Panasonic NN-CS89LBBPQ Combination Microwave Oven Review:

The Panasonic NN-CS89LBBPQ may look similar an oven, just it also offers a microwave function, as well as grill and steaming abilities. Its capacity is large thanks to the flatbed design and it has three slots that tin take several of the provided trays at the aforementioned fourth dimension. What really sets this appliance apart is the long list of pre-sets and automatic programmes, some of which are capable of customising the cooking fourth dimension by sensing the moisture in the nutrient. While navigating the controls and finding the all-time cooking method for each nutrient isn’t intuitive, a thick instruction manual is provided. Handily, the steam function also allows for easy cleaning with iv specific cleaning settings.

Introduction

Combination microwaves are well equipped to tackle a variety of cooking tasks – and the Panasonic NN-CS89LBBPQ Combination Microwave Oven goes even further, with grill and steam functions, besides as an array of programmes featuring various amalgamations of its 4 cooking modes.

Because of its pattern, the three slots for trays and the lack of a turntable, the emphasis here seems to be more on the convection function than the microwave. Withal, the NN-CS89LBBPQ also shines in combination modes, particularly with its smart auto sensor programmes.

Design and features

• Minimalist pattern with touch on-sensitive buttons is not exactly intuitive
• Door opens downwards like an oven
• Trays tin be positioned at various heights

At the offset glance, the NN-CS89LBBPQ appears to exist more of a convection oven: its door opens downward and in that location’s no turntable inside. Instead, you get diverse trays, which tin be positioned at three dissimilar heights, or left at the bottom of the oven.

The glass tray is suitable for all functions, while the plastic trivet is meant for steaming tasks. Non suitable for straightforward microwave cooking, the wire shelf and enamel tray come in handy for grilling, convection and steaming tasks. If you primarily use the microwave feature, yous’ll need to notice somewhere to store those extra trays.

The oven infinite is generous hither, allowing several items to exist cooked at the same fourth dimension on different levels, farther emphasised by the motorcar programmes’ ability to cook as much every bit 2kg of meat.

The bottom front part of the appliance also has a baste tray that stops water from running onto your worktop when the oven door is opened. This is specially useful for the steam function, which also requires filling the h2o tank – a rectangular plastic box located behind the drip tray.

The NN-CS89LBBPQ’southward design is sleek and minimalist: smoked glass and gunmetal give a sense of quality. However, the drinking glass door doesn’t let for practiced visibility since it’due south a scrap besides dark and the glass is very reflective. Too, the conclusion to get with a impact-sensitive console of buttons means it’s likely to go covered in fingerprints and muck.

The control panel consists of a small LCD and 12 buttons: 2 for turning the apparatus on and off, another ii for navigating the menu, Timer/Clock, Steam, Convection, Micro Ability, Grill, and Combination, plus Auto Cook for pre-set up programmes, and the curiously named Chaos Defrost – a smart defrosting setting that lets you input the weight and type of nutrient (breadstuff or meat).

Navigating the controls takes a little getting used to, non helped by the small LCD that merely allows ane give-and-take to be displayed at a fourth dimension. Handily, in that location is a thick teaching manual, and a quick guide to all programmes is provided in a sticker format, and so information technology could be attached to a surface for safekeeping.

The manual also includes general defrosting, cooking and reheating guidelines, as well as some xl pages of recipes, covering every grade, with vegetarian and vegan options, plus breadstuff, cakes and preserves.

The touch-sensitive buttons make a beeping audio when pressed – useful to establish everything is operational, but it tin can get annoying when a lot of button-pressing is required. In that location’s no dial, so setting the fourth dimension means stabbing the up and down buttons for x-sec intervals. You tin can hold the push button down when setting a longer cooking fourth dimension and the appliance remains quiet afterwards the initial beep, just this doesn’t utilise to manner selection.

The microwave has seven, the grill iii and the steam setting has 2 different ability levels, while the oven temperature ranges from 30°C to 230°C. In addition to the 36 smart cooking (counting iii for defrosting) and 12 combination programmes, the NN-CS89LBBPQ has four cleaning settings, including deodorisation and crenel cleaning to remove grease build-up inside the oven.

Performance

• Regular defrosting proves uneven, while Chaos Defrost yields amend results
• Humidity-measuring machine sensor program delivers a corking baked white potato
• Cleans itself using steam power

The NN-CS89LBBPQ impressed with its auto programmes and grill setting, while some tasks using its regular microwave and convection functions delivered somewhat uneven results, requiring a longer cooking time.

Afterward 2mins of defrosting two slices of frozen white bread using the low defrost power level, the thermal photographic camera showed some extremes, with the corners of the bread showing white (hot) and the centre of the staff of life nighttime purple (frozen). I then had to flip the staff of life over to finish defrosting, which took another 1min30secs, but past the fourth dimension the cold middle was warmed upwardly, the already-warm areas were getting a bit cooked.

Chaos Defrost, the setting that speeds up the defrosting process based on the weight of the nutrient, delivered faster results (and a handy reminder to flip the bread over halfway through the process) at 49secs, although the corners of the slices came out warm, while the middle remained cold.

Microwaving two slices of frozen staff of life at full ability proved quickest. Afterwards 20secs, the breadstuff was still unevenly defrosted, while another 20secs meant information technology was starting to get a little too warm, putting the optimal full-power defrost time at around the 30-sec marker.

To toast the staff of life, I used the highest grill setting with the wire rack in the top position. The grill took 4mins to preheat, and the bread came out evenly browned after some other 4mins under the grill.

To test the steam capabilities, I used the Machine Cook steam programme to cook 200g of rice with 300ml of h2o. This took 28mins and the rice came out still a little wet and chewy. After microwaving information technology for a farther minute at total ability, information technology was perfect. Interestingly, rice is the merely automatic programme here with a lower chapters – 200g was the maximum amount of rice allowed.

Reheating 200g of fridge-cold rice with two tablespoons of water at full power, it reached 97°C in the middle in 2mins. According to the thermal photographic camera, at that place was yet some unevenness around the edges, and after stirring the temperature fell to 88°C. Another 50secs took it up to an even 99°C.

Afterward microwaving a raw, fridge-cold 350g baking potato on total ability for 3mins on each side and letting it stand for a further minute, it measured 99°C. Nevertheless, it notwithstanding had a very noticeable crisis when cut, indicating a hard, uncooked center. Later another 3mins50secs I deemed information technology edible enough, peculiarly every bit I was starting to worry about the outer layer drying out too much.

I had much better results using the auto cook plan for jacket potatoes, which benefits from a congenital-in sensor that measures the humidity of the food and adjusts the power level and cooking time accordingly. Afterwards 3mins of assessing the potatoes in the oven, the sensor suggested a 17min50sec cooking time. The 350g examination spud came out with a crispy skin and a 98°C internal temperature. While it felt a tiny bit crunchy at the very eye, information technology was cooked through and mostly pleasantly fluffy.

Using the convection-only setting to cook some frozen roast potatoes and to bake a focaccia, I noted the results came out a niggling stake compared with the aforementioned temperature in my regular oven, requiring actress cooking fourth dimension. But the focaccia benefitted from the Steam Shot part – a quick smash of steam manually added during baking to enhance the rising process of breads, cakes or pastries.

The steam function and the water tank also proved very useful for cleaning the oven: the 20-minute Crenel Cleaning programme that steamed the inside meant that all the muck could be simply wiped abroad with a cloth.

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