Where to Put the Microwave
February 21, 2016
It’s a big question when you’re designing a kitchen: where to put the microwave. Lately I’ve received quite a few questions about the microwave in our kitchen. I thought a post may be in order to break down how we landed with the microwave we did, and my suggestions to get it off the kitchen counter.
I don’t love small appliances out in plain sight. In our new house, I hide the toaster, the mixer, the blender– they all have a cupboard. The microwave isn’t really something that can be easily hidden unless you have a large pantry, which we do not, so I knew I wanted to put it in the island.
If you have a large island, it’s a great place for the microwave– out of sight, and easily accessible. There are two ways to go– build a little slot shelf for it to sit on, or do a drawer microwave. We went the drawer route.
Here’s what I discovered when shopping for a drawer microwave: 1) they ain’t cheap, 2) there are several appliance lines that carry them but they are all pretty much manufactured by Sharp. That means if you buy another brand, it’s probably the same microwave as a Sharp but with a different label.
We happened to be at Home Depot one evening shopping for a dishwasher for the basement bar area and were were chatting with a salesman about how drawer microwaves were kind of tough to find. Not a lot of stores carry them in stock (you have to special order) so you can’t really check them out in person. He happened to remember that they had just so special ordered one for a customer who realized he had ordered the wrong size. It hadn’t even been opened and he sold it to us for a deep discount. It was an awesome score. This one is pretty close to the one we got, if not the exact model.
If we had not done a drawer microwave, my next option would have been a shelf for the microwave to sit on. I’ve seen it done beautifully. Here are a few examples.
via Jenna Sue Design
Here’s to clear countertops and discrete microwaves!
Cheers to a new week,
photos of my home by Veronica Reeve
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I also have a island microwave that rests underneath the countertop. My only complaint is my toddlers are constantly pushing buttons and getting fingerprints all over it. To be honest it’s only a matter of time before one tries to stuff the other one in there! HA! I wish mine had a child lock! I love the drawer option. Looks beautiful!
I cannot wait to re-do my kitchen and this will be at the top of the list… design my island around having a microwave. I hate the look of them, and currently mine is so close above my stove, that I cannot cook with large pots! I am very jealous- your kitchen looks amazing!
We have the exact same microwave drawer you do. Love it and wouldn’t change a thing. I think if budget allows, the drawer is always a better route because it’s much easier to lift the food up and onto the counter than going out and up with the convention microwave undercounter.
What is cabinet color? It’s beautiful!
It’s Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore.
I Love the rug. Where is it from?
Thank you! It’s vintage, from Kaya Kilms.
Hi! I can’t seem to find info on what your countertops are, can you share the name of them? Thank you
Hello, it’s Super White Quartzite. Thanks for reading!
Can I ask- what base cabinet/base cabinet size did you use for the microwave? I am getting a similar sized microwave and I cannot figure out a base cabinet for it!
Hi there! I’m so sorry, I cannot remember! But I would just consult the cabinet company with your microwave specs and they should be able to give you a good idea!