaves that I have ever used.

Cons:
1) It emits so much radio frequency noise that it shuts down the 2.4GHz (802.11G) wireless router for our computers that is 40' away. A call to Panasonic had a technician that stated this was normal(!), and suggested if we were concerned we could have it check for stray microwaves.
2) It does not deliver as much heat into a cup of liquid as an older GoldStar microwave of ~1100W, i.e. heating takes longer despite a higher power.

Minor annoyances: The light only comes on when the klystron is active, and the grill is difficult to see through so it can be difficult to judge when items are sufficiently heated.
The display is not visible when standing next to the keypad,...Read more

This died on us after one year. We purchased this microwave 11 months ago. It was fine and we had no issues with its service. It did disrupt our wireless computers,causing hi-speed cable internet service to disconnect. But last night while re-warming a small portion of mashed potatoes in Gladware, the heating component just stopped. The microwave itself is not totally dead as the clock still works. Bottom line is that after doing all the manual-related diagnostics, my microwave is dead and it will cost as much to fix as to buy a new one. Welcome to the 21st century world of substandard everything, including appliances.

BTW, I only used the microwave at dinner time for re-warming and later in the evening for microwave popcorn. Usage was not excessive or abusive.

Made popcorn correctly right out of the box, using that specific setting (no other foods have that specific button preset). Uses something Panasonic calls "induction" to provide intermediate intensities rather than cycling on-off. That provides a consistent result but is still a little tricky to learn the correct setting. Keep the manual handy because this MW rarely uses full power as the recommended cook rate. There is a quasi-automatic setting that detects doneness level automatically and shuts off. It mainly works by manual adjustment of the cooking rate (% of full power from the instruction manual for the type food) and detecting when sufficient steam is being outgassed. Seems to work fine for vegetables. Have not tried it yet for other foods.

Uses a spin-knob to set timer, which is sometimes convenient but sometimes annoying compared to a keypad. Unlike a keypad, however, it is easy to set in the dark because the indicator is bright - mostly too bright at night, and...Read more