Microwave Oven, Stainless Steel Countertop/Built-In Cyclonic Wave with Inverter Technology and Genius Sensor, 2.2 Cu. Ft, 1250W, NN-SN97JS (Silver)

I was skeptical about their claims on how much better this oven worked with its cyclonic technology, yet I have to admit that it really does work well. Say goodbye to cold centers and crispy edges and say hello to evenly heated food every single time! No, really! I was honestly amazed, I didn't realize just how much of a difference thie cyclonic technology in this thing would make in terms of using a microwave, yet it's really noticeable. Cook times are actually down, heat is uniform, food isn't over or under done if you follow cooking instructions, it's a real game changer! That alone would have been enough to call this thing the best microwave oven I've ever used or owned, yet there's more that makes it even better! It's genius sensor is so handy, you need to make sure the steam can get out, but gosh does it work well! I've never had it undercook anything I've used it for and only in the making of oatmeal did it have any issues, it made the oatmeal rise, but I have a feeling that's because I used milk instead of water and milk has a different steaming point. Its sensor cook and sensor reheat functions work like a champ, yet its other features, such as preset features for frozen entrees or thawing work remarkably well, too. I don't know if it uses the genius sensor to help in the preset cooking or not, but it does somehow seem to be able to tell just the right amount of cooking time for most things even if there ends up being a little more in terms of weight than the instruction manual says to have. I am truly blown away by this, its surfaces are easy to clean, it's easy to use, it works remarkably well, I really don't think I could have asked for a better microwave oven!

I replaced my 44 year old built-in Panasonic microwave with this model which fits the built-in space and trim perfectly. It arrived in strong packaging and works well. I do have the same recommendation as others for improvement that a brighter light inside is needed. Pros: it fits my space, is large inside, and heats evenly. Touch screen is easy to use. Cons: Needs a much brighter light inside, the glass turntable requires some maneuvering to fit correctly on the gear that rotates it, and the wheeled bracket that supports the turntable is not as strong as my 44 year old version. I hope it lasts. Overall I am happy with it, most especially because it fits the built-in space well and is large.

I had a 2015 Panasonic microwave with inverter technology which I really liked, but it burned out when the air flow was accidentally blocked. I looked for a similar Panasonic to replace it with, and settled on this one. We like to have multiple dishes in the microwave at once, or to be able to reheat a whole casserole dish without having to divide it into smaller containers first, so the large size is perfect for us. (Approx. 2.2 cubic feet inside; roughly 24" x 14" x 20" on the outside, so it does require a big chunk of counter space.) I also really like the inverter technology and find that it provides a much more even cooking result than traditional microwaves. It also makes for a much lighter microwave, so in spite of the size it is easy to lift and shift this unit to clean underneath and behind it. There are only two things I have not liked when compared to our old one: 1) The interior light is dim. At some point, Panasonic switched from a regular interior light bulb to an LED light, and they should have put in a much brighter LED fixture. I have to turn out the kitchen lights if I want to see how something inside the microwave is cooking. 2) My other complaint is that there is no visual indicator of the power level that you selected. The old microwave had a line underneath the cooking time that got shorter as you selected lower power levels. This one lets you select from 11 different power levels -- from high (10) down to 1 plus a 0 (zero) level for keeping food warm -- but once you hit the start button, there is no visual confirmation of which power level was selected. If you're like me, you'll be staring at your food cooking wondering, "Did I remember to set the right power level?" And let the reader be warned: I don't use the pre-programmed sensor cooking features, so I can't say how accurate they are. When sensor cooking was a new technology, I found that it was always under- or over-cooking my food, and I got used to just eyeballing my cooking times. Even for defrosting I prefer guesstimating times and power levels rather than programming in food types and food weights and trusting the microwave to do it for me.

Cooks very well, doesnt create hotspots, cooks evenly and well. Features: I am not sure what it is about this - maybe the Genius sensor or the Cyclonic wave? BUT it works phenomenally well. Well worth the cost.read the instructions and it will show you how to cook so many things well. The negatives I see are: you have to press the sensor button to cycle through the different settings. It would be so much easier to hit "Sensor, 4, start" rather than hit sensor 8 times then start. however the defaulted "6" sensor setting reheats everything perfectly. the ability to add a little or take a little away with one button (the ones next to zero) make it easy to tweak to your preference/need each time. The door opening press button/lever is a bit wonky and feels fragile. You have to hit it right, and 85% you do first try. Noise level is low and the beep is audible but not loud or shocking. Color is grand, I thought it would be stainless steel, but he stainless paint color is hard to tell even from an arms length. The child door lock reset when power is removed. I understand why they did that, and the child lock is a a nice feature but having to look up the three key code to turn it off is a hassle. (its only one key to unlock the door after cooking) Power and size - this is well endowed. It cooks better and faster than my previous MW, which had more power and less features. It will fit large bowls easily as well as medium size pans for larger items.

I've had a panasonic microwave for over 10 yrs. Made sense to continue w/good quality & brand. WRONG! This unit failed after only 3 total hrs of use. H97 code= Magnetron failed and stopped heating food altogether. Reviewed this again online, found out this is a huge problem w/Panasonic's line. DO NOT get this unit. They need to recall this ASAP!!! Now I'm stuck w/o a microwave for the time being; trying to return this now.

I did a lot of research, read reviews, etc. before I pulled the trigger on this. I honestly didn't care to have one this big, but it seemed to be the only microwave, I found, under $400. or so, that didn't have scary reviews in the one star category, at least on Best Buy's website. Part of the reason I'm saying that is, I noticed that the reviews for this unit on Amazon, seem to be talking about a different model number. Take a look for yourself, and I think you'll see there's something fishy here, when below the reviewers title it gives you a different model number than this unit, which is NN-SN 97Js. I just wanted to make that clear and just for interest, I noticed that there's some bad one star reviews here on Amazon, but Best Buy's reviews for NN-SN 97Js are all pretty good. Getting to the meat and potatoes of things. So far I'm very pleased with the microwave. I can actually read the names on the control panel and they seem to work alright. That's always a big concern for me on any control panel these days, because they can sometimes wear out early. I'm certainly hoping for the best. I've only cooked a few things in it, so far, but they seemed very evenly cooked, probably better than my old microwave. I like the fact that it's quieter than my old microwave and doesn't sound like a B-52 bomber when you start it up. I feel lucky because when I looked up places I could take it to in the event of a failure under warranty, there is one right here in San Diego. I also bought an extended warranty from Asurian for 4 years, and apparently they'll send you a prepaid sticker if you have to mail it in to them. The way I understand it is that you can only use Panasonic's warranty for the first year, then the Asurian extended kicks in for the remaining 3 years. In other words, the Asurian starts counting down the day you buy the microwave. The good news, to me, is it only cost an extra 44 bucks or so. I noticed that one reviewer complained at how ridiculous and difficult the programming and engineering design was on this unit, but to me, it's not "that" bad. You do have to click the power button 11 times in order to take it to the "warming" setting, but you have to click the button different amounts of times depending on what power setting you want anyway. He's probably right, that they could have designed it to use the number keypad for the power settings but I can live with it. I do like that, according to some literature, the power settings are "real" power settings and not just some cheesy setup where the microwave stops for a while just to make it seem like your cooking it on a lower temperature. In other words, say, when you cook it on Power level 3 it really does take longer for your food to cook. I think 3 is the number you'd use for defrosting. All in all, I'm pleased and it has all the stuff I would want on a microwave. Of course the real test, is how long will it last, and/or, will they honor the warranty if needed, and so on and so forth. I'll make it a point to put an up-date on this review after I've used it for a fair amount of time. Marc Trainor.

Beautiful Microwave. Low noise level. Nice interior. Easy to clean.

I purchased the Panasonic NN-SN97JS about 30 days ago to replace a Thermador MBES/01 microwave that stopped working. After researching replacement options, this model seemed like a good fit in terms of size and functionality, and I also bought the matching trim kit (Panasonic NN-TK932SS 30-inch Trim Kit) for a built-in look. While the dimensions were similar to my old unit, I had to make some adjustments to install the mounting brackets for the trim kit for the under-counter installation. Performance and Features The microwave performs well overall. It heats food evenly, and the presets are convenient to use. I also appreciate the modern design and spacious interior. The trim kit gives it a sleek, built-in appearance, which matches my kitchen perfectly. Issues with the Turntable Unfortunately, my experience wasn’t perfect. From day one, the turntable didn’t rotate. Attempts to contact Panasonic were not productive but after some online research, I determined the issue was likely a faulty turntable motor or fuse. I ordered a replacement turntable motor online, and after watching a helpful video, I was able to fix it myself with no special tools. The new motor cost $41 (including shipping). While I’m relieved the issue was fixable, it was frustrating and disappointing to encounter this problem with a brand-new appliance. Final Thoughts Despite the initial setback, the Panasonic NN-SN97JS is a solid microwave with good performance and a sleek design. However, the fact that I had to troubleshoot and repair a defective part right out of the box was a letdown. If you're considering this microwave, it’s worth noting that it may require some effort to install (if you're using the trim kit) and there’s a small chance of encountering issues like mine. That said, now that it’s working properly, I’m satisfied with its performance and would cautiously recommend it.