Panasonic NN-ST657W / NN-ST657S

Excellent product – My microwave is 11 years old, & has had no problems until lately. I need to almost slam the door to make the turntable work, so maybe I'll have to replace it soon. But I will definitely buy another Panasonic. Show details ·  3

Still working well after 7 years – I've had this microwave for around 7 years and it is still working faultlessly. It is the third Panasonic microwave oven I've owned and all have given reliable service. The only complaint I have (if I was being really critical) is that the light could be a bit brighter, so I can keep an eye on things that might bubble over if cooked for too long. I'm now thinking of replacing it with a convection model.  Show details

Good function – I usually use the heating function and it’s good. The microwave is not very loud when working. It is nothing special but working well. I brought this microwave 6 months ago & only have a little issue with the button but it then was fixed later. Overall, it is good.  Show details

Panasonic Microwave Pain – I've the same H97 error message appeared in my Panasonic Microwave one morning couple of weeks ago. After reading others in the comments section I've made up my mind not to touch another Panasonic ever again. I've had a cheap generic brand before the dreaded Panasonic and it lasted me many years without bother or complain. My suggestion, read… Read more

product review first then make a considered decision on what to buy as it is just a waste of money otherwise in cases like this.

Inverter NN-ST671S - JUNK – Not happy with this microwave. Only used to warm up and defrost - maybe twice daily. It's about 2 years old. It has not warmed up food evenly like it's supposed too, still got hot and cold spots. I received my H97 error. Hubby called Panasonic, call out fee and to access between $77 - $99, a further $200 - $300 or more to repair! A total waste of… Read more

money!!! In future I will be buying 'al cheapo' microwaves - they'll probably last longer.

Very unhappy and I will not buy this brand again! Going to KMart!

Starts/Stops cooking when I do not even program to do it! – So just 1 week after warranty expired, I started to notices problems. At first as soon as closed the door, the turn table started going around as if i had started it to cook. Then other times I leave it to defrost for 15min it had stopped 4mins into defrosting without indication. As time gone on. This got worst to a point finally today an error… Read more

came up L000

The only way to get rid of it was power off and on again. Anyway the only purpose i got it was because it was small.

But all in all it is the biggest piece of HN crud!

Lasts and lasts – 10 years and going strong and has not missed a beat. Good reliable machine. Would definitely purchase a Panasonic device in the future based on ease of use and reliability

Perfect example of an appliance that lasts – I've had this microwave for over 12 years, and has just shown an error....... In the world where nothing is built to last, where new washing machines are given a 5 year shelf life, a microwave that lasts 12 years is a solid effort! Great job Panasonic!!  Show reply

Had it for more than 10 years and still going – Had it for more than 10 years and still going. waiting for it to break down to get a new one :) Hopefully, the new models are reliable like this model  Show details ·  1

Wish I'd read the reviews first before purchasing a new Panasonic Microwave – We were very happy to have this Panasonic microwave at first. It was the right size for us. Our old Panasonic Genius II had lasted 25 years before dying. It had only needed two minor repairs.This one has only lasted 5 years displaying H97 problems. Our use had only been light to moderate too.The Instruction book states the life of the machine is 7… Read more

Years but we didn't know this at the time of purchase. It is reasonable to expect these appliances to last much longer than this. Shame on you Panasonic !! These are not throw away items! I wish I had read the reviews first. I will definitely not be buying any more of your products.

Lasted 2 years – First door mechanics stop working, microwave will move with door open ... a month after.. H97 error .... cost of repairing is more than the cost of a new unit.. Do not buy. We are extremely disappointed with panasonic. The old microwave lasted 6 years, and it was still working before it was replaced...  Show details

What the heck, all of us customers have the same issue, it's like a scam & I'm so angry. This compan – I was satisfied until this H97 error code came up. We don't have the finances to replace or repair, so we are left without a microwave now. We do use this microwave several times a day, either for defrosting, reheating or cooking & when you're a low income family, we don't have the money to just go buy another microwave now. We are extremely disappointed with panasonic  Show details

Will never buy a Panasonic microwave again – I've been an appliance technician since 1978 and Panasonic used to be my favorite company but the microwaves they make are built to break. They have 17 amps going through a very small wire in the door section and they always go out and in my case it took out the control board which they're saying cost $150 to replace. I can buy a new one for a… Read more

hundred and twenty-five this one's only a few months old and I looked them up online and everybody's having problems with them a technician's point of view they're great because they make us lots of money in my point of view it should have lasted at least 10 years. Very disappointed with Panasonic. I was just looking at my review because I was sent an e-mail and I noticed that panasonic has dis·con·tin·ued this micro!!! Geez I wonder why?!!! Smile!!!

Garbage - lasted 1 day before H97 error – I bought my microwave yesterday. Yesterday it worked quite well. When I went to reheat something for dinner tonight however the screen flashed "H97" and the unit stopped working! It only lasted 24 hours!!! Not happy Panasonic! I'm going to tell everyone who will listen to not buy your microwaves.

I can't believe the bad reviews, never had a single problem – I have owned this microwave for over 5 years and I use it several times every single day. I have never had a problem with it not cooking something properly, it is very easy to use, very powerful and looks great. The only thing that annoys me (now that I have a young baby) is the noise of the beeps and the buttons. If you could adjust the volume… Read more

it would be heaps better. Also the door opening mechanism is not very smooth. Requires a bit of force to open and close but perhaps that is a safety thing. Clearly mine was made with different parts or something to the other reviews because I would never buy one again in a million years after reading the scathing on here.

H 97 – A near new microwave only used a hand full of times needed it last night to feed people during a fire and you guessed it h97 .panasonic peace of crap. And from what i understand un fixable bought from betta electrical for a couple hundred dollars is near brand new still and caput not happy at all. a follow up been in touch with panasonic and… Read more

they have given me a r.o.g replacement of goods order,have taken microwave to place of purchase and have received a brand new micro,yes i changed brands but you have to give it to Panasonic,they new of the fault and honored a replacement,now im happy

Dont buy panasonic – After trying to adhere and buy products run by consumer reviews I have totally given up on Panasonic , I'll avoid all panasonic products from now on . Panasonic with my experience have Never been reliable enough to get a few years good service out of them. This microwave was one of them

Did not last – When the microwave workd - it was AMAZING!!! I had it about 4 years and barely ever use it. Maybe once every 3 -5 weeks. Got the "death code" H97 today. Am disappointed because I paid more for the model because Consumer Reports had rated it as a top model. I did the math and it probably lasted less than 60 uses.

Good but then – I would have given it only one or two stars but my records tell me that it did last for 5 years before problems began. I guess if an appliance lasts that long these days, it's not that terrible and is possibly even a minor miracle! So we were happy with it for the most part, until recently. It started to stop cooking well before the set… Read more

amount of time was up. It basically overheated to the point that the external walls were very hot to touch. So if I had to defrost meat, cook rice or something else that took more than a few minutes, sure enough it would stop working. It took ages to cool down to the point were it would work again and resume cooking. Maybe the 'inverter' or cooling aspect of the microwave failed. This got pretty annoying to say the least, especially as it became an expected occurrence.

We started wondering if it was even safe. My husband said he experienced a 'wave of nausea' when standing in front of it while he quickly reheated his cuppa. That was it. Time for it to go. When purchasing a new microwave I asked for anything but a Panasonic. Salesman said ALL the brands are as bad as each other these days(!) Ha, that's probably true. Records tell me it wasn't a particularly expensive microwave, so perhaps we did alright for it to last as long as it did.

Absolutely terrible – I heat my coffee for 20 seconds then it has to 'cool' for about a minute. Waste of power and time. If I cook something and stop microwave to stir, then it has to cool for at least a minute before I can start it again. I will read the book next time before I decide which brand to buy. And it won't be Panasonic!!

H97 issue – Have had the microwave 18 months and have had this code appear. Not happy particularly when you have a 5 month old screaming for warm milk. Of course it's only under 12 month warranty. Will buy cheaper China imported brands ion future if this all the life a Panasonic can offer in a product Good size Problem has occurred less than 2 years of owning the product which was not cheap to purchase

Waste of money – Purchased Panasonic NNCD9975S mivro convec oven it lasted less than one year and due to a back log, I wonder why, it took them over three weeks to look at it to tell me that they would have to replace it. The replacement has lasted less than 24 hrs with the H97 appearing so I presume the inverter has gone. annoying that you can only set the cooking time with min 10 sec intevals

Another unhappy customer – So good for Panasonics reputation with this product. The dreaded H97 has just come up on my not very old microwave, cannot believe it has only lasted just over a couple of years and it hasn't been the best microwave with a lot of moisture collecting under turntable causing rust and mould problems also rust problem on the inside of door. Now I… Read more

need to go out tomorrow and purchase another one and it definitely won't be a Panasonic product.

Should of lasted a lot longer and there is a problem with moisture building up which has caused rust and mould

Excessive moisture under turntable and annoying cool-down function – Like others we bought this microwave on Panasonic's reputation about 3 years ago. Have been disappointed. Moisture collecting under turntable has caused paint to peel and expose metal. The cool down function is a distraction and seems pointless. Not sure how safe it is to use now and it is unsightly. Appearance Condensation. Cooling function

Another unhappy customer – The cool down feature makes this a very noisy appliance for open plan living houses. it is also very noisy in general when cooking and defrosting. Has lasted less than two years before the inverter stopped working. Reliability is no longer a strength of the panasonic brand. Very disappointed in general. The facia was well designed. The rest of the appliance was not designed for longevity or quiet operation.

Frustrated!!!! – I brought our Microwave back in 2008, I will admit we have not had any problems with it till now however I am feeling a bit frustrated now . We are having an excessive amount of water collecting under the turntable ring, which has caused paint to be removed and the internal base to rust, I have also noticed some rusting above the turntable. I am… Read more

sorry but this products life span seems to be a short one, my mother had a microwave that lasted at least 20yrs with no problems and it was a Panasonic. what ever happened to quality products at a reasonable price!!!! Easy to use, cheap. Life span too short

Panasonic trading on its good reputation – We had an older (more expensive at the time) Panasonic microwave that suddenly stopped working after about 5 years. We were going to get it repaired but decided against it when we saw an identical looking new model for around $200+ (with a new warranty...). Big mistake! It might have had the same flash stainless steel exterior but the… Read more

innards were nothing like. I really miss the old Panasonic.

From the outset this one disappointed because it somehow seems to heat plates and bowls more than the food. Crockery plates and bowls in particular are too hot to pick up yet food can be still be lukewarm and this never happened with the old model. (Same oven location, same foods, same cooks and cooking methods - only the oven was different...)

It also creates a large amount of moisture inside the oven, necessitating constant wiping/drying, and has an annoying, wasteful cooling cycle I have never seen on any other microwave.

It is still working some 2 years or so on but is noticeably down on power now taking 3 times longer to heart baby bottles. That's all the excuse we need to shop around again and see the back of this annoying appliance.

I will assume from now on that Panasonic is just another company trading on its past reputation and pushing out rubbish like this oven. We'll be checking reviews and looking for a different company to provide our microwave oven this time. Initially - the prospect of a new warranty rather than a repaired Poor performance, poor reliability after 2 years or so, excess moisture, cooling cycle.

The cooling function is driving me to distraction – Sometimes I fantasise about pushing my microwave off a cliff. It would be so easy. Just one little push, and it would be out of my life forever. No one would ever have to know. It does what it's supposed to do, it heats efficiently and defrosts pretty well, and the touchpad is easy to use and offers reasonable options. I gather the quality… Read more

varies a lot from microwave to microwave, as others appear to have had problems with it. My only problem is with the cooling function. I despise it, and I don't understand why it's necessary.

The cooling function kicks in immediately after the cooking time has run out, and the only signal that the microwave is finished cooking your food is a triple-beep. Otherwise, the microwave keeps running at full bore, and the fact that it's cooling itself rather than cooking your food make no difference to the sound. If you're cooking a meal in a busy kitchen, this is supremely annoying, because you can so easily miss the triple beep and not realise that your food is ready.

Also, I don't think the creators took into account the fact that users often put the same item in the microwave multiple times until it's cooked perfectly, or use the microwave for multiple items in quick succession. For example, if you're cooking a roast you may use the microwave for gravy, steamed peas and to reheat the potatoes you've just mashed, all in the last 5 minutes. This means you have to pay attention to the triple beeps (so you don't lose precious time), interrupt the cooling process by opening the microwave, remove the gravy and put the peas in, when the cooling process automatically starts up again, until you press the start button to start heating. It's just plain annoying that the microwave is stubbornly trying to cool itself all this time when you just want it to shut up and do as it's told. I'm not convinced that it's efficient to cool the microwave in between successive bursts of heat anyway. If you're putting peas in straight after the gravy, why does the microwave need to cool down?

My major issue with the cooling function is that I can't control it, and it behaves with a will of it's own. Sometimes you can put something in for a minute and it won't bother cooling itself at all. Other times, you can defrost a single slice of bread for 10 seconds and the microwave will spend a whole minute cooling itself down. If a cooling function is necessary, it should be controllable like everything else. If I cook something for 25 minutes, it might make sense to let it cool down for 3 minutes afterwards, but if I cook something for 2 minutes, I don't see the point.

Honestly I'm not convinced a cooling function is necessary at all. Oven's don't have them; they simply start cooling when you stop using them. None of my previous microwaves have had cooling functions and they've never overheated. How could they possibly? If they were going to overheat, wouldn't they do it while they're actually cooking food at super-high heats? What's the point of a microwave that uses extra power - and noise - for a cooling function that offers no discernible benefits for the user?

I've read that Panasonic introduced this feature because they found that many people keep their microwaves in crowded spaces without room for ventilation around the oven. Frankly, if this is a problem at all, it could be solved by simply telling people to keep their microwaves in un-crowded spaces with room for ventilation around the oven. Likewise, if you feel your microwave is too hot after use and needs cooling down, you can just leave the oven door open. In fact, this is what I do to shut up the stupid cooling function, which is nothing but an irritating gimmick that gets in the way of smooth operation in a busy kitchen. It does a good job of heating and defrosting. The diabolical cooling function.

Absolute junk – Bought new and decided to go with a brand name in the hopes of having a microwave that would last at least a few years. Within 6 months the turntable had stopped turning and the globe had blown. The cooling fan function (which cannot be turned off) is maddening and does not seem to do anything for the condensation build up in the microwave which… Read more

is still excessive despite this function.

Without the turntable rotating the microwave fails to heat anything evenly, I was terribly disappointed with this product and still feel the need to kick myself for buying from an online store with no warranty.

I was and still am very disappointed with this microwave. I am almost looking forward to it completely dying so I can buy a new one. Looks nice, easy controls. Turntable and light broke within months, condensation builds up too readily, cooling fan is annoying.

Not a great product – We've had this microwave for 2.5 - 3 years. The light went about 6 months ago and now we've got a H97 error (which seems to mean we have to replace it). It's expensive but doesn't last the distance. Other microwaves i've invested in have lasted at least 8 - 10 years. If i know it was only going to last a short period i would have only spend half the amount. It looks good and has room expensive and seems to fail after a short period of time.

An excellent addition to the kitchen! – This microwave oven is an excellent addition to my kitchen and a lifesaver when I need to reheat/cook meals in a hurry. The Inverter technology cooks the food evenly and quickly, without raw/overcooked spots. The touch screen is easy to use and has preset settings. Also has a cool down function after food is cooked. The quick, efficient heating with no overcooked/raw spots.  Show reply

Great Microwave – I bought this microwave 2 years ago and it hasn't missed a beat. Simple to use and you can cook most anything in it. Cooks a great meatloaf. No need to use an oven. Easy wash down face and insides. Great energy efficiency. Clear, easy to read keypad. I'd buy one again. Reliability

Great microwave. I bought 2nd hand and have had it for 10 years now. It's been amazing. Show reply