Should I install this microwave/hood combo in my kitchen?
October 3, 2011 10:26 AM   Subscribe

Should I install this microwave/hood combo in my kitchen? If so, how can I position it?

This summer I had some contractors help renovate my kitchen which included new cabinets and a stove which came with a matching microwave/hood, which I haven't installed yet.

You can see a pic here.

There are 2 problems. One is that microwave/hoods are usually surrounded by wall cabinetry so everything looks integrated. But there isn't additional wall cabinetry. Would it be weird for the microwave to just be jutting out like that from the wall with nothing else around it?

The other problem is that the right side of the oven is right under the window trim (see pic). This means the microwave wouldn't line up with the oven correctly anyway. Unless I could find a piece of wood to wedge under the left arm that supports the microwave to make it even and the right arm would just be screwed into the window frame. Seems like a crappy solution.

Or, I could just sell the microwave/hood and use my regular microwave which just sits on the counter top....
posted by deern the headlice to Home & Garden (9 answers total)
 
I'm thinking that inch or so of window trim would have to be cut for it to look right/fit correctly. You could always put some shelves up above the counter to the left of the hood/microwave to finish off that side.

That said, I would just use a counter microwave if I were in your position.
posted by HuronBob at 10:32 AM on October 3, 2011


Best answer: Seconding the counter microwave. I am not a big fan of the hood/microwave as the microwave is subject to lots of heat/cooking residues that make it kind sticky and unpleasant and you are always reaching over a stove to get to it and just a big pain in the ass over a counter microwave. Spend the extra to get the hood vented to the outside as well or their isn't much point to a hood.
posted by bartonlong at 11:24 AM on October 3, 2011


Many microwave hoods have a vent/duct option and a recirculate/filter option. I'm not sure if yours does both.

It looks like you'd be planning to use the hood as a recirculator, not with a hole cut to vent to the outside; in which case there's not a whole lot of benefit. Those filters don't really do much for air quality. I'd definitely opt for the countertop microwave with nothing over the stove, as opposed to a recirculating filter.

On the other hand, I think that if you do a lot of smoky/spicy cooking in a smallish home, you'd definitely benefit from venting some of that air to the outside (i.e. installing it as a real vent, cutting a hole in the wall, etc) and both the strategies you mentioned (a 1" misalignment to the left, or a 1" spacer bringing it forward) are reasonable ways to install the hood.
posted by aimedwander at 12:05 PM on October 3, 2011


I don't have a ton of counter space and I love my over the stove microwave/hood. So, here's one vote for making it work. The vent on mine isn't vented to the outside and it still works fine. I think I've only set off my smoke detector around 5 times cooking since it was installed 4 years ago and I (1) cook all the time, every day, (2) burn stuff all the time, (3)have 5 smoke alarms in my 1500 sq ft house, and (4) one of the smoke alarms is probably 15 feet from the stove. Also, the inside of this microwave is way cleaner than any other microwave I've owned since the inside is at eye level so I see small messes and clean them up before the microwave gets really horrible.

Install it with a piece of wood or whatever makes it level and put a wall pot rack or something to the left of it to make it all look even.
posted by artychoke at 12:06 PM on October 3, 2011


Best answer: 1. I think the microwave on the wall, with no cabinets next to it, would look odd and out-of-place.

2. More important, the idea of having a microwave at that height has always made me cringe. It seems like an invitation to disaster. It's not at all uncommon to be taking something out of a microwave and realize it's hotter than you expected and you have to let go of it RIGHT NOW. With a countertop microwave, you have a burned hand and a messy counter. With a microwave mounted over the stove, you have a burned face, or chest, or arms. I really don't understand how those things are even legal. Even if it looked right, I'd be afraid to use it.
posted by Corvid at 12:57 PM on October 3, 2011


Looking at that beautiful clean wall it appears you have no electrical outlet to plug in the microwave or the hood. Since you are going to have to poke holes in the wall anyway, install a through-the-wall vent. You will be so much more pleased with the smells going outside than with them recirculating back into the kitchen. That, apparently, will save you approximately five smoke alarms each five years or so.

Looking at how uncluttered your counters are (how do you do it?) you have plenty of room for a good counter top microwave. They really are far more convenient and are usually not only larger but more powerful than hang-on-the-wall models.
posted by Old Geezer at 2:06 PM on October 3, 2011


Best answer: An unvented range hood just filters the air, which is a help. But this is on an outside wall, and could be vented outside, which is really nice when you burn something, or cook something smoky or greasy. I have a microwave/vent above the stove, vented to the outside, and I like it a lot, except that I'm not tall, so it's a little bit high for me, and I have some concern about the safety of reaching up over a hot burner.
posted by theora55 at 2:58 PM on October 3, 2011


Response by poster: I think you guys are right. It's kind of weird and inconvenient to have a microwave up that high and not really help vent sufficiently. I could probably do better to create an actual hood that vents to the outside and use my existing microwave on the countertop. Maybe just sell the micro/hood on Craigslist. Thanks!
posted by deern the headlice at 3:32 PM on October 3, 2011


You can make the microwave ones vent to the outside. (I can't due to the kitchen being on an inside wall and an old slate roof.) I thought that the built in microwave was kinda dumb until I got one and now I love it.
posted by artychoke at 4:13 PM on October 3, 2011


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