Panasonic NN-C994S

Our trusty Tappan microwave finally went kaput after 15 years of constant use. All hell broke loose. Every day, I fix up something to pop into the microwave, only to turn around and find an empty shelf where the microwave used to be. That's when the expletives start ("crap" is a curse word in our house).


On the bright side, one of my old, dingy appliances finally needs replacing with something new and shiny and pretty!



My original plan was to replace my built-in oven and microwave with a built-in double oven and microwave, which would require some cabinet reconfiguring. Then when my microwave broke (the old oven still keeps going, and going, and going...), I started to look into my options and discovered that I could get a microwave with convection that would act like a second oven. Brilliant!



The cost of a double oven and microwave would cost about $2500, whereas a single oven and a convection microwave will cost me about $1500.



Here are the two convection microwaves I considered:



Sharp R-930

Panasonic NN-C994S

They both got good reviews. They're both about the same size and have most of the same features. The Panasonic has 1100 watts vs 900 watts for the Sharp. They were so close, in fact, I had to build a spreadsheet to make the decision for me. In the end, I (with the help MS Excel) chose the Panasonic NN-C994S from buy.com for $499.




Today the UPS guy saved my life. He delivered my Panasonic convection microwave. So far so good. The world can now start revolving again!

Tips:

• Take your time. There are so many choices and so much information out there, it can be overwhelming. Try to make objective, methodical judgements about which is the best appliance for the right price. That's why I use Excel quite often. It's completely objective.
• Set a budget before you start looking. It's easy to find something that's a little better, a little bigger, or has slightly better features. Pretty soon, you might get your heart set on something that's twice the cost of your original plan. Sometimes it's a reality check. Maybe your beginning budget was unrealistic for your needs. But maybe you can live without the microwave that has access to the internet and sets the table for you, too.