Rated 
Panasonic NN-C994S Countertop Microwave
Pushbutton and rotary knob control [rather than touchpad]. Attractive design Fast microwave heating (tested using one cup of water). Sensible control layout. Comprehensible efficient manual.
Door swing unexpectedly limited [but still greater than 90 degrees]. Interior light glares into eyes when door is open.
Posted Apr 19, 2007 - We're very happy with this product. My wife loved the design as soon as she saw it. And that effort at design extends to the control layouts, the absence of touchpads, and the editing and layout of the manual. [And that's also why I'm puzzled they didn't put the light in the ceiling of the cavity.] I don't know if many people share my distaste for touchpads [or, similarly, radios without rotary knobs for volume and tuning], but the combination of push buttons with tactile feedback to select functions and rotary knobs to select quantity is a killer combination. Most of us go through a self-training process whenever learning to operate new equipment. The first step involves reading text [in the manual or on the machine] or symbols at every control. After a such a period of motor training, we can begin to ignore the labels and just let our muscle memory do all the work. Well, Panasonic has designed a system that promises to drastically shorten that period of training. Every time you make a pushbutton choice, a blinking light directs you to the pushbutton or knob that controls the next appropriate parameter. [The training mode is the default on power-up and can be turned off when no longer needed.] The turntable is ceramic rather than the more familiar [to me] metal or glass. I don't know WHY Panasonic chose ceramic--it must be more expensive to manufacture--but I trust whatever engineering criteria lay behind the decision. Quiet operation in all modes--micro, bake, broil, combination. Overall, highly recommended.
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