Panasonic NB-G110P Toaster Oven Review

The Panasonic NB-G110P toaster oven – it’s officially called the Panasonic NB-G110P Flash Xpress toaster oven – is a very interesting creature. It’s not like other toaster ovens. Its looks remind me of an Easy Bake Oven, and the technology used to make toast and cook foods is infrared light.

This is a small toaster oven that is limited in what it can cook. It doesn’t have convection cooking. And, it looks strange. My very first thought as I started to research this model is that it is far too expensive for its size and features, and why would anyone want this? The further I went with my research, though, showed me that there is a very loyal group of owners who would (and have!) buy this again if theirs broke because they love it so much.

After completing my research for this review I now understand that this is appliance is perfect for empty nesters, singles, college students in dorms, or for people who do not have demanding cooking needs. If you want a toaster oven that is large enough to cook an entire chicken, this isn’t the model for you and I recommend that you look at the toaster oven comparison chart for one that better fits your needs. But, if you mainly reheat leftovers, cook toast, small frozen pizzas, waffles, chicken nuggets, and other frozen or convenience foods, and you want them cooked fast!, then read on and you just might fall in love with this toaster oven.

Length = 10.2 inches
Width/Depth = 9.8 inches
Height = 4.1 inches

The outside is small, which means the inside is even smaller. Height from the rack to roof is about 4″, which means you are limited to short or shallow foods only. It is very compact inside, which a lot of people love. But some people found it to be too small and returned it in NB-G110P * in favor of a larger machine.

Food Capacity

Toast Quantity = 4 slices
Bagel Quantity = 2 to 4 bagels, depending on size
Baking Dish Size = 9 1/2” x 9 1/2”
Pizza Size = 9” pizza
Open-Faced Sandwiches = 1 to 2, depending on size
Chicken Size = Chicken parts, not a whole chicken

You can cook pretty much anything that fits inside the Panasonic NB-G110P * as long as it isn’t very tall. People have had excellent results when baking potatoes, chicken nuggets, burritos, small pizzas, waffles, french fries, hash browns, hot dogs, sausage, and, yes, toast.

However, be aware that Panasonic says that you shouldn’t cook foods that can splatter grease, such as steaks and burgers, because the grease could land on the heating elements and start a fire.

Weight

7 1/2 pounds

This cooking appliance weighs less than your average house cat. It’s pretty easy moving it when needed because of the light weight.

Exterior Housing Material

The exterior of the Panasonic NB-G110P toaster oven is stainless steel.

Exterior Color

The exterior is silver, and has a brushed look to it. When it comes to how it looks, I found that people have mixed feelings about that. Thoughts on how this model looks range from modern, stylish, industrial, retro, to ugly.

One side of the exterior has two warning labels on it – one is in English and the other is in French. I have no idea why Panasonic felt the need to do this because the warnings are all common sense, such as, “Do not immerse in water,” and “Do not use appliance near flammable materials.” Honestly, the labels are ugly to look at and would have been better placed on the back.

Cord Length

Cord length is 36 inches

The cord is strangely placed. Instead of coming out the back like pretty much every other toaster oven, the cord for the Panasonic NB-G110P is located on the side, near the front. This means there is an unsightly cord coming out of the side for everyone to see. You can get around this by routing the cord underneath the machine towards the back.

To make matters worse, the cord is on the same side as the warning labels. I’m sure Panasonic had a good reason for doing this, but for the life of me I can’t figure out what it is. Perhaps they did this to prevent the cord from melting if the back gets too hot?

The main problem with the cord being on one side of the appliance instead of the back is that it may limit placement options. People with very few kitchen outlets might struggle to find a good place for it.

The plug is a two-prong plug that is polarized. That means that one prong is wider than the other, so that you can’t accidentally plug it in the wrong way. It is a safety feature meant to protect the machine and users from electric shocks.

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Convection

There is no convection cooking.

Heating Elements

3 elements

The Panasonic NB-G110P Flash Xpress * does not use the normal heating elements found in most other toaster ovens. Instead, it heats food using infrared light, which is the most unique feature of this machine. The three elements are a combination of quartz and ceramic.

The three heating elements work as follows:

The result of infrared cooking is even cooking. Well, mostly even. The back tends to get hotter than the front (see the section on Temperature Range for more about this). The best aspect of infrared cooking is that the elements do not need to be preheated. You just put the food in and start cooking. In other words, it heats up and cooks fast!

You may be wondering how fast is fast? According to Panasonic, the NB-G110P cooks foods up to 40% faster than traditional toaster ovens. Owners of this model back up that claim. I read review after review that spoke of how incredibly fast food cooks in this model.

The heating elements are really just light bulbs (special ones, though) and can be replaced if they go out. As of this writing, Panasonic is selling them for $18.18, $21.62, and $42.06, depending on which of the three needs to be replaced. Apparently, the elements don’t go out often because many people said they have been using theirs for upwards of nine years and they still heat fast and efficiently. But, it’s good to know that you can replace an element if it does go out.

The elements are not protected by shields or rods so they are completely exposed. This means you will need to take care not to bump them or they might crack or break.

I do want to state that you should not look at the infrared light for extended periods of time. According to the instruction manual, staring at the near-infrared light (the top front element) for long periods of time can cause eye injury. This may be a concern if you have young children or grandchildren who have access to this toaster oven and might want to watch it as it cooks.

Rack Positions

There is only one rack position. Given that the interior is so shallow it wouldn’t make sense to have multiple positions. This is something that was a bother for several people, but I’m not sure why since it does such a great job of cooking with the single position. Food is cooked based on various cooking functions, and it does an excellent job of cooking when the correct functions are selected, so I don’t see a need for an additional rack position.

Rotisserie

There is no rotisserie option.

Temperature Range

250° F to 500° F

The temperature range is good for cooking, but not for keeping foods warm because its lowest temperature setting is too hot. You won’t be able to put food inside to stay warm before it is served without overcooking it.

There is one more thing that I want to mention regarding the temperature. The back of the oven gets hotter than the front, so foods get browner on the half that is in the back. Some foods may need to be rotated to ensure even browning. This would turn me off, but others just see it as one of this machines many quirks.

Warming Tray

Panasonic says that you should not place anything on top of the NB-G110P toaster oven * while it is in use.

Watts

1300 watts

The maximum watts that this machine will use is 1300, but it may use less as the infrared lights cycle on and off during the cooking process.

This is possibly the most cost efficient of all toaster ovens because it cooks much faster than the rest due to the infrared heating technology.

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LCD DIsplay

There is no LCD display.

Type OF Controls

99% of all toaster ovens have the controls on one side of the machine. Not so with this model. The Panasonic NB-G110P * toaster oven has the controls on the bottom, under the door.

The controls are made up of an illustrated keypad. The keypad stays cool to the touch so you don’t have to worry about getting burned if you change your mind about a setting during the cooking process.

The controls are as follows from top to bottom:

• • Preset Cooking Functions
  • Shade Control
  • Light
  • Temperature Control
  • Timer
  • Power On/Off

The keypad beeps as you choose any of the functions. This can be annoying in households where one person gets up very early while everyone else is still asleep and makes food.

Temperature Control Options

Temperature is selected on the keypad. You can choose from eight temperature options that range from 250° F to 500° F. Interestingly, the eight temperature options are a bone of contention for a lot of people. Unlike most toaster ovens sold in the United States that allow you to choose temperatures like 350° F or 375° F, the temperature options on this are 355° F and 390° F.

During my research I figured out why the temperatures options aren’t typical. If you look at the keypad you will see that the temperature is in both Fahrenheit and Celsius.

When temperatures are chosen, they are calibrated for Celsius, not Fahrenheit. This explains why the correlating Fahrenheit temperatures are not what most of us in the US consider “normal” temps.

A lot of people complained about the temperature options, but from what I can tell, it is a non-issue. The difference in recommended cooking temperatures and the temperatures you can choose on here is different by 5 to 15 degrees. You can easily lower the cooking time by a few minutes to make up for the difference. Most people are able to adjust to this quirk pretty quickly.

What this also means is that there is a lot of trial and error needed to cook foods properly. Many people said that they had to go through a learning curve to figure out the best ways to cook different types of foods. You can choose time and temperature, or you can choose from the preset cooking functions. If you are worried that you won’t be able to figure this out you can keep a notepad for making notes about what settings work and what don’t.

Toast Darkness Adjustment

You can choose toast shading by adjusting the Shade Control to the left or right on the keypad. There are five levels of darkness and the keypad clearly shows which side is lighter and which is darker.

Preset Cooking Functions

The Panasonic NB-G110P * has 6 preset cooking functions, which is typical of many toaster ovens. The preset cooking functions on this model differ quite a bit from the norm, though. You won’t find presets like BROIL, BAKE, and ROAST on here. Instead, there are presets that focus on frozen and finger foods.

Bread:

• • Toast
  • Waffle Frozen
  • Roll Bread
    

Food:

• • Pizza Frozen
  • Quick Reheat
  • Hash Brown Frozen
    

To use the preset cooking functions you first need to press one of the six preset functions and then press the Shade Control to your desired level of darkness. The NB-G110P toaster oven will use your input to automatically calculate the proper cooking time and temperature.

This might seem like a strange method until you get used to it. The Shade Control button is, in my opinion, poorly named. While it is meant to choose the darkness level for toast (aka the shade), you also use it to tell the machine the size of the food being cooked. LIGHT = a small amount of food, MEDIUM = a normal amount of food, and DARK = a large amount of food.

Confused yet? Apparently, it is normal to be confused about how to cook with this model until you’ve used it for a while and get used to how it works.

Timer

There is a countdown timer that shows the amount of cooking time remaining. The time is displayed in 30 second increments.

The only time you need to use the timer is if you want to set the cooking temperature. If, instead, you choose one of the preset cooking functions, you do not need to select the time because the Panasonic NB-G110P toaster oven calculates the time for you.

The timer can be set for up to 25 minutes. You can start the time from 0 and go up (press the up button) or from 25 and go down (press the down button). This is nice because it means you aren’t forced to start from 0 and continue pressing the button until you get to or near 25 minutes of cooking time.

The timer display area is blank when not in use.

The most annoying aspect of the timer is that it goes up or down in 30 second increments and you have to press the button for every increase or decrease in time. That means that you have to press the up button 20 times to choose 10 minutes of cooking time, since it will go from .5 to 1 to 1.5 to 2 to 2.5, etc..

There may be times when you want to change the cooking time during the cooking process. You may or may not be able to do this, depending on the method of cooking used. You cannot change the timer if you chose one of the preset cooking functions. However, you can add to the time or subtract from it if you use the oven option (i.e. you selected a temperature and cooking time instead of a cooking function).

If you like to cook frozen dinners that take more than 25 minutes to cook, you might think that a 25 minute timer isn’t going to work for you. Maybe, but maybe not. One of the reviews I read was from someone who said she cooked a frozen food that had a 55 minute cooking time. She was able to cook it completely in just 25 minutes.

How was she able to do this? She chose one of the frozen preset cooking functions (pizza, perhaps?), set the temperature for whatever was suggested – or as close to it as possible – then set the timer for 25 minutes. The reason she chose one of the frozen preset cooking functions is because the NB-G110P * automatically adds to the cooking time when something frozen is being cooked. This is something that you could play around with and you may find that you can cook foods in 25 minutes or less that would take much longer in a traditional toaster oven.

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Alarm

There is an audible alarm that beeps three times when cooking is done. The sound is pleasant, not too loud, and reminds me of my microwave’s alarm. This is a nice feature because you can hear when food is done.

Always On

There is no “always on” option. I think this is a good thing because it prevents the toaster oven from being left on indefinitely by accident.

Automatic Shutoff

This is a confusing aspect of the Panasonic NB-G110P Flash Xpress toaster oven. The heating elements do turn off automatically when cooking is done, but the Power On/Off button does not. That means you need to press Power On/Off when cooking is done to completely power off the machine.

You can tell if the Power On/Off button has been left on because the light just to the left of it will be on, as you can see in the image to the left.

I do not know how harmful it is if you forget and regularly leave the machine on. From what I can tell, leaving it on keeps the machine in a ready state for cooking. My guess is that if the Power On/Off is left on a lot over time that it will shorten the life of the appliance.

This could also be a safety feature, especially in households with children. Simply pressing any of the cooking function buttons will not start the cooking process. The Power On/Off needs to be turned on first before cooking can begin. But, if the power is left on when cooking is finished, a curious child could accidentally start the cooking process by pressing one of the cooking functions.

Auto-Eject Rack

The rack automatically ejects when the door is opened. It is connected to the door so that you do not have to pull it out yourself. You can easily remove the rack any time you want to clean it.

BPA FREE?

I have been unable to determine if all parts that come in contact with food are BPA free.

*

Crumb Tray

The crumb tray can be removed for easy cleaning. It slides out from underneath the body of the appliance. I haven’t seen this toaster oven in person because there aren’t any in my area, but the crumb tray looks flimsy to me based on what I saw in my research for this review.

One of the comments that I read was from someone who said that this entire toaster oven looks “flimsy and cheap feeling”. This comment wasn’t directed at the crumb tray, but it makes me wonder if I am correct about the quality of the tray.

Door

The door has a handle that stays cool so you won’t get burned when you open the door. The glass has a black pattern on it, like the pattern you see on microwave doors. I have not been able to determine the purpose of the pattern, but I suspect it may be to prevent infrared rays from completely escaping through the glass door.

If I am correct in my guess, this would explain why food browns more in the back than in the front, since the heat reflects off the interior body better than off glass.

Another possibility is that the pattern is there to prevent the glass from breaking from high temperatures. Not many toaster ovens heat up to 500°  F as this one does, so perhaps adding the black pattern was done as a safety precaution.

Exterior Temperature During Cooking

As is common with just about every toaster oven, the exterior of the Panasonic NB-G110P * gets hot to the touch. However, it does not get too hot and you aren’t likely to get burned if you brush up against it. That being said, you should always use caution around a hot toaster oven and use hot mitts to prevent burns.

Handles

There are no handles on the sides of this model. That shouldn’t be a problem because this appliance is incredibly light and easy to pick up.

In Use Light

There is not a dedicated “in use” light, but there is a light on the temperature setting that stays on while in use, and the same is true if you choose one of the preset cooking functions.

Interior Light

Yes, there is an interior light, but it is not a normal interior light. The top near-infrared light cooks food but it also doubles as an interior light. You can press the LIGHT button to temporarily turn it on so yo can see inside without opening the door.

Do not turn on the light too often. Doing so will increase the internal temperature and this can result in overcooked food.

There is a warning about the infrared lighting in the instruction manual. According to the manual, staring at the near-infrared light can cause damage to eyes. Young children are fascinated with appliances, especially those that have lights. I can envision children staring inside this toaster oven as it cooks out of curiosity, and for that reason I don’t think I would want this if I had young children in my home.

There is one last thing about the interior light. The heating elements cycle on and off while cooking, which means the internal lights flicker on and off every time you cook. It can make your kitchen look a bit like a scene from a scary movie when in use. This is a normal part of the cooking process for the Panasonic toaster oven, but it might bother some people.

Nonstick Interior

The interior is coated with a nonstick material for easy cleaning. Make sure you don’t use harsh abrasive cleaners or sponges so that the nonstick coating isn’t damaged when you clean it.

Under Counter Mount

This model cannot be mounted under a cabinet.

Wire Rack Stopper

The way the wire rack is connected to the door for the auto-eject process prevents it from being pulled all the way out. The benefit of this is that you won’t accidentally spill hot food on you by pulling the rack completely out.

Included Accessories

• • 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch baking pan with removable rack
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The included pan is a bit flimsy and stains easily, but it works. You can line it with foil to help prevent staining. Just make sure you clean the foil after each use to prevent a grease fire.

The removable rack differs from most racks that come with toaster ovens. Instead of horizontal bars going all the way across the rack, this one is made up of small squares. The rack is difficult to clean. But, you probably won’t find one of the the same size to replace it with. I didn’t see any on Amazon when I checked.

Optional Accessories

There are no additional accessories made specifically for the Panasonic NB-G110P Flash Xpress toaster oven *.

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This video is really good at showcasing some of the foods you can make in this toaster oven.

Dimensions: Length 13” x Height 10.25” x Depth 12”
Weight: 7.5 pounds

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Duration

The warranty for the Panasonic NB-G110P * is 1 year.

Customer Support Experience

Several of the reviews that I read during my research were from people who contacted Panasonic because of warranty issues. There weren’t many who wrote about contacting Panasonic, but every one of them that did had a bad experience.

One person had a bulb go out and wanted Panasonic to send her a replacement bulb. Panasonic wouldn’t do this and insisted that the person ship the toaster oven to them so they could replace the bulb themselves. I realize that Panasonic probably didn’t do this so that they weren’t shipping a free bulb to someone who didn’t really need it, but the way around that is to have the person send the defective bulb back after receiving the replacement and they didn’t do this.

Another person’s rack connector on the door broke and Panasonic wouldn’t replace it even though the unit was still under warranty. I’ll admit, though, that I am uncertain if this person wanted a new rack connector sent to him, which Panasonic won’t do, or if Panasonic wouldn’t replace the entire unit.

I contacted Panasonic via email with several questions that I had during my research of this machine. My experience was also negative. The response that I got for each email that I sent to Panasonic was to have me call them and talk to them on the phone. What is the point of allowing customers to email you with questions if you refuse to answer them in writing? I was very disappointed by their response to me.

On the plus side, there is a silver lining to the warranty period for the Panasonic NB-G110P FlashXpress *. Good Housekeeping reviewed this model and awarded it with their Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. This means that they will warrant it for two years from the date of purchase if you buy it from an authorized retailer. If you buy it and something goes wrong within two years, you can contact Good Housekeeping for a repair, replacement, or refund (I don’t know if you get to choose from these three options or if Good Housekeeping does).

I verified that Good Housekeeping did, in fact, approve this model, and they did. You can look for yourself by going to Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and searching for model number NB-G110P.

Also, many, many people said that they had their models for up to nine years or more. That means that, for most owners, this is an incredibly durable machine.

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• • Durable – Many people stated that they have owned an older model of the Panasonic NB-G110P for up to nine years or more and have never had any problems with it
  • Infrared Heating Elements – Infrared elements heat the interior fast!
  • No Preheating Needed – The infrared elements heat the interior so quickly that there is no need to waste time on preheating
  • Cooks Fast – Food cooks up to 40% faster because of the infrared heating elements
  • Illustrated Buttons – There are six preset cooking functions, and each is represented by an illustrated button on the keypad
  • Size – This is a small appliance that is ideal for individuals, couples without children, and college students in dorms
  • REHEAT Replaces Your Microwave – Food reheated in the Panasonic NB-G110P toaster oven turns out much better than in a microwave, and it reheats almost as fast as in a microwave
    

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• Doesn’t Turn Off Automatically – You have to press the “POWER OFF/ON” button to turn it off, regardless of the cooking option used, to completely turn it off
• Cord Comes Out the Side – It would have made a lot more sense for the cord to be put in the back, but instead, it is located on the side near the front
• Warning Labels – There are two ugly warning labels stuck on the side (the same side that the cord comes out)
• Price – It’s pretty pricey for a toaster oven that has mostly basic features
• Size – This is very small and not good for families that want to cook full meals
• Learning Curve – Figuring out how to use the preset cooking functions is confusing for most people
• One Rack Position – Unlike most toaster ovens, this one has only one rack position
• 25 Minute Timer – The maximum time for cooking is 25 minutes, so you will need to start another cooking cycle when you need more time
• Uneven Heating – The back of the oven gets hotter than the front, which may require that you rotate food during cooking to prevent burning or overcooking one side of it
• Poor Customer Support – Panasonic doesn’t seem to be very good with their warranty or customer support
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Ah, the price. To me, this model is overpriced, and several people who own it agree with me. However, the majority of people have no problem with the price and think it is a great value for the money.

Not only that, but several people said they bought another one after their older models finally died. I suppose this is the difference between someone like me who has only seen it in action in videos or read about how it works and someone who actually owns it and knows how well it works.

On the other hand, I have no idea what goes into infrared heating technology. It is quite possible that the relatively high cost is due to the infrared heating elements.

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This specific toaster oven * has one of the highest overall ratings I’ve seen on Amazon. The owners rave about this machine and multiple people said that they bought it to replace an older version that lasted them for almost an entire decade. Panasonic had sold an earlier version of this model many years ago, then took it off the market. People rejoiced when Panasonic brought this back a few years ago, and that is when many of them were able to replace their older models.

I was surprised to see how loyal people are to this particular kitchen appliance. Some people even went so far as to say that they were in love with it! They were joking (I think…), but it illustrates just how much people like the Flash Xpress toaster oven. Of those who had older models, most of them said that they never had a problem with them, not even a blown heating element.

Here are the most helpful online sources I used to research the Panasonic NB-G110P * toaster oven. You may find additional helpful information by visiting any or all of these sources:

• Product information on Amazon *
• Product Information on Walmart *
• Panasonic Website
• Panasonic NB-G110P Instruction Manual

As I said at the beginning of this review, I initially thought this was small and strange, and wondered who would want it. Now I understand that it caters to people who cook a lot of frozen foods, toast, and leftovers, and what it does, it does well.

The small size makes it perfect for singles and couples without kids, retired people, and college students living in dorms. In other words, it’s great for people who don’t cook large meals.

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