This is a very user friendly microwave. If you only use the microwave
function, I am sure you'd be happy with it. But it's also a handy
little oven. I have made pizzas, cookies, and even a pork loin roast in
it! I cooked the pork loin using the combo cooking function (microwave
plus convection) just to test it out. The results were very good; a
nice moist roast. A 14-in round pizza pan or stone fits in it and also
(just barely!) a 9x13 baking dish. And yes, you CAN put metal pans in
it when in oven mode. When we first got it we set it up on the counter
in our main kitchen for a couple weeks and played around with it. Then
we moved it to our newly renovated "bar" in the basement which
truthfully is a small, very functional kitchen. This oven is a great
solution as we can use it for popcorn, etc. in microwave mode, but also
bake pizzas. Another idea I haven't actually done yet is to use it to
bake or warm a casserole for a big holiday dinner when my main oven is
busy cooking a turkey or something. In fact I like this oven so much
I've decided that when we renovate the main kitchen I am NOT going to
opt for the double wall ovens but instead get a regular range plus
another one of these and then I will have 2 ovens plus a microwave,
basically! I think it's a wise investment and a very excellent product.
I purchased and installed this microwave for a family member. We looked
all over for a high quality built-in (above the oven, aka cabinet
mount) convection microwave. The GE Profile and Advantium lines were
very poorly rated online and did have a very good repair history. It's
tough if you want a large microwave (capable of spinning a 9x13 dish)
that is convection and has a good repair rating. After seeing that the
selection available in the marketplace is poor (We looked at Sears, Best
Buy, Home Depot, Lowes, and at a "Factory Direct Appliance" store).
All basically sold very few cabinet mount microwave and those that they
did have were either a.) small and very cheap or b.) GE Advantium and
very expensive ($1200). Since the Advantium has a very low customer
rating all over the web, we decided it wasn't worth the money.
After
reading online we noticed that approval ratings of Panasonic Microwaves
were very high. They use a different style of microwave element that
they call an inverter. This means that, when using lower power levels,
the microwave doesn't turn on and off the element. For example power
level 5 on almost every microwave means the element turns on for 2
seconds, then off for 2, then on again. This means that delicate foods
come out screaming hot in places and cold in others. The Panasonic has a
proprietary element that actually has adjustable amounts of power it
can output. This is something that sounds like marketing but in this
case it is truly unique and directly beneficial to the customer.
The
"sensor" cook option works really well. We followed the directions to
bake a potato. The microwave instructs you what to do on the display.
The result was a large perfectly well baked potato in about 90 seconds
all managed by the sensor. I was shocked at how well it worked and how
fast it was.
Be purchased the mount kit (the unit is for
countertop use out of the box). The kit, while expensive, is very high
quality and well designed. It was easy to install and looks great. It
matches the Samsung fridge perfectly and is neither cheap looking nor
"showy". It, like the microwave, is very austere and modern looking
without being too "high tech" looking.
I'm VERY pleased about
this microwave and think that its a good value for its price. It comes
with racks and ceramic turn table. The interior is all stainless steel.
Overall I can't find a place that Panasonic cut a corner in the
microwave, accessories, or the trim kit. For the price (less than half
the price of an Advantium) the build quality is perfect.