Panasonic Microwave Oven NN-SN966S Stainless Steel Countertop/Built-In with Inverter Technology and Genius Sensor, 2.2 Cubic Foot, 1250W

If you are finally shopping for a replacement for that microwave your family has been using since the 80's, this model nn966 2.2 cu. ft. is the replacement you are looking for. Its just as huge, just as over-powered, and is just as easy to use. You wont even have to retrain your family how to heat leftovers. If you are upgrading from a much smaller unit, however, you will need to retrain everyone so they don't keep setting off your smoke alarms. Be warned; this box really cooks. And, remember, they simply do not make them like they used to.In a big box store, you can compare the various makes and models. I did. Although earlier or perhaps lesser models do appear to have less robust door latches, models nn965 and nn966 both have very different latches, even different from each other. This model has a more refined and very sturdy door latch, and that gives me hope that the widely reported problem has been resolved. This unit (I purchased) latches firmly, and sounds exactly like another unit we have had for several years. By all measures, this latch appears to conform to industry standards.The differences do not stop there. model nn966 also has slightly raised buttons, where the nn965 and other models have perfectly featureless and flat touch screens. These are small pressure sensitive push pads that depress when you poke them. The great advantage is that blind and visually impaired users can feel the buttons. Feeling the slightly raised button also helps any user know exactly where to press; a feature some touch screen users will well appreciate. The surface of the control panel remains seamless, so cleaning is still easy.I went with the 2.2 cu. ft. version. It is cavernous inside, but its not consuming any more counter space than our 2.0 unit. The 16-inch glass turntable is shaped like any other but rides well above the bottom of the cooking box, so removing it for cleaning is simple. This may also improve the evenness of heating. It runs at the same loudness of any large unit, and it beeps just like you expect; no surprises.A close look at an assortment of microwaves shows that they all rest on tiny metal feet about the diameter of a nickle or penny. Although these feet sadly never appear to be adjustable, they are always placed a few inches back from the front edge of the unit and frequently far back from the inner edge of the door. Placing nickles or pennies under these feet still appears to be the universal trick for leveling a microwave. Given the substantial weight of the unit, tipping appears to be no problem and neither does it appear to be that leaving the unit to overhang a deep cupboard shelf is any problem at all. My plans call for the unit to rest on a custom built shelf above a kitchen counter, because I have no desire to sacrifice over 30-inches of counter top work space.This may well be one of the largest and most powerful microwaves intended for residential use. It can accept any stupidly tall coffee mug, a number of moderately sized serving dishes, or even a 16-inch pizza. Once you learn how to adjust it properly, you can even keep that pizza nicely warmed through an entire football game. Just be sure to remove it from the box. And, yes. This unit will incinerate popcorn in well under 2 minutes, so adjust your programmed settings accordingly. When you get it programmed, everyone can make it perfect every time ... until you change your brand of popcorn.

UPDATE 7/2022: I just noticed this review I wrote was now 5 years old and this model IS still being sold. So I thought I’d note this unit is still going strong. Used several times daily for over 5 years without a single hitch. Other than the need to wipe it down when someone forgets to cover a bowl of spaghetti. But alas, they haven’t seem to have invented the self-cleaning microwave yet so it looks like I’ll be using this one until they do.ORIGINAL REVIEW 6/2017: I waited for nearly a year of use before posting this review. And having briefly re-reviewed a few of the lower ratings/comments, I can say I have not experienced any of the specific complaints reported (i.e. door button sticking, poor door fit, wi-fi interference (although that has a lot of variables), etc.)What I can say is that this microwave is big and powerful. I remember pulling the turntable glass out of the box during unpacking and saying "holy cow, I could nuke a whole cow" on this. At just over 16" in diameter, what you can cook is 2-3 bowls of frozen vegetables at the same time. While the unit is certainly one of the larger non-commercial microwaves I've seen, the large cooking area appears to come more from efficiencies in Panasonic's design. In other words, more cooking area out of the same footprint of a microwave of this size from a few years ago.When I was first evaluating this purchase I wasn't sure if the "Microwave Inverter" technology, now unique to Panasonic due to licensing/patents, was gimmick or not. But now I don't believe it is (despite at least one non-Amazon/independent buying guide that tried to claim otherwise). This unit doesn't "pulse" on and off during the cooking cycle like other microwaves I've used. It's more like the described "steady stream of power" which definitely reduces cooking time and makes trips to the kitchen faster. However, you do have to be aware that similar to switching from a standard toaster oven to a convection toaster oven, cooking times need to be reduced or your food will truly be "nuclear" (ok, overheated). The inverter technology also appears to improve defrost mode in my experience. If you flip the food as instructed, it generally avoids partially cooking the edges of food like other non-inverter units I've used over the years.The only thing (or two) I personally didn't love about this unit was the power function on the controls. I'm used to hitting "power" and then a number. This unit starts at power 10 and you have to hit the power button 1-9 times to reduce it to the level you want. Admittedly, part of my aggravation is having had "power #" a habit long ago formed. But I actually find it less efficient this way.Also, I feel I should comment that the "cheat sheet" for the smart cooking modes is on the inside of the door on the bottom, conveniently printed for those of us that like to keep a magnifying glass velcro'd to the side of our kitchen appliances. I don't know why manufacturers think this is a good placement or print size but this issue is not unique to Panasonic. I guess my disappointment is that after buying a microwave several years newer than my previous, the leap in generation fails to provide any leap in improvement in the capability of the timer/display and keypad controls. Simply allowing you to scroll through the cooking options to appear on the display by hitting each number. (i.e. hitting "Sensor Cook" and then 1 would display "Frozen dinner", then 2 would display "Popcorn", etc.) would be a welcome improvement on the printed microscopic label approach.However, I can't honest say these cons outweigh the pros and I feel this is a very good unit overall. I'm not sure how often the models change over time, so this review may not be relevant for very long. But in general, I wouldn't hesitate to consider the Panasonic brand and their unique "Microwave Inverter" technology again if I had to. (Hopefully at least 9-15 years from now. ;-) ) Happy nuking!