A True Gourmet Experience from your Microwave!
You will notice throughout the reviews I have on my website that I mention how microwave technology has come a long way since I was last looking for one. But then it has been a good number of years since I needed to find a new one!
That’s one of the reasons I created this website. What started as (what I thought would be) a simple job turned into many hours of research. Since I’m a thoughtful type, I thought it would be a good idea to pass my findings on to everyone-else in the hope your job finding a microwave will be a lot easier than mine.
So, for this review I’m going tell you all about the Panasonic Genius 1250 Watt Sensor Microwave with Inverter Technology. If Inverter Technology is something new to you, you’re in for a treat!
Power and Capacity
As you’ve probably already realized, you get 1250 watts of power with this microwave oven which makes it a pretty powerful unit. Inside, you get 2.2 cu ft of space which is easily enough to fit larger than average dinner plates or casserole dishes in. Although, I must mention that height can be a slight issue. If you’re used to placing tall items in your microwave, this one might give you some trouble.
At this point you may be thinking you’ll need a large space on your countertop so this model will fit. However, due to the Inverter Technology (more on that in a moment), the parts used are much smaller and don’t weigh as much as conventional microwaves. This means you won’t have any heavy lifting to do and it won’t be a problem finding a place in your kitchen for it.
Design
Looks are a very personal choice so it’s not possible to please everyone all the time. This microwave is available in both black and white so the unit will fit into most decors. The overall design is a classic looking microwave with just a few little touches here and there that make it look unique.
For instance, the glass in the door is slightly curved at the sides so it looks softer. There is no handle sticking out because you open and close the door using the push button to the right and considering the amount of features available, the controls are very neatly arranged as well.
Inverter Technology
Like I said if you’ve never come across this type of microwave technology before, you’ll be surprised at how simple an idea it is. Conventional microwaves only use one level of heat even though you can change it. What this essentially means is that if you choose a lower power level on a “normal” microwave it will still use all the power available but pulses instead.
Inverter Technology doesn’t work like that. Instead, it uses what’s called true microwave energy. So if you want low, you get low! This stops items of food being cold in the middle but hot on the outside. In short, this technology gives you even cooking all the time so you get the same results you would with an oven but much faster!
In fact, this technology has been so well received, the Culinary Institute of America has named it their choice of microwave cooking and you can even download recipes especially for Inverter Technology.
Other Features
Whilst I was looking into this microwave I did notice one thing which may be a bit of an irritant to some (although if you’re a serial button presser it shouldn’t bother you). As you can see below the features this unit offers is extensive, but if you want to do things like select various food groups or change the power level this will involve pressing more buttons than other models on the market.
Having said that there are lots of “one-touch” controls that make life easier:
Sensor Cook and Reheat
- All this needs from you is the press of a button. What the microwave will then do is measure the amount of steam or heat being produced by the food and will know when it’s time to stop. Nothing could be easier!
- Turbo Defrost
Again this uses Inverter Technology allowing you to defrost food super fast but without it starting to cook (just remember to use the weight and type of meat option). - Warming Feature
This is where your microwave will pulse the power so it can keep food warm without over-cooking and the best thing is you can use this option for up to 30 minutes.
Even More!
You also have the option for a quick 1 minute cooking time, but do remember that if you want say, 10 minutes (the most available) you will have to press the button 10 times. For people who really want to get the most from this microwave give the function key a try. This will give you 10 non-cooking functions that can be really useful for the master “microwave cook”!
Of course, you get a clock and timer which are displayed on the LED and a child safety lock plus, you can also choose to have instructions displayed in Spanish and French as well as English. O, and if you prefer a more stylish model you should check out the stainless steel version of this model, which I reviewed here. I only realised they were basically the same after I had finished with my reviews.
After reading this review, you may think Panasonic has put a huge price tag on this microwave but they haven’t! If you want to know more, take a look at Amazon where you will also find plenty of very satisfied customers!
You can find the stainless steel model here.
Further Information
