Panasonic Microwave Oven NN-SN686S Stainless Steel Countertop/Built-In with Inverter Technology and Genius Sensor, 1.2 Cubic Foot, 1200W

Highlights: - button to open the door is extremely easy to use. Other MW with push button to open often takes efforts - it is beautifully made with front door have mirror like surface One thing I wish it would have : visual indicator on display of when cooking has finished. It makes beeps, but if you miss it and forget - visual reminder (say word "Done" ) on display would be helpful.

The best part about this brand of microwave is that it works - no hassle. My first Panasonic Inverter lasted 15 years. Replaced it b/c I wanted a smaller one. Gave it away to a coworker who says it’s still working 5 years later. Still looks new. So, instead doing the smart thing + buying another one, I bought a Toshiba based on the over 15k reviews. First one came dented. Sent back. Reordered and hated it. Cheaply made, door was noisy to open + close and within a year had to throw it in a dumpster. The back blistered and the inside was stained (could never get any food stain to go away). Idk if I just got a bad one or not, but this Panasonic is hands down a superior machine. Pros: minimalist look, no handle, easy to use, reheat option - did I mention it works??? My fridge + stove are black stainless, but my dishwasher is reg stainless, and the microwave sits right above it on the counter. I was thinking about replacing the dishwasher to match the rest, but the microwave kind of pulls it together, + the look is aesthetically pleasing now, so saved some $ there. Cons: in dim light, the operating panel is harder to see, and I still haven’t figured out how to permanently disable the child lock, but tbf, I haven’t spent any time reading the manual other than having to press 0 to open the door. I think that a child safety lock should be something you have to purposefully activate, not come already enabled. So, if you want a reliable, attractive, microwave that has an inverter and multiple cooking options, I cannot recommend Panasonic enough. The LG models are more expensive and aren’t nearly as attractive. I was tempted to buy the small Breville, but reviews were mixed. Btw…if it matters, Panasonic is one of the few microwave brands that isn’t made in China. That was a nice bonus for me. I’ve had this model a month with no issues. Some ppl didn’t like the dark gray interior, but I do. It’s different and makes it look more expensive than it is. Honestly, if I became a millionaire overnight, I’d still buy Panasonic microwaves. They’ve never let me down.

Attractive unit with excellent performance. One little problem: the control panel is not backlit, so midnight snacks are a bit problematic!

So far, it works as intended. This inverter Panasonic Microwave Oven NN-SN686S replaced our old model NN-SA651S. TLDR (Too Lazy Didn't Read): - Peel off the thin plastic protective film (if applicable) from the interace pad. If you don't, you'll see annoying plastic bubbles pop up from repetitive button pressing with your oily fingers. - Disable safety(child) lock by pressing Defrost, Timer, then Popcorn. This way you won't have to press 0 first to unlock the door. Note: A power outage or unplugging the Microwave will re-enable the safety lock by default. Hopefully, this lasts 7-10 years.

I absolutely LOVE this inverter microwave!! I used to sell appliances, and we also sold these (in a larger size). I always knew that when my old GE microwave crapped out, that I wanted a Panasonic inverter microwave next. FIRST, an inverter microwave is SUPERIOR to a regular microwave. It’s more powerful, cooks faster, doesn’t change the texture of your food (ie- frozen bread can be thawed in it and it comes out soft and not ruined), it does a great job with defrosting overall, and doesn’t turn hot dogs into rubbery sticks. Time to heat a cup of coffee to a perfect hot temperature is only slightly more than a minute. I have a small shelf built into my kitchen cabinets on which a microwave sits. It really only can accommodate a small microwave with a small interior. But this fits and it has a nice big interior in which I can put full size plates and casserole dishes. Now let me address some negatives. The sensor technology, which senses steam, doesn’t work the greatest. You have to leave the food uncovered to get it to work its best, which means the possibility of food “popping” and getting all over the interior of the microwave. If you cover the food, even loosely, the steam sensor can’t pick it up. With foods that I can put in without any cover, I often find them not hot enough, even with the additional time feature, but sometimes it’s perfect. So the sensor is hit or miss. One disadvantage is that the directions on frozen foods don’t work with this, so you have to learn how long to cook things. So if your Marie Calander’s meatloaf dinner says 4 minutes on high in a 1200 watt microwave, that’s going to be too long in this one! I did buy the extended warranty (through Amazon) because when I used to sell the larger version of these, I had more than one customer who told me theirs died after a couple years. But the inverter technology is so superior to a regular microwave, that I wasn’t discouraged by that. If it dies after my extended warranty, I”ll just buy another! This was made in Communist China for Panasonic, which is a Japanese company.

Big warning! This is a revised review. Update on this review, late February 2026. Nothing has changed. You have the opportunity to cook one thing, like a potato, but if it's not done when the timer goes off you aren't going to be able to put that potato back in the microwave to finish it. I can get the microwave to run for about five minutes with one item before it shuts off. And once it shuts off, you have to wait a couple hours before you can use it again. Truly a poor design. The only reason I'm still using it is because it was expensive to begin with and I'm having to save money to do so. You can bet your bottom booty when I do, it certainly won't be another Panasonic ever again in my lifetime! ---- I’ve had this microwave since May 2025, it is now September 2025. The microwave no longer works and it is beyond the return window. Ironically, they have a video when you go to product services for the very problem it has, only their solution does not work. The only way I can get this microwave to work is if I have it in the middle of the dining room table with nothing near it and turn it on. Well, I don’t want my microwave in the middle of the dining room table. It worked all this time up until now, why this is having a problem now who knows. Regardless, the fact that they have a video with this problem of the microwave not running and turning off once you start it, says that they know that this is an ongoing problem. Nothing can be near the microwave for it to work. Like I said, it has to be in the middle of the dining room table with nothing around for it to work. That means this is junk! My last microwave lasted for 10 years. This one should’ve lasted at least a year as it was expensive. PS, we are not heavy microwave users. Predominantly it’s for reheating coffee up in the morning. Very frustrating. Original review: I had no idea an inverter would make such a big difference! Cooks much faster without splatter than any other microwave I've ever used. Noisy though, but will get used to that. No smell, seems durable so far, but its still new.

Bought this to replace almost identical Panasonic that failed to operate after 5-6 years. The great thing about Panasonic inverter style microwaves is that they don't regulate the power lever by cycling the unit off and on from full power to no power every couple of seconds (called duty cycle controlling) which can lead to very uneven cooking and overcooking edges. They actually proportionately throttle down the power at lower and lower settings while maintaining the power level constant at whatever level you choose. Interface is excellent although I never use anything but timer and power level most of the time. Internal light comes on when you open door, and stays on while you're cooking. Tucked unit away in the kitchen dual door pantry at eye level, ran the cord through a drilled hole, out the side to an outlet hidden behind the refrigerator. Unfortunately if the refrig, side by side freezer, and the microwave at 8 setting or higher all run together, the basement breaker trips, but only every few months on average. Beats leaving it out on the counter. You just leave the pantry doors open of course when you're cooking. Something to remember: You need to avoid closing the door of the microwave when you have steam condensation left inside. The paint will eventually chip and rust will occur in places over the years. On this one we always wipe off inside the box, inside door, and on bottom of box beneath rotating glass plate when done cooking anything that creates steam. I guess at this price you shouldn't expect stainless interior.

This Panasonic microwave oven replaced our 30-year old Panasonic microwave oven, which was having a lot of issues with the closing of the door, but otherwise still worked fine. We finally decided to get a new one. This one is 1,200 Watts and slightly smaller than the previous one, but is also an inverter microwave and has many more features than our older one. I like the gray interior which will make cleaning better compared to our older one which had a white interior. Some reviewers complained about the child lock feature which requires an extra button to be pressed to unlock the door upon cooking. Seriously! The manufacturer shows how to disable this feature, but even without disabling it, it’s just a matter of pushing one button to unlock the door. I have no issues with this issue which is apparently required by law. Finally, the price from the seller, Four Seasons Trading Company, is well below other sellers like Walmart and Home Depot, making this an excellent value for the money. They shipped it by FedEx and it arrived within three days in perfect condition! 4/13/2026 Couple of additional points. 1) The microwave has a small LED light bulb to light up the inside of the microwave. This will mean that the bulb will never need to be replaced as LED bulbs last for thousands of hours. 2) The owners manual doesn’t mention it but there is a thin plastic film over the keypad which should be removed by peeling it off. This is typical of many electronic equipment.

excelente horno. todo lo calienta muy rapido y bien solo hay que calcular el tiempo de calentamiento de alimentos si te pasas te puedes llevar una no muy grata sorpresa. SOLO PRODUCTOS INVERTER

Had a Panasonic very similar to this that burned out. This is apparently a common issue with ALL microwave brands.... none of them have perfect review scores due to this or other issues. Debated whether to even get a Panasonic again, but it is still rated better than many other brands. So far the new one is working well. Very powerful, probably more than our last one. Hopefully it has a longer lifespan.

Me gusta porque está mejor que el que tenía viejo, pero no aporta tanto como para decir que es mucho mejor, calienta rápido pero no es tan homogéneo, si es algo sólido como frijoles congelados es lo típico que calienta lo exterior más que lo interior, y si le pones más tiempo pues arde lo exterior y deja tibio lo interior, es la misma tecnología que un micro de toda la vida.

This is a great microwave. It warms really well, and works across the board on all food types. Noise levels are medium. Would recommend.

Powerful and good looking appliance.