The Panasonic HomeChef was revealed at CES 2024, and it’s already making a good impression, at least for me.
I find that one of the most convenient small appliances to have is one of the best microwaves or best air fryers because they can make family meal times so much quicker, easier, and healthier. Air fryers circulate hot air, whereas microwaves radiate to cook the food from the inside out.
The Panasonic HomeChef combines these two cooking processes and more. Having it all in one appliance makes it a fantastic space-saving cooking appliance, ideal for condos or apartments. Impressed by the spec, I checked it out when it was on demo at the annual consumer electronics show. This is my first impression.
Panasonic HomeChef: key specs
Panasonic HomeChef: price & availability
The Panasonic HomeChef has a list price of $499 and is available to buy from Amazon and Best Buy.
Included in the list price is an air fryer basket and tray. Available separately is the HomeChef magic pot for searing, simmering, steaming, and grilling, which can be bought for $99 from Amazon and Best Buy.
It has only recently launched, which means that the app hasn’t been fully rolled out. Customers of the Panasonic HomeChef will have this automatically applied when it comes to the launch date.
Panasonic HomeChef: design
The Panasonic HomeChef looks like a microwave and is the size of a microwave. It measures 13.5 x 22 x 17.7in (h x w x d).
On closer inspection, the cooking programs around the dial reveal what it is capable of. There are four in total: air fry, broil, microwave, and convection. You can then turn the dial to adjust the time and press the central button of the dial to start/pause the HomeChef.
The dial was responsive to turn, and the buttons responded instantly when I pressed them. To open the door, there's a button on the bottom right-hand side of the unit.
Panasonic HomeChef: performance
I got hands-on with the Panasonic HimeChef at CES. I turned the dial, pressed buttons, and ate some microwave mushrooms cooked in it.
I found that it was really easy to navigate; all dials and buttons were responsive. I couldn’t adjust the air fryer temperature, though, and I couldn’t get confirmation of what the maximum temperature setting was. I imagine it’ll be around 350F, though, since this is the standard for cooking frozen fries and, therefore, most frozen foods.
To try out the HomeChef, I toggled through the programs using the dials and buttons. I noted the Timer, which would be useful for boiling pasta, etc.
I was also shown how to use the app. This is connected to the HomeChef and means that you can select a recipe in the app, which will then set the correct duration and temperature setting for the food type you’re cooking. It embraces the connectivity with Fresco’s AI cooking assistant that'll allow you to easily customize recipes to fit dietary preferences, make ingredient substitutions based on what's in the pantry, and seamlessly adjust serving size and cooking settings.
If you prefer not to use the app, then you can absolutely do this; you’ll just need to listen out for the ‘ding’ rather than a notification on your phone.
I also sampled some microwaved mushrooms. The flavor was locked in, and the mushrooms hadn’t dried out. This was after several minutes of cooking.
Panasonic HomeChef: verdict
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
I really enjoyed using the Panasonic Chefmaker, and I enjoyed the mushrooms. I found it easy to use, albeit a little frustrating that I couldn’t adjust the temperature, and it didn’t take up much counter space.
The app looked easy to use too, and the use of all recyclable packing was the icing on the cake. I’m looking forward to a member of the Top Ten Reviews team trying out more of the cooking functions.
What is a hands on review?
Hands on reviews' are a journalist's first impressions of a piece of kit based on spending some time with it. It may be just a few moments, or a few hours. The important thing is we have been able to play with it ourselves and can give you some sense of what it's like to use, even if it's only an embryonic view. For more information, see Top Ten Review's Reviews Guarantee.
