On Sun 20 Feb 2005 12:19:12p, Ken wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Wayne,
>
> I bought a microwave about six months ago and also went with a
> Panasonic. The only reason I bought it was that it has a true
> variation in power. As you said, most microwaves have 50% power as
> cycling half full power and half the time off. The Panasonic is
> actually at 50% power all the time. Using the power setting at three
> or four keeps things hot, but stops the boil over problem.
>
> I'd have to check, but the power is over 1,000 watts and it was under
> $100, probably the same $89 you paid. So far, only six months or so,
> it has been trouble free.
>
> To answer the o.p.'s question: I don't really care about the brand,
> but I'd definitely want the true variable power feature.
>
> Ken

Ken,

All the same reasons for me, and the best of any I've owned. My first MW
was an Amana in the mid-1970s, which I believe was a 500 watt unit. After
that, due to moves and different houses, I've had two GE Spacemaker over-
the-range units, one 1000 watts and the other 1100 watts. The Amana seemed
like a "miracle" of its time but would be archaic today. The GE units were
much newer technology with plenty of features, but this little panasonic
outshines them in most every respect. The Inverter technology makes all
the difference.

The only thing I miss from the Amana and GE units is a temperature probe,
which was very useful for maintaining a perfect temperature and warming
liquids to exactly the right temperature for dissolving yeast.

Having said that, the "keep warm" feature on the Panasonic really does keep
things at the perfect serving temperature for extended periods.

Cheers,
Wayne