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Panasonic has a brand new microwave up for buyers’ consideration for this year’s CES 2022 event, dubbed the Panasonic Smart Inverter Countertop Microwave Oven, Works with Alexa. Sold under model designation (NN-SV79MS), the branding for Panasonic Smart Inverter Countertop Microwave Oven, Works with Alexa may be a mouthful. But it also reveals this countertop kitchen accessory’s biggest feature, expanding Panasonic’s smart home-ready lineup.
As Panasonic’s first ‘smart’ microwave, it should also come as no surprise that the company isn’t starting with a budget design. The sleek 1,200-Watt gadget comes with an interior capacity of 10 13/32 x 13 7/” x 16 1/16-inches. And that’s with an external footprint that’s only a few inches larger on each side. And, of course, it features an LCD screen above its six buttons, as well as a dial for deeper control.
Cooking, warming, thawing, melting, and reheating are driven by Panasonic’s Genius Sensor technology. That pairs with a Sensor reheat option with 20 pre-programmed menu options. And, of course, manual cooking, timer functionality, and all of the other bells and whistles are present too. Up to and including a Child Safety Lock feature.
That’s all standard for a Panasonic microwave, so what makes this one “smart?”
Of course, what makes the Panasonic Smart Inverter Countertop Microwave Oven, Works with Alexa smart, is that it works with Amazon’s Alexa. So, summarily, voice commands using an Alexa-enabled device or the Alexa app, work.
Paired with an Amazon Echo Dot, for example, users can simply speak commands to get cooking. Negating the need to twist dials or push buttons, to begin with. And allowing hands to be free for whatever kitchen tasks need to be accomplished more quickly.
Panasonic says that specific cooking commands, such as telling Alexa to “reheat for 30 seconds” can be used. Or, more nuanced commands can be used. For instance, telling Alexa to “defrost one pound of ground beef,” “cook a frozen pizza,” or “reheat one cup of coffee.” Conversely, users can also stop, pause, or start the cooking process at command as well, if needed.
Pricing and availability
In terms of pricing, Panasonic Smart Inverter Countertop Microwave Oven, Works with Alexa (NN-SV79MS) will go on sale for just $299.99. But this Panasonic smart microwave isn’t available immediately at CES 2022. Instead, it will be available to buy in March at Amazon and at Best Buy for that price.