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caddeau_gw

darn microwave--where should it go?

Caddeau
12 years ago

I'm working on design for our kitchen renovation and am stuck on where to put microwave (there are a lot of other things I need to figure out as well. . .)

Here's the layout of kitchen as of today, thanks to some helpful advice I got from this forum last week:

{{!gwi}}

I'm tall, my wife is not. We both like to use kitchen and agree it doesn't work to put microwave over range hood. When hood is high enough for me, microwave is too high up for her to use. I've tried finding a place to park it on the counter and every location just looks awkward. I have this image of stooping down or getting on my knees everytime I use the microwave if we put in in a cubby under the counter of peninsula opposite sink, but at this point that seems to be the least bad option for microwave.

I saw a thread the other day about a microwave small enough to fit in a regular sized cupboard (12" deep"). That seems like a nifty idea if you have enough space around the machine for proper ventilation.

Any suggestions from the sages of ivillage welcome.

Comments (19)

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago

    Mine would be in the spot corresponding to the left of your range in the depth of that corner. I have a GE Spacemaker countertop model so that it doesn't stick out past the upper cabinets. (it is also 24" wide so it matches the width of the base cabinets it is facing and would leave you with an even amount of counterspace to each side of the range).

    So even though it sits on the counter it would make some esthetic sense.

    Here is a link that might be useful: GE Spacemaker

  • marcolo
    12 years ago

    Aiee! Don't put it in that corner--that's prime prep space. Until I moved mine from that place, I was basically prepping on the floor.

    I think a microwave drawer would be your friend.

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago

    Back in the corner is prime prep space? Not in our kitchen: The diagonal to the back of that corner is over 30". Right in front of it is...but I find it hard to believe you would prep back in the depth of that corner.

  • Caddeau
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I noticed that the GE Spacemaker has an optional mounting bracket to attach to the bottom of cabinet, leaving counter space open. That seems like a great height. Our friends have the microwave drawer and hate it. Hard to get hot plates with steam rising from them out of the drawer and on to the counter without burning fingers they say. Spacemaker seems pretty nifty idea at the moment. Has anyone done this? DOes it look weird to have MW hanging from cabinet in mid air?

  • aloha2009
    12 years ago

    I just recently started a thread regarding the angst I too am having regarding the MW. It evaluated several different possibilities.

    IMO I'm thinking the left of the sink would work good. It's on the perimeter of the kitchen in case someone who is not doing the main prep wants to heat something up, it's close to the frig and water source.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Microwave placement

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago

    Plug it in your design software and see how it looks, if you can do that. Sharp is another company that makes OTC microwaves, vs, over the range microwaves. They may have pics on their website.

  • Caddeau
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    THank you, aloha. Stainless steel MW shelf under cabinets to the left of the sink seems the perfect solution: nice height, doesn't look like it's 'stuck' to bottom of cabinet, and I don't have to stoop to get to it, and if one person's working at stove someone else can use MW without getting in the way. Can't wait to try this. GW folks are so generous with their advice. Truly appreciated.

  • desertsteph
    12 years ago

    mine would be across that corner area. no way do i or would I use that area for prep. I can barely reach it... I'd need my rubbermaid step stool to clean the corner.

    but many do prefer them closer to the fridge.

    and many put them on shelves built under an upper cabinet.

  • marcolo
    12 years ago

    Yes, the corner is prep space. Because a micro there will end up diagonal, and while it's too late tonight to remember my high school geometry, I can say from experience the nuker will sit far closet to the counter when it straddles the corner. Plus the deep corner is good for shoving mise bowls back there, or for storing the stand mixer.

    The left of sink placement seems good but (I can't tell from your pic if this will work) what about on your peninsula against the wall? You could put a whole hutchlike cabinet sitting on the countertop there, with the bottom reserved for the micro. You could cover it if you want with a door.

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago

    Not diagonal, facing straight out like the range does,against the back wall. The doorswing goes to the left. I didn't say anything about diagonals in my post.

  • marcolo
    12 years ago

    Don't get cranky!

    Only a meticulous person would keep a micro that way. Most people would just yank it onto an angle so they could reach inside and see the buttons. Plus, even if it's not angled, you're still fending off hungry hot pocket fans while you're trying to julienne your rutabagas.

  • dianalo
    12 years ago

    Just as you have short "uppers" over your stove, you can put a set like that elsewhere with a micro shelf below it. That gets it off the counter and keeps it low enough to use comfortably. If someone can reach the bottom shelf of the other upper cabs, they can reach the micro at that height.

  • Maureen Dimitri
    12 years ago

    I am using GE Spacemaker under cabinet similar to this in a hutch-type set up:

    The GE is much smaller than this...only 12 inches deep and 12 inches high. 24 inches wide so it fits under a cabinet nicely.

  • melissastar
    12 years ago

    I'm curious, is the inside of the spacemaker deep enough to fit an average dinner plate...say 11" in diameter?

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago

    Mine fits my Williams-Sonoma dishes but they are a bit under 10"

    However the turntable is slightly over 11" and it turns so an 11" plate should.

  • melissastar
    12 years ago

    Thanks palimpsest...good to know.

  • Katie S
    12 years ago

    Our layout is almost identical, but with a pass through window behind the range. We went with the space maker over the counter on a shelf under the cabinet over the dishwaser. It is 24" wide just like the dishwasher. The mounting kit is available, but I wanted a shelf with sides that went all the way up to hide the black sides of the microwave and to be symmetrical on both sides of the window over the sink. The microwave gets tons of use and holds even my largest dinner plates and casserole dish. We love it, and it looks great and is midget lower than an over the range one. I will try to get some pics uploaded somewhere so you can see. Also, best buy matched the ajmadison price when we bought it!

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago

    I painted the sides of mine to match the cabinets and backsplash. (I also learned how to turn off the clock since the LED does not match that on the range. 8-] )