Panasonic Countertop Microwave Oven with Genius Sensor Cooking

Overview

The Panasonic NN-SU656B is a 1.3 cubic foot, 1100 watt countertop microwave with a Genius Sensor that reads steam output to set cooking time automatically. It adds a child safety lock, a quick 30 second button, and a popcorn setting with three power levels.

Genius Sensor cooking is the headline feature: rather than guessing a time and power level, the sensor measures steam as food heats and adjusts the remaining cook time on its own, which reviewers confirm works well for reheating. Buyer feedback flags two design changes from earlier Panasonic models worth knowing before purchase: this version drops the interior light and the front clock times out to save power, and one buyer found the unit about 1/8 inch taller than a prior version, which kept it from fitting an existing cabinet cutout.

• 1100 watts, 1.3 cu ft capacity
• Genius Sensor auto cook adjustment
• 12.4 inch turntable
• Child safety lock plus delay start

Who it's for

This fits a household replacing an aging microwave that wants sensor reheating and a child lock without paying for a built in unit. Anyone who relies on an always lit interior light or a clock that stays visible should check current unit dimensions against their cabinet space first.

What buyers say

From Amazon customer reviews.

Buyers largely praised the Genius Sensor for accurate reheating and liked the child lock keeping kids from opening it mid cook. Recurring complaints were the loss of an interior light and a clock that times out on this generation, touch buttons some found less precise than older tactile designs, and one buyer reported the unit continuing to run past its set time after roughly 15 months.

Strengths and trade-offs

Drawn from this product's published specifications.

Performance notes

The Genius Sensor mode is described by reviewers as accurate for everyday reheating, automatically adjusting power and time rather than requiring a guessed setting. The touch buttons are push buttons rather than fully touch sensitive, which one long time owner found harder to use precisely than her prior model's tactile buttons, and a separate review reported the unit continuing to microwave past the set time after about 15 months of use, worth confirming with Panasonic support if it occurs.

Specifications