Under cabinet shelf microwave. Your thoughts.


 
Bruno

Bruno

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Redoing our kitchen and we are going with a vented, to the outside, hood this time instead of an over the stove microwave that sent everything into the ceiling.
Our GC recommended an under cabinet shelf you can put a microwave in.
I have not seen ANY of those I like.
I’m thinking of telling the wife we need to switch to a countertop model.

Any thoughts on the shelf? Ideas? Inspiration?

Thanks.
 
The shelf might look good if its a tight enough fit into the wall to where there isn't a big gap as well as not being too close to the ground, but I'm certainly not a home improvement expert. I've also seen a few where it's built in above a wall oven, which actually doesn't look too bad. A countertop microwave should work fine as long as you have enough space for it so that your space isn't too cluttered.
I'd definitely prefer either of those options to a microwave over the stove though - I always felt like I would hit my head on it if I had one.
 
This is a counter top mounted in a 26 inch wide cabinet. Bottom of the microwave is 55 inches above floor so it's easy access and I keep the counter below to hold stuff.

The trim piece is 24" wide

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Nice Dan, I read you need 3” on each side and top for clearance, any thoughts on that.

What is that model microwave?
 
I also have a place in my cabinets that once housed a counter top microwave with enough clearance all around for proper venting. The problem was when that microwave died, I couldn't find another one that fit properly in that spot, I should look again as this was years ago.IMG_20240908_210650791~2.jpg
 
Steve Hoch said:
The one Dan has is designed to be a "built in" judging by the vents in the front of it.
Click to expand...
The trim kit makes it look built-in.

Bruno said:
Nice Dan, I read you need 3” on each side and top for clearance, any thoughts on that.

What is that model microwave?
Click to expand...
Kitchenaid KMCS1016GSS which is discontinued. It is not a great microwave, it just matched.

It is a 21 3/4 inch wide counter top. The trim kit includes a metal floor to hold it up level with the trim. This came with the house new in 1998, was painted white and I spray painted it silver when I changed appliances to stainless steel.

The trim piece is 24" and the cabinet is 26 so inside dimensions clearance is about an inch or so.

Here's a pic from farther away. The oven is a 30 inch wide double.

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Our new home already had the over the range microwave with outside vented hood (thankfully). When we redo our kitchen down the road, my wife will want the microwave in the pantry and not even in the kitchen taking up space in the cabinets or on the counter. The more I think about it, that's the way I want to go as well. Just a thought. Problem with the "built-in" style is it really limits what options you have when replacement time comes. Had to do that at a previous house with a built in and I had to go the FB marketplace route to find a good clean used one because I wasn't paying the $1200 for a microwave that matched the existing appliances and that was the only option.

So, with a countertop microwave in the pantry you can get the one you like with the options you like and it won't be expensive. And, since it's in the pantry you aren't nearly as worried about if it perfectly matches your existing kitchen appliances.
 
I’d love to have that much room in my 1935 house! A ground floor bathroom would be even nicer!
The thirteen steps (12/12pitch!) are going to be seriously challenging after wife’s back surgery!
 
The new one I just got, mentioned in another thread you cannot mount like that. Because it has actual heating elements cannot be enclosed
 
Thanks guys for all the info.
I’m going to let the wife make the call here,
Kitchen is small but we made a couple nice changes that will give us some more space.
GC sent this pic as an idea of what we are going for.. Not these cabinets but the look would be similar.
I don’t hate this, and we are definitely set in the dedicated hood. So this might work.
IMG_1449.jpeg
 
@Bruno...... your GC ain't completely right.

This house came with an over stove microwave & built-in hood, Magic Chef branded from 1993. Those generally (including this one,) have a baffle or redirector plate that will either vent out over the microwave, or up into ductwork to the outside.
 
JKalchik said:
@Bruno...... your GC ain't completely right.

This house came with an over stove microwave & built-in hood, Magic Chef branded from 1993. Those generally (including this one,) have a baffle or redirector plate that will either vent out over the microwave, or up into ductwork to the outside.
Click to expand...
You are correct, we were looking for a higher volume of air pull than a microwave can supply. We are also trying to go for a different look than the previous 12 years.
 
When I remodeled my kitchen at my former house, I never really did find one that fit (second picture in the thread link below)

ChuckO

Thread 'My first kitchen remodel'

Never done this before, have hated the tile forever, love tearing it out

Cleared the bar (stove top will be replaced)

17D3F955-2515-45DC-91EB-37B203ABF3FC_zpsnvcprj1s.jpg


Gonna raise that down spot, what a lousy design

4E45279D-2CCA-47AC-94FC-E098CA9E990D_zpsxzrdqiyk.jpg


The leaky window goes bye bye

195E3F1B-012F-4D9F-8AE9-E056AB0E4A56_zpstwf2wcga.jpg


Got rot? Yeah buddy...

The problem I came across was that the ones that fit, were made to go over the range (range light and vent built into the bottom of the microwave) I did try to frame it in, but I thought that looked worse than the ill fitting microwave. My only advice is find one that fits as best as you can, and not let it bother you too much
 
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