Over range microwave

[kaylie]

This might be the dumbest question ever. I'm trying to put in our cabinet order tomorrow (yippee) but I'm confused about the microwave cabinet. If we have an over the range microwave, is there a way to install the microwave without a special cabinet? It looks like it comes with a way to mount it to the wall, but I want to make sure before I opt out of the special cabinet.

[Deleted]

Yes, they have a mount kit which is usually included. You don't put a cabinet around it, just a shorter cabinet above.

[kaylie]

Thank you! That'll save me a couple hundred bucks =)

[auntie]

Yes to shorter cabinet above. It's the cabinet under which one would mount a traditional cheapie range hood. Mine is 18" tall.

My microwave is attached to the wall and also the cabinet above.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Do make sure when you order that cabinet, though, that you take microwave height into account. You need a good bit of clearance - some places code is 30" - especially if you have a gas range.

[kaylie]

Mar 10, 2013 14:35:50 GMT -5 FormerlyRR said:

Mar 10, 2013 11:16:38 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

Do make sure when you order that cabinet, though, that you take microwave height into account. You need a good bit of clearance - some places code is 30" - especially if you have a gas range.

Yes! My pet peeve when I was looking at houses was a microwave that was installed in a hood space. Then it makes it hard to reach things on the back burners. Safety aside, it's just annoying. 

Oh, you would not like my current configuration one bit. It's only about 17'' off the range surface (it hangs lower than the top cabinets). I'm probably going to give it more clearance with the new cabinets, though.

[kaylie]

mrs.jacinthe and FormerlyRR:

Do you guys think 28'' between the range and the bottom of the microwave would look funny? I'm ordering the cabinets tomorrow and I was freaking out about what to do over the microwave. I'm thinking I want to do a wine rack above the microwave, like this one but without the stemware rack on the bottom.  Do you think that's too much space? Also, do you hate the idea of a wine rack over the microwave?

[TBM]

Mar 10, 2013 15:11:22 GMT -5 kaylie said:

mrs.jacinthe and FormerlyRR:

Do you guys think 28'' between the range and the bottom of the microwave would look funny? I'm ordering the cabinets tomorrow and I was freaking out about what to do over the microwave. I'm thinking I want to do a wine rack above the microwave, like this one but without the stemware rack on the bottom.  Do you think that's too much space? Also, do you hate the idea of a wine rack over the microwave?




You don't want a wine rack over a range, even if there is a microwave in between.  The heat will ruin the wine. 

[Deleted]

We just finished installing an OTR microwave in our kitchen like an hour ago! Definitely don't need a special cabinet, just wall space above your oven and use the wall mounting kit that comes with the microwave to install it.

[kaylie]

Thanks TBM. That's what I was afraid of. I will now resume banging my head into the wall.

[kaylie]

Thanks for sharing! Yeah, that definitely looks like more room than what we have now. We very rarely use our microwave, but I guess we should at least be able to see it. H and I are both on the shorter side. He's 5'9'' and I'm 5'5''.

[TBM]

Our microwave is only 17.5 inches from the top of the grate on the burner to the bottom of the microwave. We followed the directions that came with microwave.

Oh, and I am 5'6"-ish and DH is 5'9"-ish.


My business partner is shorter than I am, and her microwave is so high that I can't see in it. It is scary and dangerous, but it is one of those situations with cabinets over the counter with the range... an opening to the next room between the counter and the cabinets. It is very odd.