Description
The Panasonic NN-SN686S is one of the most heavily reviewed countertop microwaves in this catalog, carrying more than eleven thousand ratings, and it is built around a genuine technical difference rather than a feature list. Panasonic lists 1200 watts of cooking power in a 1.2 cubic foot cavity, a 13.4 inch turntable, Inverter Technology, a Genius Sensor, 14 auto cook presets, a keep warm setting and a child safety lock, in stainless steel.
Panasonic also publishes both interior and exterior dimensions, which very few listings in this category do. The interior is given as 9 15/16 inches high, 13 15/16 inches wide and 14 3/8 inches deep, and the exterior as 12 1/4 inches high, 20 11/16 inches wide and 15 13/16 inches deep, weighing 25.5 pounds.
Inverter Technology and Why It Matters
This is the feature the model is bought for. A conventional microwave has one power setting, full, and produces lower power levels by pulsing the magnetron on and off. Set it to 50 percent and it runs at full power half the time and no power the rest. That pulsing is why edges overcook while centers stay cold on delicate work such as melting chocolate, softening butter or gently reheating a sauce.
Panasonic’s Inverter Technology instead delivers a continuous stream of power at the selected level. At 50 percent the oven actually runs at 50 percent throughout. Panasonic states this produces more evenly cooked results from edge to center. The same technology underpins Inverter Turbo Defrost, which Panasonic says speeds up defrosting, and it is the reason this oven behaves noticeably differently from a conventional unit at low power settings.
The tradeoff is that inverter circuitry is a more complex and less repairable assembly than a conventional transformer. Ovens without it, such as the Farberware Classic, are simpler machines.
The Genius Sensor and Auto Cooking
The Genius Sensor measures the steam produced during cooking and signals the microprocessor to calculate the remaining time at the appropriate power level. In practice that means pressing one button rather than guessing a duration, and it is the feature that most reduces second attempts on reheated leftovers.
Fourteen auto cook presets cover items such as pizza, popcorn, pasta, soup and oatmeal. A quick minute timer, a delay start and a keep warm function are also listed, the last of which holds soups, gravies or desserts at temperature until they are served. Ten power levels are available for manual work, along with a child safety lock and a push button door release rather than a pull handle.
Size, Power Draw and Placement
At 20 11/16 inches wide and 15 13/16 inches deep this is a mainstream countertop footprint, and at 25.5 pounds it is notably lighter than most 1.2 cubic foot ovens, which makes it easier to move for cleaning. The 13.4 inch turntable, which Panasonic also gives as 340 mm, is generous and is the figure that decides whether a large plate can rotate freely.
The electrical specification is unusually well documented here. Panasonic states a power source of 120 volts at 60 Hz and a power consumption of 1480 watts, alongside the 1200 watt cooking output and an operating frequency of 2,450 MHz. The 1480 watt draw is worth noting: on a kitchen circuit already carrying a kettle or a toaster, a microwave pulling close to 1500 watts is a realistic cause of a tripped breaker. Panasonic does not state a required clearance figure, so the printed manual is the authority there, and the listing describes the oven as suitable for countertop or built-in use with an appropriate trim kit.
Highlights
- 1200 watts of cooking power, above the 1000 watt mainstream.
- Inverter Technology for continuous power at reduced settings.
- Genius Sensor cooking that measures steam and sets time and power.
- 14 auto cook presets, plus a quick minute timer and delay start.
- Inverter Turbo Defrost and a keep warm setting.
- 1.2 cubic foot cavity with a 13.4 inch turntable, interior published at 9 15/16 by 13 15/16 by 14 3/8 inches.
- Child safety lock and a push button door release.
- 120 volts at 60 Hz, 1480 watt power consumption, 25.5 pounds.
Things To Consider
The push button door release divides opinion. It opens the door with a press rather than a pull, which is convenient with full hands and is a mechanism that can wear over years of use. There is no pull handle alternative on this model.
At 1480 watts of draw this is one of the more demanding countertop microwaves electrically. On an older kitchen circuit shared with other appliances that is a practical constraint rather than a theoretical one.
There is no convection, no air fry and no broil. This is a microwave that does microwave cooking unusually well and does not attempt anything else. Households wanting a single countertop appliance that also browns and crisps should look at the GE four in one with air fry and convection or the Panasonic HomeChef.
Panasonic’s own listing copy describes the appliance in strongly promotional terms. The specifications behind it are unusually complete and internally consistent, which is more than can be said for most listings in this category, but the marketing language should be read as marketing.
Who It Suits and Who Should Look Elsewhere
This is the pick for a household that uses the lower power levels seriously: softening butter, melting chocolate, gently reheating sauces and defrosting properly rather than cooking the edges. The Inverter Technology is a real difference in how the appliance behaves, not a marketing distinction, and the Genius Sensor removes most of the guesswork from everyday reheating. The published interior dimensions make it easy to size correctly before buying.
It is more oven than someone who only reheats coffee needs, and the 1480 watt draw is worth checking against the kitchen circuit first. Buyers who want a mute function or the largest possible cavity should compare the Toshiba EM131A5C-BS, and the full range sits in the countertop microwave oven category.
