Description
What the Panasonic NN-CD87KS Is and Who It Suits
The Panasonic HomeChef NN-CD87KS is a countertop combination oven that Panasonic describes as a 4 in 1: a microwave, an air fryer, a FlashXpress broiler and a convection oven. It also offers combination modes, pairing convection with microwave and broil with microwave, which is where a combination appliance earns its place rather than simply stacking separate functions.
The listing records a capacity of 1.2 cubic feet, 1000 watts at 120 volts, a weight of 39.1 pounds and dimensions of 17.7 by 22 by 13.5 inches. Panasonic states a 14.2 inch turntable, large enough to take a whole chicken, and a stainless steel interior cavity for wiping down splatters. The record shows 2,712 customer ratings averaging 4.1 stars at the time this data was captured and a first availability date of March 11, 2020.
The buyer is a household that wants one appliance to cover microwaving, baking, roasting and crisping, or one that needs a second oven. Panasonic supports the second oven case explicitly, offering an optional trim kit, model NN-TK81KCS sold separately, that lets the unit be built into cabinetry.
Inverter Microwave Technology
This is the feature that genuinely distinguishes Panasonic microwaves and it is worth explaining, because most buyers do not know what it means.
A conventional microwave has one power level. When you select 50 percent power, it does not deliver half power. It delivers full power half the time, cycling the magnetron on and off. That pulsing is why reheated food often has hot edges and a cold center, and why delicate items overcook at the surface while staying cold inside.
An inverter microwave varies the actual power delivered, continuously. At 50 percent it delivers a steady half power. For defrosting, for melting chocolate, for softening butter and for reheating anything with a filling, that difference is real and noticeable. Panasonic pairs it with Genius Sensor Cook, which measures humidity released by the food to decide when to stop, and Turbo Defrost, alongside 20 automatic cook menu presets.
The Oven Functions
Convection Bake
Convection bake runs up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, with or without preheat. Panasonic states plainly that the unit can serve as a main or second oven, and 1.2 cubic feet with a 14.2 inch turntable supports that: a whole chicken fits, and so does a cookie sheet of reasonable size. This is meaningfully more capacity than the 1.0 cubic foot units it competes with, such as the GE GCST10A1WSS.
Air Fry
Air fry mode circulates hot air rapidly, and Panasonic states no preheat is required. An air fryer basket is included, which matters because air frying depends on air reaching the underside of the food. A solid tray defeats the mechanism.
FlashXpress Broiler
The broiler radiates heat from above for toasting, browning and crisping. Combined with the microwave in a combination mode, it is the answer to the classic microwave problem: food that is hot through but pale and soft on top.
Combination Modes
The combination modes are where this design earns its name. Convection with microwave uses microwave energy to heat the interior of the food while convected air browns the outside, which is the pairing that solves the two failure modes of each method used alone. Broil with microwave does the same job from above for anything that wants a browned top. Panasonic lists six cooking options in total, and those two are the reason the appliance is more than a microwave with an oven bolted on.
Highlights
- Four functions plus combination modes, including convection with microwave and broil with microwave.
- 1000 watt inverter microwave delivering continuously variable power rather than cycling.
- Genius Sensor Cook using humidity sensing, plus Turbo Defrost.
- 20 automatic cook menu presets.
- Convection bake up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, with or without preheat.
- FlashXpress broiler for toasting and browning.
- 1.2 cubic foot cavity with a 14.2 inch turntable that takes a whole chicken.
- Stainless steel interior cavity, easier to wipe clean than a painted one.
- Enamel tray, wire rack and air fryer basket included.
- Optional trim kit available for a built in installation.
Things To Consider
- 39.1 pounds and a 22 inch width. This is a heavy, large countertop appliance, and 17.7 inches of depth needs clearance behind it for ventilation.
- The height is stated two different ways. The description gives 13.5 inches and a feature bullet gives 13.4 inches. Trivial in practice, but another example of a listing disagreeing with itself.
- 425 degrees is the convection ceiling. That covers most baking and roasting, and falls short of the 450 to 500 degrees some recipes call for.
- 4.1 stars across 2,712 ratings. That is a large sample and a moderate score. A combination appliance has more to go wrong than a plain microwave, and the critical reviews are worth reading.
- The trim kit is sold separately if a built in installation is the plan.
- No cavity dimensions are published, only the 1.2 cubic foot figure and the turntable diameter.
- Combination appliances compromise. The oven is smaller than a real oven and the air fry basket is smaller than a dedicated fryer. What you buy is one footprint instead of three.
- No noise figure is published, and convection fans plus a broiler make more noise than a microwave alone.
- The recipe app is optional. Panasonic mentions a third party app for recipes, which is a convenience rather than a requirement.
Who Should Buy It and Who Should Skip It
Buy the NN-CD87KS if you want the best microwave performance available in a combination appliance and you value the oven functions on top. Inverter power control is a genuine engineering advantage that most competitors do not offer at all, the 1.2 cubic foot cavity is usable as a real second oven, and the stainless interior will still be wipeable in five years.
Skip it if counter space is tight, if you want an oven that reaches higher temperatures, or if you only need a microwave, where a simpler unit such as the Farberware Classic or the Farberware countertop microwave does the job in less space. Anyone planning a kitchen renovation should compare a built in combination oven such as the LG WCEP6423F, and the countertop microwave category lists the alternatives tracked here.
