Panasonic NF-GM400 Review: a versatile indoor grill that’s handy but bulky

I’ve been using the Panasonic NF-GM400 for a few weeks now, mainly as an indoor grill and for quick one-pot meals. I bought it because I was tired of cleaning the hob and dealing with frying pan splashes all the time. On paper, this thing promises a lot: 6-in-1, 9 auto modes, smoke extractor, four plates, app recipes… the usual long list of features. I wanted to see what actually matters in daily use, not what looks nice on the box.

In real life, I’ve used it for simple stuff: bacon, sausages, steaks, grilled veggies, pancakes, a Bolognese, and one attempt at a sort of hot pot / soup. So nothing fancy, just normal weekday and weekend meals. My goal was: does this help me cook faster or cleaner, and can it realistically replace a frying pan and maybe a pot or two? If not, it’s just another big box taking space in the cupboard.

Right away, the first thing that hit me wasn’t the features, it was the size and the weight. At almost 6 kg and with four different plates, this isn’t a small gadget you tuck in a drawer. You need a bit of counter or storage space, and if you have a tiny kitchen, you’ll feel it. On the flip side, the big size means a proper cooking surface, so you can cook for 3–4 people without doing several batches.

Overall, my first impression was: solid build, quite flexible, but definitely not a minimalistic appliance. It’s not perfect, and a few things annoyed me (especially the bulk and some heating quirks), but it does get a lot of everyday tasks done with less mess than using multiple pans on the hob. The rest of this review is basically how it behaves once the novelty wears off and you actually live with it.

In terms of value, this Panasonic sits in that bracket where it’s not cheap, but not luxury either. You’re paying for the brand, the multiple plates, the smoke extractor, and the flexibility. If you only want a basic grill for the occasional steak, there are cheaper options that will do the job. But they usually come with shorter cables, fewer plates, no smoke extraction, and cheaper build quality. So it really depends how much you’ll use the extra features.

If you see it as three devices in one (indoor grill, flat griddle, and one-pot cooker), the price starts to feel more reasonable. I found myself using it several times a week, which for me justifies the spend more than some gadget I’d touch once a month. The fact that the plates are dishwasher-safe and genuinely easy to clean also saves time and makes it more likely you’ll actually use it instead of leaving it in a cupboard.

On the other hand, there are some downsides for the money. It’s bulky, so if space is tight, the value drops because you’re trading a big chunk of storage for one device. Also, some of the promised functions (like hot pot / soup stability) are a bit less polished than I’d like; you need to manually babysit temperatures rather than trusting a fully automatic system. If slow cooking is your main thing, a dedicated slow cooker that’s cheaper might serve you better.

So overall, I’d call the value pretty solid if you actually plan to grill and pan-cook a lot indoors and want cleaner air and easier cleaning. If you’re more of an occasional user or you mainly want stews and soups, you might be paying for features you won’t really use. It’s good value for the right user, but not universal value for everyone.

Design-wise, the NF-GM400 looks and feels like a serious bit of kit. Black body, metal plates, pretty straightforward controls. It’s not flashy, just practical. The build quality seems pretty solid: nothing rattles, the plates sit firmly, and the handles and edges don’t feel cheap. At around 5.8 kg and roughly 40 x 42 x 25 cm, it’s more like a compact tabletop appliance than a small gadget. This is important: if you have limited cupboard space, you’re going to think twice before buying it.

The best design choice, in my opinion, is the 2.5 m power cord. That sounds like a small detail, but in daily use it’s really handy. I can put it in the middle of the table for a kind of table BBQ, or move it to a balcony without needing an extension lead. Compared to other grills with laughably short cables, this one is actually usable in more than one place. It’s the sort of boring but useful feature that actually matters more than some of the fancy modes.

On the downside, the bulk and storage are real issues. You don’t just have the base; you also have four plates to store. If you stack them, they’re not that thick, but it’s still a decent pile. One Amazon reviewer mentioned not knowing how to store it, and I get that. I ended up dedicating an entire shelf to the unit and its plates. If you’re already playing Tetris with your pots and pans, this won’t help.

Visually, it’s fine, nothing special but clean. It doesn’t look cheap, but it’s not something you’ll admire on the counter either. The controls are clear enough, not overloaded, so you don’t feel like you’re using a spaceship. Overall, the design is practical and sturdy, but you have to be okay with the size. If you’re tight on space, that’s probably the main reason not to buy it.

On materials and build, the NF-GM400 feels solid and well put together. The main body is metal with plastic elements where you touch it, and the plates are metal with a non-stick coating. They slot in and out without wobbling, and there’s no feeling of flimsy parts that will break after a few uses. At almost 6 kg, it has enough weight not to slide around when you’re flipping food, which is nice when you’re grilling at the table.

The non-stick coating on the plates is one of the strong points so far. Bacon, eggs, pancakes, and even Bolognese residue came off easily. Most of the time, a quick wipe with a soft sponge and a bit of washing-up liquid was enough. For heavier stuff, I just popped the plates into the dishwasher as advertised. After several washes, I didn’t see peeling or obvious damage, but like with any non-stick, I’m careful: no metal utensils, no harsh scrubbing, and I let it cool before cleaning.

The plates themselves feel fairly thick and not like cheap tin. The reversible grill/griddle style and the different shapes give you some flexibility without feeling fragile. The steam tray and deep pot also seem sturdy enough to hold up to regular use. You don’t get that cheap, rattly feeling you sometimes get with low-cost grills where the plate bends or feels too light.

Long-term durability is hard to judge after just a few weeks, but based on the weight, the finish, and how the parts fit together, I’d say the materials are in line with the price and the Panasonic name. It doesn’t feel like a toy, and if you treat the non-stick with a bit of care, I don’t see a reason why it wouldn’t last several years. Just don’t expect cast-iron lifetime durability; it’s a modern non-stick electric cooker, not a pan you pass on to your grandkids.

Durability is always a bit of a guess early on, but there are some indicators. After several weeks of use, including grilling a few times a week and doing a couple of one-pot dishes, there’s no obvious wear on the plates or the body. The non-stick is still smooth, no scratches (I only use silicone or wooden tools), and the edges of the plates haven’t warped. The main unit doesn’t make weird noises, and the fan for the smoke extractor still runs smoothly.

One thing I pay attention to with these appliances is heat management. If the body gets too hot or plastics start to discolor, that’s usually a bad sign. Here, the outside gets warm but not scary hot, and I haven’t noticed any melting, warping, or smell of burning plastic. The lid/upper part and handles remain usable even during longer cooking sessions like slow simmering a sauce or doing a full grill session for several people.

The cleaning process also affects durability. Because the plates are dishwasher-safe, you’re tempted to just throw them in every time. I did a mix: sometimes hand wash, sometimes dishwasher. After multiple cycles, no peeling or chipping so far. Still, if you want to keep it for the long run, I’d personally avoid the hottest dishwasher settings all the time and stick to gentle cycles or hand wash when you can. That’s just general non-stick survival advice, not specific to this model.

Overall, I’d say early durability signs are positive. It feels like a mid-to-high range appliance, not a disposable gadget. The only long-term concern, like with all non-stick electric grills, is the coating lifespan if you abuse it with metal tools or very harsh cleaning. Take basic care and it should hold up fine for regular home use.

On performance, it’s mostly good, with a few quirks. Let’s start with heating speed. For grilling (bacon, steak, sausages), it heats up fast enough. I’d say from cold to proper grilling temperature in a few minutes, which is fine for an indoor grill. One Amazon reviewer said it was slow to heat up; personally I didn’t find it that bad on the grill plate, but I did notice a difference when using the deep pot for soups and hot pot style cooking. There it feels less punchy and more uneven.

The grill performance is where it shines the most. Bacon comes out nicely browned without being soaked in grease, and steaks get decent sear marks if you preheat properly and don’t overload the plate. It’s not like a cast-iron pan on full blast gas, but for an electric tabletop grill, it’s pretty solid. The smoke extractor actually does something: it doesn’t remove all smell (you still know you cooked bacon), but it definitely reduces visible smoke and heavy odours. Compared to pan-frying with no extractor hood, it’s noticeably cleaner in the room.

Where it’s a bit less convincing is in hot pot / soup / slow cook style use. One reviewer mentioned the hot pot function wasn’t steady and the soup evaporated quickly; I noticed something similar. On higher temps, liquids can go from gentle simmer to quite active boil, and you have to manually turn it down. The manual mode gives you control, but you’ll probably need to play with temperatures a bit to find the sweet spot. For my Bolognese, I actually had to lower the temp more than I expected because it was bubbling too aggressively at first.

Overall, in terms of performance: grilling and basic frying are very good for an electric unit, the smoke extractor helps, and the auto modes are okay but not magic. For slow cooking and soup, it works, but you need to keep an eye on it. If your main goal is indoor BBQ and grilling with less smell, you’ll probably be happy. If you mainly want a rock-solid slow cooker, there are better dedicated options.

Let’s start with what’s in the box and what this thing is supposed to do. You get the main unit, four plates (grill, pancake/flat, steam, and deep pot), plus the usual manual and access to the Panasonic Kitchen+ app with a bunch of recipes. On the front you’ve got controls for temperature, time, and the 9 auto modes: BBQ, Steak, Steam, Slow Cook, Veggies, Party Snack, Preheat, Keep Warm, and one more depending on region. It runs at 1400 W and goes from 40°C up to 250°C, which covers low slow-cooking up to high-heat grilling.

The idea is pretty simple: instead of having a separate electric grill, steamer, hot pot, and a pan, you just swap plates on this one base. The grill plate is for meat and veggies, the pancake plate is basically a flat griddle, the steam plate sits above water, and the deep pot is for soups, stews, and sauces. There’s also a smoke extractor fan that only works when you’re using the grill, which is supposed to reduce smoke and smell when you’re cooking indoors.

In practice, the most useful modes and plates for me have been:

• Grill plate + BBQ/Steak modes for bacon, steaks, sausages, kebabs.
• Flat/pancake plate for pancakes, eggs, and quick stir-fries.
• Deep pot + manual mode for Bolognese, basic stews, and reheating leftovers.

On the marketing sheet it’s a 6-in-1 multi cooker, but in day-to-day life I’d say you mostly use it as a table grill, griddle, and one-pot cooker. The rest is a bonus. If you expect it to fully replace your hob, you’ll be disappointed. If you see it as a main indoor grill plus a flexible extra cooker, it makes more sense and feels less over-promised.

Let’s talk about how effective it is in real life. For me, the main goal was: can this replace my frying pan and grill pan most days, and reduce cleaning? The short answer is: mostly yes for grilling and simple one-pan meals, less so for everything else. After a couple of weeks, I noticed I was using my hob less for things like bacon, sausages, grilled veggies, and quick stir-fries. It’s just easier to throw everything on the plate, set a timer, and not worry about splashes all over the hob.

The auto modes are decent, but I didn’t rely on them that much. After trying BBQ and Steak modes once or twice, I ended up mainly using manual temperature and timer. It’s not that the auto modes are bad, they just feel a bit gimmicky once you know roughly which temperature works for what. The Keep Warm function is handy though if you’re waiting for people to sit down or cooking in batches for a small group.

As a multi-cooker, it’s effective up to a point. You can do:

• Grilling: meats, fish, kebabs, veggies.
• Flat cooking: pancakes, eggs, quesadillas, simple stir-fries.
• One-pot dishes: sauces, stews, curries, Bolognese.
• Steaming: dumplings, veg, fish.

In daily life, I’d say its effectiveness is highest if you cook a lot of grilled or pan-fried stuff and want to keep the kitchen cleaner. If you’re expecting some kind of all-in-one miracle that handles every recipe in the app perfectly without effort, you’ll be a bit disappointed. It still needs you to watch temperatures, flip food, and adjust things. But if you’re okay with that and just want a more flexible grill/pan setup, it does the job pretty well.