Panasonic joins the pack of other microwave manufacturers by releasing a new model that works with Alexa during CES 2022. Users can connect the Panasonic Smart Inverter Countertop Microwave Oven, Works with Alexa (NN-SV79MS) to an Alexa-enabled smart speaker, and issue commands, at will.

What makes this microwave so smart? Well, when you connect it to a smart speaker, such as an Echo or Echo Dot, you can tell the microwave to do over 100 things. Tell Alexa to make popcorn or reheat your tea and the microwave will do it. Set up should be fairly straightforward using the zero-touch setup (we’re thinking this is done all through the Alexa app) or 2D code setup (typically, that’s scanning a QR code). While you don’t need to connect the microwave to Alexa for it to work, you can’t use the commands feature if it’s not connected.

The unit is fairly compact (measuring just slightly under 13 by 20.5 by 17.3 inches), so it will fit well on a countertop or in a dorm room. The microwave sports many of the standard features expected including 10 power levels, standard cooking settings (popcorn, 30-second reheat, and Turbo Defrost, which avoids cooking the edges of food when defrosting items), Stop/Reset, and Timer/Clock. Panasonic’s Genius Sensor is what sets this model apart from other microwaves. Select from 20 pre-programmed foods (oatmeal, melt butter, potatoes, etc.) and the microwave will measure the food’s humidity and calculate the necessary cooking time needed.

Like other Alexa-enabled smart microwaves, having the ability to tell Alexa to start a microwave can come in handy while you’re cooking, just like asking Alexa for a measurement conversion is helpful, but it’s not the reason to buy it. What really matters is if it’s a solid microwave that won’t let you down.

The Panasonic NN-SV79MS smart microwave is now available at Best Buy and Buy at Amazon  where it retails for $300.