Panasonic NN-CT56
PANASONICA Microwave, Grill and Oven That Actually Earns Counter Space
Combination microwaves get pitched as space-saving miracles more often than they deliver on the promise. Most end up doing one job brilliantly and the other two adequately, at best. The Panasonic NN-CT56 is one of the rare models built around genuinely distinct heat sources rather than a single element doing double duty, which is what makes it worth a closer look if you're trying to replace a full-size oven, a separate microwave, and a sandwich grill with one black box on your worktop. Before you commit counter real estate to it, here's what it's actually like to live with, day to day, from reheating last night's curry to baking a Victoria sponge on a Sunday afternoon.
Design, Build, and How Much Space It Really Needs
Panasonic markets this as a Slim-Line design, and the numbers back that up in a way that matters more than it sounds. At roughly 52cm wide, 39.5cm deep, and 31cm tall, it's shaped to sit comfortably on a standard kitchen worktop without eating into the depth you need for prep space in front of it — a real consideration if your kitchen has a run of base units rather than a dedicated appliance nook. Inside, you get 27 litres of usable cavity, with dimensions generous enough to take a mid-size roasting dish or a stack of plates without wedging.
The exterior is a coated metal finish in matte black, which is the right call for two reasons: it resists fingerprints better than gloss black, and it wipes clean quickly when something inevitably bubbles over during a grill session. At 13.8kg, it's substantial enough to feel solid on the counter without being a strain to lift into position or move for cleaning behind it. Panasonic also sells this same model in white if black doesn't suit your kitchen, so the design language isn't a limiting factor if you're matching existing appliances.
One practical point worth flagging before you buy: this is a countertop unit only. Panasonic doesn't recommend wall-mounting it on brackets, so if your kitchen plan assumed you could free up worktop space by hanging it, you'll need to rethink the layout. It also needs breathing room to vent properly — a few centimetres of clearance on one side, more above and behind — so factor that into wherever you're planning to place it, particularly if it's going under a cabinet.
Three Distinct Heat Sources, and How Each One Performs
The headline feature here is that this isn't a microwave with a grill bolted on as an afterthought. It's three separate cooking systems sharing one cavity, and understanding how each behaves is the key to getting good results out of it.
Microwave Mode: Built for Speed
The microwave side runs on inverter technology rated at 1000W across six power levels. In practical terms, inverter technology means the appliance delivers a steady stream of power at whatever level you select, rather than cycling full power on and off the way older, cheaper microwaves do. The result is more even heating — a bowl of soup warms through consistently rather than turning into a ring of scalding liquid around a cold centre. For anyone who's ever had a microwave meal that's frozen in the middle and volcanic at the edges, this is the difference that actually shows up on the plate. At 1000W, reheating and defrosting are genuinely fast; this is the mode you'll use most on a weeknight when time, not finesse, is the priority.
The 1300W Quartz Grill: Browning Without a Separate Appliance
The grill element runs at 1300W, which is enough output to properly brown and crisp food rather than just warming the surface. This is what handles the jobs a standard microwave can't touch — golden cheese on a gratin, a crisp top on a toastie, or finishing off a dish that's already been microwaved through. It's a genuinely useful middle ground between the speed of the microwave and the full commitment of the oven, and it's the feature that most differentiates this from a basic solo microwave.
Convection Oven: The Mode That Needs the Most Understanding
The convection function reaches up to 220°C and uses a fan to circulate hot air for even baking and roasting — the same principle as a fan oven, just in a smaller cavity. This is genuinely capable of jacket potatoes with crisp skins, browned lasagne, and baked cakes, and the smaller interior volume compared to a full-size oven means it heats up faster and can use noticeably less energy to get there.
There's one quirk worth knowing before you rely on it for baking: the convection function draws its heat from the grill element rather than a separate oven heating coil. In practice, this means you should preheat before baking delicate items, and it's worth using the glass turntable rather than the metal tray underneath dishes during convection-only cooking, since food positioned too close to the grill element can brown unevenly on top before the inside is properly cooked. Owners who've used this consistently for delicate bakes like sponge cakes report it takes a bit of trial and error with timing and shelf position to get textbook results — it's not a drop-in replacement for a conventional oven's baking precision, even though it handles roasting, gratins, and jacket potatoes without any such caveats.
A Quick Reference: Which Mode for Which Job
| Task | Best Mode | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Reheating leftovers, warming drinks | Microwave | Fastest, most even reheating at up to 1000W |
| Defrosting meat or bread | Microwave (Defrost setting) | Dedicated defrost option controls power to avoid partial cooking |
| Melting cheese, browning a gratin or toastie | Grill | 1300W element gives genuine crisping, not just surface warmth |
| Roasting vegetables, jacket potatoes | Convection oven | Even hot-air circulation similar to a fan oven |
| Baking cakes or delicate bakes | Convection oven, with care | Capable, but benefits from preheating and attention to positioning |
| Cooking a family roast dinner | Combination of modes | Full 27L capacity and 34cm turntable handle family portions |
29 Automatic Programmes, Including a New Junior Menu
Beyond the three manual modes, the NN-CT56 includes 29 automatic programmes that take the guesswork out of common cooking tasks — you select what you're cooking rather than guessing at time and power settings. Among these is a newly added Junior menu, aimed specifically at family cooking: automatic settings geared toward foods like pureed vegetables, pureed fruit, and porridge, which is a genuinely thoughtful addition for households weaning a baby or feeding young children, rather than a generic feature repackaged with a marketing label.
The defrost option deserves a specific mention too. Rather than relying on trial-and-error power reduction, a dedicated defrost setting manages the process automatically, which matters because manual defrosting on a standard microwave is one of the easiest ways to accidentally start cooking the edges of frozen meat before the centre has thawed.
Turntable, Capacity, and Real-World Fit
The 34cm rotating turntable is large enough to accommodate a full dinner plate or a mid-size casserole dish without needing to nudge it into position, and the rotation itself is what keeps microwave heating even across the dish rather than concentrated in hot spots. Combined with the 27-litre cavity, this is genuinely sized for family cooking rather than solo reheating — you can fit a chicken or a decent-sized tray of roast vegetables in here, which isn't true of compact 20-litre models aimed at singles or small households.
Running Costs: What Combination Cooking Means for Your Energy Bill
One advantage of a combination microwave that's easy to overlook is what it does to your energy use compared to firing up a full-size oven. Because the cavity here is a fraction of the size of a standard built-in oven, it takes far less energy and far less time to reach cooking temperature. For a household that regularly turns to a full oven just to bake a single potato or roast a small tray of vegetables, routing that job through this appliance instead is a straightforward way to cut both preheat time and the electricity spent heating an oversized empty cavity. It won't replace your oven for a large Sunday roast involving multiple dishes at once, but for weeknight cooking and smaller portions, it's a meaningfully more efficient way to cook.
Child Safety Lock
For households with curious kids around the kitchen, the built-in child safety lock disables the control panel to prevent little hands from starting the appliance or opening the door mid-cycle. It's a small feature, but it's the kind of thing you only appreciate the first time you actually need it.
Who This Microwave Is Genuinely Built For
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Families who cook daily and want fewer appliances cluttering the counter. The combination of speed (microwave), finishing (grill), and proper baking and roasting (convection) covers most weeknight and weekend cooking without needing a second appliance.
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Anyone replacing a full oven for smaller households. If you're regularly cooking for one or two and a full-size oven feels like overkill, this handles roasting, baking, and grilling at a fraction of the preheat time and energy cost.
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Parents of young children. The Junior menu programmes and generous 27L capacity make this a genuinely practical choice for a household juggling family meals and baby food prep.
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Kitchens tight on counter or cabinet space. The Slim-Line footprint is specifically designed to reduce the worktop area a combination appliance demands.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
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Serious home bakers who want oven-level precision. If sponge cakes, delicate pastries, or exacting bakes are a regular part of your cooking, the grill-sourced convection heat requires more attention to preheating and positioning than a conventional oven, and results are more variable for finicky bakes.
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Anyone wanting a wall-mounted solution. This is a countertop-only appliance; if your kitchen plan depends on freeing up worktop space by mounting the unit, this won't fit that plan.
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Buyers who want silence after cooking finishes. The cooling fan can continue running for a period after you've finished using it, which is worth knowing if a quiet kitchen matters to you late in the evening.
How It Stacks Up Against the Alternatives
Within the combination microwave category, buyers are typically choosing between three tiers: basic microwave-grill combos without a true convection function, mid-range three-in-one units like this Panasonic, and premium combination ovens with more advanced steam or precision-cook features at a noticeably higher price. Against basic microwave-grill units, the NN-CT56's real convection oven function is the decisive advantage — it's the difference between finishing a gratin under a grill and actually roasting or baking a full dish from raw. Against pricier premium combination ovens, this model gives up some of the finer-grained temperature precision and specialised cooking modes, but keeps the core three-in-one functionality that most households actually use, at a footprint and complexity that's easier to live with day to day. For a household deciding between a separate microwave, grill, and small oven versus one appliance that does all three reasonably well, this sits in a sensible middle ground rather than at either extreme.
Where This Panasonic Falls Short
No appliance in this category is without trade-offs, and it's worth being upfront about them. The most consistent criticism from owners centres on the convection oven's reliance on the grill element as its heat source — it works, but it demands more attentiveness during baking than a conventional oven, particularly for delicate items where even, gentle heat matters most. Some owners have also noted that the touch controls aren't always immediately responsive, occasionally requiring a second press, and that the on-screen text can be harder to read than ideal for anyone with limited vision. There's no dedicated one-touch reheat button, which is a small but real inconvenience for a task most people do daily, and the cooling fan running on after use is a minor but noticeable quirk.
Against those points, the fundamentals are strong. The inverter-driven microwave heats more evenly than cheaper alternatives, the grill delivers real browning rather than token crisping, the 27-litre capacity and 34cm turntable comfortably handle family-sized meals, and the coated black exterior is both good-looking and easy to keep clean. The Junior menu is a genuinely useful addition rather than a marketing checkbox, and the energy and time savings over routing everyday cooking through a full-size oven are real and will show up in both your electricity bill and your evening schedule.
Final Verdict
The Panasonic NN-CT56 earns its place as a genuine three-in-one replacement rather than a compromise appliance, provided you understand its one real quirk going in: treat the convection function with a bit more care around preheating and tray choice than you would a conventional oven, especially for delicate bakes, and it rewards you with fast, even microwaving, proper grill browning, and capable roasting and baking, all from a footprint designed to actually save counter space rather than just claim to. For families looking to consolidate a microwave, grill, and small oven into one appliance — or for smaller households looking to sidestep the time and energy cost of a full-size oven for everyday cooking — this is a genuinely strong buy. If flawless, oven-grade precision for delicate baking is your top priority, budget for a premium combination oven instead; for everyone else who wants real cooking versatility without giving up a chunk of their kitchen to do it, this Panasonic is worth the investment.
What People Say
146 commentsStraight forward to use
O.K. I have only had it for a few weeks and time will tell if any issues arise BUT, at the moment I think it is wonderful. I like that it doesn't have any elements showing e.g. grill showing inside, so easy to put a cloth around it and to clean up any spits from cooking. The internal of the microwave is large, so looks the same as a standard microwave from the outside but you can easily cook a roast dinner for a family of 4, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, brown off the meat from the slow cooker all at the same time. You work out from the manual the key points of what "buttons" to use for what you want but if you forget what is what, you get a message telling you what to do next on the display panel which saves going back to the paper manual to refresh yourself, so for those that may not be technically minded or forget, it really is an added advantage. The glass microwave turntable is easy to clean as does not have any ridges underneath it where food can get stuck and burnt on, so that is good. The metal turntable for the convention oven is also easy to clean. Grill is fast, just like a grill on a "normal" oven. No handle on door, so you press release mechanism, which I would imagine puts less stress on the opening and closing mechanism than a handled door. The reason for replacing my last microwave/convention combi was because I pulled the door handle and it pulled the whole glass front off it, although it was about 6 years old it shows what stress it puts on a handle long term. As I have a smart meter for electric, it also seems a lot more cost effective compared to my traditional electric oven. Fingers crossed it will carry on long term with the same impressive start to using this product.
Excellent Oven and very energy efficient
We purchased this microwave, grill and combination convection oven as an alternative to using our trusty ceramic hob, free standing double oven and grill during the warmer weather. It is excellent and comes with a very comprehensive instruction and recipe book. In addition to all the benefits and convenience of having a microwave oven again after many years managing without one, it toasts bread, grills cheese on toast, heats up mackerel fillets, cooks breaded cod loins and frozen chips to perfection (using even less energy than a 12 in 1 air fryer combi cooker (namely 0.84 KwH in Panasonic vs 0.91KwH in the 12 in 1 combi) both including peas boiled separately on ceramic hob) . We still use the ceramic hob for steaming veg (in a glass steamer) and making omelettes, poached eggs etc. but having the Panasonic to grill, toast bread and heat up baked beans etc. or combi bake potatoes makes meal preparation so much easier and saves a lot on heat up times and energy by not using the main fan oven in the free-standing cooker. We still have lots of combi meals to explore with the Panasonic using the excellent user guide and recipe book provided, but so far everything has been excellent and so straight forward to use. This is so much better than an air fryer combi 12 in 1 and currently considerably cheaper to buy as well so it really is a WIN WIN.
Great item
I've never bought a microwave that did anything other than the usual normal microwave functions but in the current economic climate it makes sense to heat a much smaller space when cooking items, especially as a single person. So I did a lot of research and decided to buy this make and model. I'm very happy with it. It's very easy to operate. The very large glass turntable is a definite bonus, as is the ability to see into the microwave whilst it is in use. You do have to remember to push the 'Start' button again if you open the door during operation (eg when checking the progress of an item whilst using the convection item mode) and it would be good to be able to turn the interior light off when the door is left open afterwards to allow any cooking smells to escape. I also wish there were a couple of shelves for the convection oven mode, which would give increased cooking capacity, but these are small points. I would recommend this to anyone considering whether to make a purchase. It is almost the same size as my previous microwave but does so much more.
Really Pleased with My Purchase!
After the programmes on my old 1000W Panasonic Microwave with Grill (purchased 23 years ago in 2002) finally gave up working after years of solid great service, I had to send it to microwave heaven.
After shopping around for the best deals and options, I decided to purchase this Panasonic 1000W Combination Microwave which has a convection oven mode as well as the Microwave (inc lots of features) and Grill. These can be used in combination or on their own, so really useful.
Argos were doing a £50 off deal (20% off!) on the black version, so instead of £250 I paid £200. I was very happy as it beat everywhere else pricewise and I also got Nectar Points.
I have tried out all the features since I purchased it and am very impressed indeed. Food is cooked to perfection and it's so easy to use. Apart from frying there's little this version can't do. I hope, being a Panasonic (renowned for good quality reliable microwave products), that it lasts me another 23 years!!
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
The best Microwave Oven you will buy.
Everything about this combination microwave oven is excellent.
The internal capacity is astounding. A microwave rice pouch will stand upright in this oven unhindered. It will take a large dinner plate with ease.
The preset programmes are fantastic. There's a frozen pizza programme which will cook a pizza to perfection every time. No burnt crusts. There are far too many programmes to list, but all have been thoughtfully created and cook perfectly.
This is a combination microwave oven with a halogen grill and a convection oven facility, both of which work exceptionally well. Even when cooking for a large family, this oven in conjunction with an air fryer and induction hob will suffice for most meals.
I haven't tried the defrost facility yet, but would imagine that it works just as well as the other programmes.
In short, though it may be slightly more expensive than some cheaper ovens, it is well worth the extra investment.
Great features
I bought this to replace my old 10yr old microwave, as it is more energy efficient and climate friendly.
I chose a combination microwave/grill/oven for the features. It’s heats up and cooks quicker than my conventional oven. I won’t use it unless I have a lot to cook at the same time. Eg roast dinner. At Christmas I cooked cauliflower cheese in it and it cooked to perfection,
When I’ve used the microwave only setting it cooks much quicker than my old microwave.
I’ve also used the combination oven and microwave together and I’m really impressed with speed of cooking. I’ve done gorgeous crispy on the outside and soft fluffy inside jacket potatoes. Pizza, sausage rolls and party food were all cooked together to perfection using the metal tray and wire shelf.
It’s easy to keep clean.
The instructor/recipie booklet included is really helpful for cooking times etc.
I’d recommend this product.
Not a bad kitchen appliance
There are clearly some design features that let down this otherwise attractive piece of essential kitchen hardware. Addressing those points firstly, though lightweight = ease of manoeuvrability it thereby creates its own problem of insufficient stability. So the appliance slides around the worktop when pressing the programme buttons. This is resolved by placing a mat beneath the unit. The control panel is woefully difficult to decipher without a torch, and/or specs. It's simply in need of backlighting. The instruction manual would benefit the user with an added 'Quick Start' page. Otherwise ... its deceptively large capacity alongside its compact exterior is very desirable for much needed space. Have only used the Microwave and Convection functions so far, and thumbs up here. Pleased overall and looking forward to exploring cooking possibilities further.
A must for the modern kitchen
The current trend for power saving cooking appliances doesn’t stop at air fryers. The Panasonic Combination Microwave provides even more flexibility with options of microwave alone, convection oven, grill, or a combination of microwave plus convection or grill. The capacity easily accommodates for example a whole chicken up to 2 kg, and with auto cook the roasting results are perfect in about half the time of a conventional oven.
I bought this to replace another make of combination microwave which I returned within a week as the turntable wheels had melted…. the Panasonic avoids this by providing a metal tray used when roasting. The other great feature is the accompanying recipe book which guides the user through the various cooking options. I would recommend this product for ease of use and consistently good results.
Great Product .. Argos however...
This convection oven is really really good. Food is cooked perfectly and doesn't dry out the way that a conventional oven does. The grill is great. The microwave is powerful and the combination oven and fan oven cooks evenly. I highly recommend.
Argos on the other hand... not so much... I had Argos vouchers equivalent to the total cost for Christmas to buy this and when I got to the checkout there is a rule where they only allow you to use so many vouchers. Because there was a limit I had to pay half cash and half vouchers which was annoying as this is not explicit when you get your Argos vouchers. Also the delivery man was pig ignorant and couldn't give a monkeys that he left it on my door step without even knocking the door. Panasonic 1 Argos 0
Great features, easy to use, brilliant product BUT
I bought this microwave as a Christmas gift for my son having purchased one for myself earlier in the year and being very pleased with it. the features, the build and look are great and It’s easy to use. The convection oven function is amazing, it’s so good that the main oven is rarely used. I have only given it 3 stars because the glass plate cracked the 4th time using it despite following all the instructions. I didn’t get support from Argos or Panasonic to get a replacement, without the glass plate it’s useless. Very poor after sales support and for this reason I can’t recommend it
Does everything
Bought to replace the old version of this model which had lasted us 13 years. Mainly because it does good jacket potatoes in under 15 minutes! Found the new version much easier to access the various options for reheating and cooking . Thought it would be hard to remember all the functions ( there are more than 20 or so) but there is a handy reminder guide printed behind the door on the bottom edge of the oven itself. We did consider buying just a simple microwave that would have been cheaper but the benefits of this combination one meant that we didn’t consider it for long
Disappointing Product and Service from Panasonic
After unpacking our Panasonic Microwave Oven on the evening of the 7th November, we notice after going through the booklet, the Waveguide cover was missing. I contacted Panasonic Customer Service and they said they would send one out. I didn't receive it until today, and after unpacking it I notice a crack just under the top left hand corner about 1.5 inches! Unfortunately, I have not been able to use my purchase without this. Therefore, I am very disappointed with our new Panasonic Combination Microwave Oven.
Really pleased with this oven
This combi microwave oven is really good. It’s a bit larger than expected and is rather noisy but apart from that it’s excellent. The 1000 watt microwave is very powerful and a lot of packet instructions on food don’t state cooking time for such a powerful microwave but it’s easy to adjust for that. The oven is excellent and cooks evenly and well. The grill is good. The instructions are good and the machine isn’t too complicated. It’s easy to clean. It seems very well made. It’s fairly economical to use.
Perfection - what more can i say !
This is the best microwave oven ive ever had, and ive had a few. Its all digital so the only thing you need to do is read the manual, which is very clear, and off you go & even then the fisplay tells you where youre up to.
A jacket potato in 12 minutes is a bonus when youre in a hurry. It bakes to perfection, pastry as well as cakes. There are some delicious recipes in the manual, amother bonus when youre fed up making the same meals over and over. Buy one, its great, you wont regret it
Happy with my purchase
I’ve only had this microwave for a few weeks. I bought it based on reviews and, so far, I’m very happy. It’s very spacious inside. The microwave cooks a little more slowly than my old one and the defrost seems to take longer too but it seems to defrost better. I’ve not yet used the other functions so I can’t comment on those yet. The buttons are easy to use and it was easy to set up. The window is a good size so you can keep an eye on what’s cooking. I’d recommend this product.
Worth every penny
Our old microwave failed the day before Christmas Eve. I looked up which was given as a Best Buy on a well known website and since we no longer had an oven or microwave I chose this model. Argos had it in stock and we picked it up on Christmas Eve. My son in law cooked our Christmas dinner in it and it performed beautifully. Since then it has been used daily and my daughter even made cookies in it. I would thoroughly recommend this Panasonic combination microwave oven
Over complex- too small
This replaced a built in oven/ microwave combo.
It’s much smaller and the rotating platform adds to this. The options on the oven function do not allow lower temperatures other than 40 and 100. As I used it mainly as a warming device this is a nuisance. Also the use of a special grid for grilling and a different plate for conventional cooking all take up storage space, which would be better used with in a larger oven. Will probably sell it
Fabulous product for every day meals
Fabulous combi microwave. Takes good size trays & bowls to cook good food portions. So easy to use, I rely on it far more than my main oven, switching from microwave to cinventiinal oven is simple & range of control for temparatures, cooking times is perfect. Despite being able to fit good size casserole in it takes up much less worktop space than others ive looked at. Would be lost without it, used several times a day. Very happy with purchase
Excellent appliance
I purchased this to replace my previous Panasonic convection microwave when it just “died” -
We always choose Panasonic and have had several over the years and my family (on our recommendation) also purchased Panasonic. Nothing not to like. I wanted a stainless steel one as opposed to one that looked silver or a white one, however they are quite a bit more expensive so I opted for a black model. It looks very smart and I am delighted.
Couldn’t be without this appliance
This is my third Panasonic combi over about a 30 year period. They are so useful. A proper jacket potato in 20 mins rather than over an hour in a normal oven. Microwave for morning porridge, conventional oven for lunch as it heats up much quicker than my other oven, then a grill for cheese on toast for tea. I class it as essential in my kitchen. I chose Argos because their prices are very competitive and they deliver without fuss.