The egg timer style dial which many microwaves employ to allow you to set the amount of time your food will be heated for is both a blessing and a curse. They’re very easy to use, and allow you to easily add more time to your meal if you feel it needs it, but on the other hand they tend to lack the exactness of their digital counterparts.
On balance we valued the convenience they offered over the digital alternatives, but if you’re someone who prefers to follow microwaving instructions to the letter then we’d advise you to stick with a digital timer. Meanwhile programmer modes, which allow you to automate your microwaving by inputting the type of food and the weight, remain divisive. A quick straw poll of the office revealed that only one person used the functionality on their microwave at home, with most opting to rely completely on just power and time settings.
Not worrying about automatic programs will take a lot of the stress out of a microwave purchase, since this is a big point of differentiation between the different models. Ignoring them allows you to focus on features such as controls, aesthetics, and capacity. Finally, on the issue of dial vs button controls, we found dials to be overall much more responsive, but buttons are undeniably easier to clean since they’re often completely flush with the front surface of the unit.
Panasonic N-CS89LBBPQ – or just Cs 9 to its friends – is a great option if you’ve decided that the turntable found in many other models is hampering your cooking. Yep, this particular model comes with a flatbed interior, without the round bit that you normally plonk your meals on. That, in effect, means you get extra space and if you have a family, or just a big appetite, that’ll be worth it’s weight in gold.It’ll take on square and rectangular-shaped plates and dishes too, which many turntable models can’t.
Being a Panasonic means you get a well thought out exterior too, with sensible styling that’ll suit pretty much any kitchen area. Controls are laid out in a no-nonsense way and operating the 27 litre best microwave online is gloriously simple.
Those touch controls offer access to the likes of 18 auto-cook functions while the manual defrost is hugely impressive. A highlight, in fact.Panasonic appliances are generally very reliable and the doesn’t look to be any different. Anyway, you can ignore all the above, as we’re about to TELL you what the best microwave for you is. Have your credit card and M&S beef strongman at hand, and read on.
