Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

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, unless you are 5' or shorter at normal counter height. (It appears to show 88:88 until you bend down.)
The wheels supporting the plate don't have a track, so it is pretty common not to have them perfectly centered around the drive. This can lead to some squeaking until you get it recentered.

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 with no adjustment (dimming). It ends up being a nightlight in the kitchen but also signifies vampire power use. It would have been better to have the light only come on when the unit is in use.
The turntable is glass and works very well. It is easy to clean but scary in the possibility of dropping and breaking or chipping.
The entire unit is about 20 lbs lighter than the similar-sized unit it replaced, part of which is attributed to the thin gauge metal and plastic from which it is made. However, the price, compared with the unit replaced, is roughly one-third using inflation adjusted dollars.

I bought this for our office, servicing 40+ people. Huge capacity and runs like a dream. Great for office party because you can heat up those larger dishes. Very good product no problems at all!

AFTER DAYS OF RESEARCHING MICROWAVE OVENS I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS MICROWAVE OVEN TO REPLACE MY 7 YEAR OLD SHARP. I HAVE ONLY USED IT A FEW TIMES BUT IT SEEMS TO BE AS GOOD AS MY OLD SHARP OVEN.

THIS OVEN IS A NN-SD967S Luxury Full-Size 2.2 cu. ft. Microwave Oven with Inverter Technology, 1250 Watt High Power and Easy-to-Use Pop-Out Dial, Stainless. PANASONIC MAKES A SIMILAR MODEL FOR ABOUT $100 MORE AND HAVE YET TO FIND ANY DIFFERENCES EXCEPT THE COLOR OF THE LED READOUT AND A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT BUTTON STYLE.

I LIKE THIS OVEN BECAUSE OF THE EASY TO USE POP OUT DIAL AND THE INVERTER TECHNOLOGY WHICH ALLOWS IT TO COOK,DEFROST,ETC FOOD WITHOUT CYCLING ON AND OFF. THE INVERTER USES A VARIETY OF CHANGING FROM LOW-HIGH POWER AND DOES NOT CYCLE ON AND OFF WHEN USING DIFFERENT MODES, SUCH AS SENSOR COOKING, REHEATING,DEFROST.

THIS OVEN WOULD BE TOO LARGE IF YOU HAVE A SMALL KITCHEN(SEE MY IMAGES ABOVE). IT HAS A NICE LOOKING STAINLESS FRONT. THE CONTROLS ARE EASY TO USE THE DOOR LATCH IS STURDY AND DOES NOT FEEL CHEAP. I HAVE NOT NOTICED ANY CHANGE W/ MY WIRELESS INTERNET AND PHONES AS NOTED IN OTHER REVIEWS(It may be the router).

IF YOU NEED A LARGE COUNTER-TOP MICROWAVE THEN THIS IS A HIGH QUALITY OVEN AT A GOOD PRICE, UNDER $200. (AS WELL AS FREE SHIPPING AND NO TAXES)

+++UPDATE 5-23-09...MICROWAVE WORKS GREAT...NO PROBS AT ALL!!!

I purchased this Panasonic microwave after my 10 year old Panasonic died. I was looking for the roomiest microwave I could find (because I often reheat food in my 13x9" baking dishes), and I needed one that had the features I was looking for. I also had hoped to find one that would compliment the look of my kitchen. I found it all in this model. 1250 watts makes cooking quick. I enjoy the defrost feature which automatically determines how long to defrost when you key in the weight of the item being defrosted. One thing that I also found helpful in this model is that you have instructions in the manual to set the oven to soften (not melt) a stick of butter. I use this feature regularly for all the baking I do. Love this! The instruction guide is very easy to understand, and it gives lots of handy tips to make the oven a very helpful appliance. The only thing I would change about this microwave is the dial on front to set cook time. I would prefer numbers on the key pad (my reason for giving only 4 stars), but the dial has been easy enough to adjust to. And, besides, my teen daughters think it's "cool." Just requires breaking old habits! Really a nice-looking appliane that I am quite proud to have in my kitchen. This is my first stainless kitchen appliance, and I have found, like other reviewers, that very visible finger prints are inevitable. Not a huge problem. The door and the release button feel solid. Overall, I feel this is a well-made appliance. Very happy w/ this purchase.

This is technologically the best microwave that I have ever owned. I have only had it about a week, but the turntable is what elevates it above my first microwave, a 1976 or 77 Tappan-Touch with browning element. The browning element was hardly ever used, so I did not require one when I bought this Panasonic. This microwave actually replaced my 1979 Amana RadarRange, whose timer had finally given out. I saw no reason to repair the extremely heavy beast due to door wear, aging of insulation, and other such considerations. The new Panasonic weighs much less than the older microwaves, so even I can pick it up and move it. The pop-out dial simplifies the board use and is an improvement in the ergonomics. It is very easy to learn how to use. The sensor function cooks TV dinners to perfection. The inverter defrost works well, also, and is a great improvement over my previous ovens. My only complaint is the heaviness of touch required to depress the door latch button/panel. They really should use a weaker spring on these. The display is not too bright and is welcome in dimmer lighting or in the dark. (I don't regard this as an energy vampire, because I need the clock feather visible and because extreme energy use resulting in global warming are really, at their hearts, human overpopulation issues and won't be solved in my kitchen. Also, I've converted all my lighting to low-energy use fluorescent, etc, so it's hard to feel guilty for having an electronic clock display that I need to be able to see all of the time.) I also recommend this microwave because of the size. One can never have a wide enough turntable. I will also be able to finish-cook a decent-sized turkey in this oven to moist perfection, after pre-browning it in my regular oven. I bought the 2 year extended replacement warranty just in case the fuse or other parts should prematurely burn out, as they sometimes do on the more inexpensive microwaves, and recommend this. Although this has a popcorn feature that works well, I found out that studies have shown that the cooking of popcorn is what most often prematurely kills microwaves because popcorn doesn't have much moisture or enough material to absorb enough of the microwaves when it cooks (and neither does bacon). So just avoid cooking popcorn and put in a cup of water when you cook bacon and you should be alright. That 2-yr extended warranty, either from Amazon or directly from Panasonic in the paperwork, should help with your peace-of-mind. What a great product, overall. Thank you Panasonic! (And thank you Amazon for quickly replacing the first one that showed up with both the front door and the back dented in from shipping damage. The replacement was perfect and works perfectly as well!)

The microwave seemed to work great...for 14 months. And then it crashed with an error code of H97...and it turns out that basically the inverter and/or magnatron is dead. Googled the problem and it turns out that this is a "feature" of this microwave--built right in by Panasonic, made to die within a year, judging from the many, many testimonies to that fact on the internet. Since it will cost as much to repair it as buy a new one, I will be buying a new one--but not a panasonic. Real disappointment for a life-long panasonic family!

I've had my new microwave a few weeks now...still learning some of its operations. There are two things I have discovered I don't care for: 1. That there is no handle on the door which also operates the latching mechanism to the oven and 2. That crazy little message when something is finished being nuked "Enjoy Your Meal." Apparently I'm stuck with the message...there's no 'back door' with deleting or changing the message. What I do like especially about this oven is the interior size and the (apparent) strength of the motor driving the turntable given weighty dishes of food.

This machine replaced my dearly departed Amana Radar Range II, which I got brand new in the very early 1980's and used until its recent and somewhat abrupt and unexpected death. I miss the handle-latch which worked well on the Amana.

This lasted only about a year because the door button/latch is completely faulty. In fact, it only really worked properly for a couple of months, then I had to press the door button at the same time as try to pull open the door (but the door has no handle to grab). It finally just stopped opening at all one day with my hot food on a plate stuck inside. I could not get the door open and had to dispose of the microwave with the food and plate inside it.

In the end, the door latch and button is of extremely poor design and Panasonic should be ashamed.