wow - I'd like to know also as i'm thinking of getting one of those! i'd be putting it less than 2' from my cook top. I'm hoping it can be put on the counter top (on a shelf). I haven't checked the installation info yet tho. I don't want a wall oven cabinet - I think they are too expensive. it would also close off that end of the counter. so easiest for me would be on a shelf on the counter at a hght easy for me to use it.

and for any others with it reading /posting here - can you make cookies in it? i mainly use an oven for things like garlic bread, muffins, cookies, meatloaf, chicken and maybe lasagna. that's about my limit of oven use these days.

the info on it did say pies - I remember that. not a big pie baker tho.

let me know what panasonic says!

oh - it'd also be good to know from those who have it if fingerprints show on it a lot. and is the SS easy to keep clean, looking nice?

I have had the largest Sharp and Panasonic convection microwaves above our KitchenAid convection oven for 10 years. Separation is like 1/2 foot. No issues. YMMV.

I have read you should keep the cabinets open to help dissipate heat.

I've had trouble finding installation info on it online.
i did find the site below - it does say it is counter or built in. I should be ok with it on my counter then. the site has a tab for support.

need to know if it makes good cookies tho... lol!

and how far from everything it should be when operating. it won't be in a tight spot tho.

Here is a link that might be useful: panasonic info

Just got off the phone with Panasonic. I explained to the service rep that I had purchased their convection microwave oven and trim kit and had planned to install them in a cabinet over a wall oven. I told her about the warning label on the back of the microwave oven and asked her if this meant I could not install the MW oven over the wall oven. She said that the MW oven could be installed over my wall oven as long as it was placed on a piece of granite. When I asked if it could be another solid surface like corian, she said that it had to be granite because of the heat generated under the oven. She said that granite does not conduct heat and is safer than wood. I asked if it needed to be granite on the sides of the cabinet and she said that it was not necessary because of the inches of air space on the sides with the trim kit. So, I am hoping that once our granite is installed I will have a suitable piece of granite to use from my sink cutouts and cooktop cutout.

wow - this sounds like more trouble than i want to deal with on a regular basis - mostly the no handle and having to use a hot pad to push the door open button! that's ridiculous!

I could probably rather easily overcome the other problems. i wasn't planning to use it as a micro either. would keep my old one. i'm afraid I'd screw up and use the wrong pan in it.

well, I have a good number of months to rethink all of this. and recheck out other micro-convection ovens. I'm really hoping i don't have to go to my default of a slide in range/oven and lose drawer space.

GE does have a regular 27" oven for just a few hundred more but that would involve putting in another wall oven cabinet. I wanted to get away from that because of expense and it closing in the end of that cabinet run. I'd also lose drawer space with it.

thx for all of your info!

btt

I sent an email to the panasonic support site hoping to get a better answer than to put the microwave on a shelf of granite. Received their response today. They recommend installing the unit into a trim kit allowing 3 inches of space on both sides of the oven and 6 inches of space on top of the oven. Then they follow by saying (quote) You may also follow the installation instructions packed with the kit (end quote). So still a bit confusing. My cabinets are framed so I think I could have 6 inches on top of the MW oven, but have the frame cover the extra space and you would just see the trim kit surrounding the oven. But I am inclined to want to keep the cabinet size required in the trim kit instructions so that the cabinet above the MW oven will be more within my reach.

juserm5: Did you notice any extra heat coming from your panasonic MW and did your door get hot when you were in broil or bake mode?

Thanks.
Kathy

Lovebirds, we are planning on getting this model of Panasonic and have already purchased the trim kit. I'm fairly sure that the trim kit has metal supports on which the oven is supposed to sit and I think there is also some sort of piece of metal that is placed in the back of the oven which funnels hot air to the vents on the top and sides of the trim kit. (Pretty sure only b/c DH is in charge of figuring out if the oven will fit our cabinet opening and I'm not sure where the trim kit is right now). Since we will not have another oven underneath the Panasonic that would not be a problem for us but it sounds odd that the bottom of the oven would generate enough heat to cause a problem. If your kit has supports for the oven I'm not understanding why granite would be necessary to avoid overheating. As I have found that verbal info from tech support people isn't always correct, you might want to double check with Panasonic on this advice and try to get it in writing via e-mail.

Also, I'm curious about the 9x13 pan hitting the sides and stopping the turntable. The specs say the turntable has a 15" diameter and that should be big enough for a pan that size. Our old microwave had a 13" diameter turntable but our 9x13 Pyrex pan turned just fine in there. If the Panasonic couldn't handle a pan that size that would really be a deal breaker for me. Could you let me know why the pan doesn't fit? Thanks for the help.

flseadog: The service rep said that the purpose of the granite was recommended because it would not conduct heat or steam from the wall oven beneath. Hoping for a better option, I did send an email to panasonic and received a response from them saying I could install the oven with the appropriate trim kit leaving 3 inches of space on each side and 6 inches of space on top. They also gave me the option of installing the oven per the instructions that came with the trim kit. Of the two options, I like the second one best.:) DH and I got the trim kit a month before the oven and had already screwed together and labeled the metal pices in the right order corresponding to the installation guide so that once we got the oven it would be easy to install.

Regarding the 9 x 13 pan, initially I checked the recipe book provided by panasonic and saw a recipe for a cake using a 9 x 13 pan. Plus the cookbook has pictures of what appears to be a 9 x 13 pyrex casserole dish. So I first got my glass 9 x 13 pyrex pan and because of the protruding handles it would not fit on the turntable and spin all the way around the MW. I then got an old Wilton cake pan (sheet cake) size I have used in the past for a standard box cake mix (foolishly assuming it was 9 x 13). Turns out it was 9 by 14 and the corners kept bumping the sides of the oven and eventually the turntable stopped turning. I went to the store and bought a metal cake pan that is 8.9 by 12.25 inches and it looks like it will work in the oven and will hold a standard box cake mix.

lovebirds, it looks as if our posts crossed in cyberspace earlier. My first thought is that the Panasonic tech support is somewhere not in North America and the English as a second language issue is getting in the way of clear information. If you have someone you could consult locally about the installation with trim kit I think you will find that the you don't need 6" of clear space above your Panasonic oven. After all, the trim kit is meant to be used for a built in treatment and the upper portion of the trim isn't wide enough to cover a 6" gap. Maybe I'm misinterpreting their e-mail and I'm way off base here. Our cabinet was built for the Sharp convection microwave and so the space is a bit smaller than needed for the Panasonic. But, it is within about 1/8" of the Panasonic specs and we will have only a few inches of space between the top of the oven and the wood shelf above it. Hope that makes sense. So, I think they are saying that unless you use the trim kit your will need granite to protect your other oven and 6" of clear space above the Panasonic. That, in fact, sounds remarkably like the situation you would have if your Panasonic were sitting out on your kitchen counter above a built in wall oven. Does it sound possible to you that this is what they are trying to say?

Thanks for the info on the pyrex pan. The handles explains what happened. My pyrex pan doesn't have handles.

Good luck with solving this. I think the Panasonic looks beautiful and DH is completely convinced that it is a superior cooking appliances so for once in this kitchen project we completely agree on what we should get. LOL.

it does also call it a counter micro/oven, so i should be ok with that - BUT, it does cause me problems if the door gets that hot - and the buttons. and no handle?

flseadog: I agree that the Panasonic looks beautiful and I liked that it had the extra feature for defrosting (although DH reminded me that I never defrosted anything in my old MW). But it's nice to have the option to defrost something quickly. I've decided we will go ahead and install it as originally planned going with the instructions that came with the trim kit. It will probably be about 3 inches above the top of the wall oven.

desertsteph: I'll try to bake something in it tonight and see how hot the door and button actually get. When I had it on broil for 20 minutes the first day, it seemed like all of the exterior metal parts got hot -- but since I didn't actually touch the door or button to open with my bare hands I don't know if they would have been too hot. The back side and top of the MW were definitely too hot do more than a quick touch. I'll let you know what I find out.

thx lovebirds! that'd be great - if no chance to do it tonight, no problem. maybe sometime this week when you do cook in it again. I'm not in a big hurry, it'll be months before I actually make any changes.

i'm just trying to work the kinks out way in advance so hopefully I won't get any shocking surprises once I start.

btw, I can't remember when I've broil anything. it's been yrs - tho, my little counter top oven now seems to bake on broil - at least the top coil is always on. I burn a lot of stuff with it which is one reason I'm planning to get another one. Otherwise the little one I have would be fine. It does have a handle on it and opens down which i do like.

I don't have to use a hot pad to open it or change temp, turn off etc

btt

desertsteph: Today I cooked a tuna casserole recipe from the panasonic cookbook using a combination microwave/convection power. Very simple instructions, just press the sensor cook button a certain number of times and press start. When the time appears on the screen you are supposed to stir the dish. So, I did that and then after stirring I pressed start. Then the MW continued to count down the minutes while seeming to cycle on and off. Meaning you can hear it making a small clicking noise (which may be the convection fan). At first I was a little concerned because I was afraid it was having a problem -- it sounded like it was microwaving and then stopping and clicking and then microwaving again. I watched and waited and finally it was done and all turned out well.

Next, I preheated the MW on bake mode to 350 degrees and made a brownies. My new pan measures 12 by 9 and was able to turn freely in the MW. I am happy to report that the door to the microwave did not get hot nor did the button you push to open the door. The sides of the MW got pretty warm but not what I would consider hot. The top of the MW got hot and while I could place my hand on the top for a brief moment I could not keep it there for longer than a couple of seconds.

Overall I am finding as I get accustomed to the oven I am liking it more. In the past I have only used a MW to cook frozen dinners or heat vegetables, so I'm having to learn how to use it to cook food. I find the oven very easy to clean and fingerprints are not an issue, maybe because I am the only one using it -- I think DH is afraid to use it. :)

lovesbirds - oh, thank you so much! that sounds a lot better and workable for me! I was looking at other micro/convections online just in case. then was thinking I might have to get a regular oven put in... bummer. don't want to do that - unless forced (by lack of micro/convection).

so, great! I'll go back to planning on that for my kitchen (for the few things I'd use an oven for) and won't have to lose my drawers below and pay for an oven cabinet. what a relief!

It sounds like if I put it on a shelf (not direct on counter top) and allow a good amt of inches from the bottom of the upper cab that it should be ok. It will be about a ft or so from my cook top and fan - so I could also turn th fan on to help pull over the heat.

going by the use of the little oven I have now, I probably won't use it more than twice a week. That wouldn't even be every week. I know I've gone weeks w/o using the one I have now.

I'm also glad to hear about no fingerprint problems. I will be the only one using it here so I think it'll be just fine. If needed I'll use a microfiber cloth on it.

thanks again!