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This is a lightweight countertop microwave with ten power levels. It's a handsome machine, but it only comes in white, which may not match some people's color coordinated kitchens. The metal exterior, plastic door, epoxy interior and glass turntable are easy to clean.

The appliance has 1.2 cu. ft. of interior space and 1300 watts of power. It's much more powerful than other microwaves, so it's wise not to run another appliance off the same circuit while cooking, or it could trip a breaker. The extra power means that it heats food quickly. One especially nice feature is the sensor reheat. It means that you can place a cold plate of food in the machine and it senses steam levels to determine when it's done. There's no second-guessing reheating time, only to discover that the center of your meal is cold.

The light turns on when the machine is in use, but turns off when you open the door. Also, there are decorative horizontal stripes on the door, as well as a safety mesh inside that make it difficult to see the food as it cooks. The numbers on the display are difficult to read unless you're at eye level. From above, all the numbers look like eights.

The noise level of the motor is medium. The beep that sounds when cooking is done is much more subtle than other microwaves. It also only beeps five times and then it's up to you to remember to get your food. Much less annoying than other microwaves that keep beeping until you open the door.

This is one you could operate without reading the instructions, unless you need advanced features. For basic use, it's ready to go just by taking it out of the box and plugging it in. Once you do read the manual, you'll find out about really useful features, like 'keep warm' and 'Turbo Defrost.'

Inverter technology delivers microwave energy consistently, so that food heats evenly throughout. Turbo Defrost uses the Inverter low-power delivery feature to defrost foods faster. The Genius Sensor adjusts the power level automatically for various foods. The 'keep warm' feature is very useful. Once you have cooked the food, you can press this button to deliver a pulse of extremely low microwave power -- this maintains the temperature without overheating your meal.

A button has to be pressed to open door, but it doesn't always pop right open. Pressing the button multiple times can move the machine around, since it isn't heavy.

The most used buttons - 'start' and 'restart' - are raised silver ovals, which makes them easier to push than the other flat buttons on the keypad.

At $149.99 retail, this is a very good buy for the money, especially since Panasonic microwaves have a reputation for durability.