Hotpoint vs Panasonic Microwaves

Hotpoint and Panasonic sit at opposite ends of the UK microwave market. Hotpoint's built-in range starts at the HPMK12CXUK class 2 built-in microwave with grill at £250 and rises to the HCT9A9PHTSBUK class 8 compact oven with microwave at £899, with the HMD44MXUK and HMD44MBUK both priced at £325. Panasonic offers a lower entry point, from the NN-E28JMMBPQ 20-litre solo model at £78 and the NN-E27JWMBPQ compact 800W model at £79, up to the NN-CF87LBBPQ 31-litre three-in-one combination oven at £509.

Panasonic's selling point is its Inverter Technology, which delivers continuous power rather than pulsing it on and off, and its Genius Sensor Cooking, which adjusts time and power using the steam from the food. The NNSF464MBPQ pairs a 1000W inverter with a 27-litre cavity that drops the turntable for extra space. Hotpoint's models focus on conventional built-in installation, with quartz grills, stainless steel finishes and a 1000W microwave on the HMD44MBUK. The range also includes child safety locks and is designed for 230V UK supplies, which makes installation simple in a standard kitchen.

Hotpoint suits households planning a built-in kitchen, where a microwave sits in a cabinet beside an oven and is fitted by a professional. Its compact oven with microwave appeals to cooks who want one unit for baking and microwaving. Panasonic suits a wider range of households, from single occupants who will be happy with the 20-litre models under £80 to families who would use the 31-litre combination unit for grilling and convection cooking.

Bottom line: choose Panasonic if you want a freestanding microwave with inverter cooking for under £200, choose Hotpoint if you are fitting a built-in unit and want a grill or a compact oven with microwave function.