Panasonic NN-SN936B Review

As mentioned above, the NN-SN936 stands out with its impressively large capacity. This microwave has an impressive 2.2 cubic feet of volume, it should easily fit just about any microwave-safe bowl or plate you can find.

Heating

We began our comprehensive side-by-side testing process to see how each of these kitchen appliances did at heating up different types of food. This microwave did exceptionally well, earning one of the best scores of the entire group.

Heat Map Test

For our heat map test, we spread out a thin layer of marshmallow fluff on a circle of parchment paper trimmed to fit inside the microwave. The fluff was selected as an easy visual reference for areas that were getting heated more than others, as the discoloration is very apparent.

The Panasonic NN-SN936 delivered phenomenal results, with barely any hotspots apparent after even six minutes of heating. It seemed to cook the fluff incredibly evenly, without any extra heat concentrated in the center — a stark contrast to most other models.

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Heating Speed Test

This product did extremely well, boosting the temperature over 111​​°F — effectively blowing the rest of the competitors out of the water.

Leftover Heating

The Panasonic did very well, with minimal spread of temperatures throughout the green beans and mashed potatoes. The green beans and mashed potatoes also were very close in temperature, with only about 12°F separating their averages. However, the sausages came out a bit warm and required some time to cool before they could be consumed.

Soup Heating

The Panasonic NN-SN936 did an impeccable job in this regard, heating the soup to just under 150°F — perfect for serving.

Pizza Heating

Regrettably, this product only delivered mediocre results in this regard. We saw a fairly large spread in temperatures, with some areas sizzling and some areas almost cool to the touch.

Frozen Foods

This product got off to a rocky start in the frozen burrito test, failing to heat the entire burrito above the minimum temperature stated on the package. It also had drastic temperature differences between the three zones, with an average difference of 33°F. Fortunately, the performance rebounded with the single-serve lasagna. This microwave delivered an almost perfect performance, with all zones sufficiently heated and less than 5°F of temperature variation across the different zones we tested.

The Panasonic NN-SN936 finished out with another strong showing in the Hot Pocket test. It heated all areas sufficiently and again had almost no variation between the zones, only showing an average difference of about 3°F. Even better, we liked that the Hot Pocket even had a slightly crispy exterior.

Defrosting

This microwave did very well, taking just under five minutes to completely defrost just a bit less than 12 ounces of the ground meat. The rest was easy to break apart but still fairly solid. However, we wouldn't have an issue tossing it in a pan. There weren't any browned or cooked bits. The microwave does beep partway through to alert you to flip over whatever you are defrosting but doesn't automatically stop.

Ease of Use

This microwave has a decent amount of internal lighting and the typical “+30 seconds” button found on most models. It doesn't have a volume adjust but is big and hefty enough to stay in place on the counter even with some significant force behind a button press. However, it did a mediocre job with our popcorn test. We found that it started to burn the popcorn when we used the popcorn button.

Should You Buy the Panasonic NN-SN936?

If you are looking for one of the best microwaves around and want a larger appliance, then we highly recommend the NN-SN936. It heats and defrosts very very well, though it doesn't have the most comprehensive set of convenience features.

What Other Microwaves Should You Consider?