Thanks, but I'm still a bit confused by it all. Tell you why. On YouTube, there is an old Panasonic commercial featuring what looks like my exact model: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7TvVuKf53k They clearly show the cook using the grill pan, but the ceramic tray is present. I found a manual to an older Dimension 4 model (NE-993) that is relatively similar to my NE-9970c. It states that you use the ceramic tray and roller guide at all times! Moreover, it says not to put food directly on the ceramic tray. Yet at the end of the Panasonic commercial, they show a roast chicken directly on the tray. I called Panasonic btw, and they were no help. They couldn't tell me anything about how this oven is to be used! They can't even sell me a rack. I would like to be able to use the convection, but it came with no rack. Now I'm wondering if I can just stick in a metal rack that will fit the width, or if that will cause arcing during the combination cooking mode.

For us, that feature was a big deciding factor in our microwave purchase. We went from a "ginormous" dinosaur of a microwave (Panasonic circa 1988) to a teeny one. We don't cook much in it (mostly use it for reheating leftovers, "baking" a potato or two, melting butter or chocolate, that sort of thing), but we still wanted the ability to use a 9 X 13 pyrex baking dish when we needed to. I think we'd be kicking ourselves each time couldn't use it when we needed or wanted to. Since we couldn't have the interior space we had before, we had to at least have a TT off feature on our new microwave. Hope this helps...

I have the Sharp 24" MW drawer (KB-6524PS), and I have a KA WD under my ovens just across the aisle. (The slab drawer front with the hole is the WD. Slab will be replaced with a Shaker front soon.) I use the WD multiple times a week and love having it. Even DH, who sceptically asked if we needed one when I announced the purchase, says it was a great idea. I warm plates, proof yeast bread/rolls, keep DH's dinner warm as he never makes it home before 7:30, keep part of a meal warm when I've accidently or purposely completed a dish before the whole meal is done, kept rolls warm, kept pancakes and the like warm. My WD heats up faster than my oven and is more quiet! If I HAD to choose, I'd go with the MW. I'm semi-tall, but don't find the drawer height an issue. (I had been very concerned about that when laying out my kitchen.) I use it daily to warm leftovers, melt or soften butter, etc. I don't cook in it, but find it invaluable for daily kitchen life. I need to start using some of those fancy features!

thanks rhome-according to the specs, the viking is 5 7/8", and the sharp is 7 1/8". so, its less than 2" difference. i'm just having a hard time visualizing. Or, better yet, trying to recall exactly what it is if anything that i'm going to run into problems with when i try to put it in there and if the taller height is really going to mean alot in the end. our coffee mugs would fit and so would plates, bowls, etc...i'm hoping for feedback from people who have the sharp 1.0 cu ft microwave drawer to weigh in on how much of a difference it would be to them to have the extra height. my current microwave only has 7" now if you only count the usable area on top of the carousel. it has a browning coil on the top that takes up space and if you take the carousel plate and piece that turns the carousel, it seems alot larger.