Anyone just stick it in the pantry? I would love to see your non-built in micros or hear why we should build it in. Thanks everyone!

I lined the inside of the door with scrap aluminum, so it can be used for landing space for hot pans from the stove.

But, I also don't mind / actually like having spaces in the kitchen that are not all perfect and fitted, so this 'look' is working for me right now.

We were concerned about it sitting so low, but it has worked out well. We use it for basic reheating and defrosting, so the buttons I use are very familiar and I am not usually searching for something on the display. My husband is 6'3", and I am 5'11" and it is still fine with us. I know this is not true for everyone, but this is one area that I didn't feel like fighting for the "best" solution (microwave drawer). It was a compromise I was willing to make and as a bonus, 6 year old DD now helps to prepare her own snacks!

Oven is by Ikea (as are the cabinets), a matching microwave is available, but the old one still functions well. When it dies I'll probably change it out for another non-built in, because that is the cheap and easy route.

Our toaster oven in in the pantry:

Microwave in cabinet, open

Microwave in cabinet, closed

Allows easy access when door is opened, while on rare occasions where we're entertaining etc we can close door and it's invisible.

And it's far superior to any built in MW--a terrible idea, they are overpriced, and near impossible to replace when they inevitably fail. And they contain the same "guts" as any $200 Sharp or Panasonic off the shelf unit, as these two companies are the only manufacturers worldwide.

Won't do it next time either.

I'm pretty convinced I'll buy a $99 micro and forget the whole built in thing. Thanks all!!!

I just dug the cabinets out of my peninsula and installed the cabinet over here. I really like it now. I put in an 18" drawer base I got at the reuse center, too. Much better than the old particle board 2-drawer, reach-in I despised from the day it was put in to support the peninsula.

Here you go:


I do see some shelf versions I really like here. Always looking for new and better ideas! Thanks for the thread.

The built-in MW that came with the house was old and ugly but we couldn't remove it till the oven underneath it broke. So, no built-in MWs for me, thank you very much. My 10 year-old MW is still "live and kicking". When we remodel, I am going to place it on a roll-out shelf below the counter (I think).

Our first mw lasted 15+ years, the next one only lasted 1 year. We got our 3rd one about a year before the remodel and I was concerned about longevity. My other concern was new technology. A lot of new ways of cooking have come along since we moved into this house. I wanted to give our kitchen a chance to accommodate a different type of small oven.

We put ours in a deep upper cabinet with adjustable shelves above. It's an important tool in our kitchen and I wanted it easily accessible. I tend to use the timer a lot.

Our first mw was on a fairly low table but it wasn't as low as an undercounter mw. It was fine at first (for the first 5 years), but we eventually ended up hating it every time we used it. Stooping to put things in and out and to see if the ceiling or back needed to be cleaned got old. As our eyes aged we would have to bend to see the buttons. Dh isn't into cushy but even he eventually started complaining about the lowness of the mw.

My children are young adults now but when young kids visit I'm glad I don't have to worry about them pushing mw buttons.

One thing I would do differently is the location of the power outlet. It's right behind the mw but when plugged in, the mw couldn't be pushed as far back on the shelf as I wanted because of the large stiff plug. DH ended up buying a different style of plug (a flatter one) and was able to swap it out.

It's at the top of the cabinet in the back. That's kind of dead space above the MW. I could put trays or hot pads on top of the MW, without the plug interfering.

I also had him leave a lot of wire behind an adjacent cabinet (the Lazy Susan) so when I eventually have my dream counter top put in, I have leeway.

First I gotta find the counter top I like. Been looking for 10 years. When I find it? You'll be the 1st to know.

Thanks, red_lover!

It's at the top of the cabinet in the back. That's kind of dead space above the MW. I could put trays or hot pads on top of the MW, without the plug interfering.

I also had him leave a lot of wire behind an adjacent cabinet (the Lazy Susan) so when I eventually have my dream counter top put in, I have leeway.

First I gotta find the counter top I like. Been looking for 10 years. When I find it? You'll be the 1st to know.

BTW. After an interesting conversation here regarding microwave drawers, do they qualify as these unloved built-ins? Or do they fall into another category? Or aren't they old enough technology that we don't know yet?

Thanks, red_lover!

Both time I did a kitchen reno, some jerky greedy KD tried to get me to spend an exorbitant sum for a built in micro.

I like them at eye level. The last time I had it above my double ovens, with a cabinet door that rose up and slid back like a garage door.

This time it is also at eye level, on a shelf inside a cabinet with french doors. I added a pull out shelf below if I need to set something down