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Under the cabinet microwave
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10-23-2007, 04:44 PM
Another home improvement question: Our old house does not have a built-in exhaust fan above the stove. At this point it's quite expensive due to the amount of work involved. Our general contractor suggests installing a microwave oven with the filter right above the gas stove. Has anyone have any experiences with this setup? TiA
10-23-2007, 04:55 PM
I use one that does vent to the outside but they all have kits to modify them for filter use instead. They are pretty common in condos where external venting is impossible. My guess is as long as you keep the filtration system in good shape it would be fine. And don't start any stovetop fires
10-23-2007, 04:55 PM
[quote kap]Another home improvement question: Our old house does not have a built-in exhaust fan above the stove. At this point it's quite expensive due to the amount of work involved. Our general contractor suggests installing a microwave oven with the filter right above the gas stove. Has anyone have any experiences with this setup? TiA
I personally hate them and find them quite dangerous. Even though i am quite tall (6'4"++) it is very awkward to take hot liquid items out of the microwave. A cousin scalded her arms so bad she had to have three skin grafts performed on her arms. Also, when it breaks it is quite expensive to replace. Also, even though I love my "Swiss Army Knife", it shouldn't apply to everything. Love my stainless range hood, and my separate $30 microwave! BGnR
10-23-2007, 05:13 PM
If you've got (younger) kids, I would not want a microwave over the stove.
I didn't even put dishes over the stove that kids might want. Less likely for (stove related) accidents if on the counter or on a microwave cart. I once had a stove exhaust vent that didn't have a hood, just a fan in the wall blowing out. The hood I have now just passes the air through a stainless steel mesh which I clean once a year with oven cleaner. Good enough for me. I'm not pushing heated air out of the house in the Winter . If he can install a microwave with built in hood, I don't understand why he can't install just a hood. One just needs more height and support than the other. These options are usually decided upon long before cabinets are ordered/installed. .
10-23-2007, 05:23 PM
We've got one. The downsides (as noted above) are that they cost more and are less efficient at venting.
OTOH, there was no way to fit the stove anywhere near an outside wall, so venting was going to be too expensive, and getting it off of the counter clears up otherwise useless space.
10-23-2007, 05:33 PM
If you go ahead and purchase an over the oven microwave, the LG LMV2053SW got a "Best Buy" rating from Consumer Reports last fall. I picked it up via Buy.com and have been pretty happy with it. It replaced a countertop model that was 20 years old (we donated it).
The LG has a "melt" and "soften" settings, which are handy for melting/softening butter or softening a pint/quart of ice cream so you can scoop it.
10-23-2007, 05:52 PM
I live in a high rise condo with a small galley kitchen. No way I would give up precious countertop space for a microwave so I have one of the over the stove models that does not vent outside.
It works fine, wasn't too terribly expensive ($250 from Sears IIRC) and has all the funky settings like popcorn, auto defrost, baked potato etc. The fan is a bit of a joke- since it doesn't vent outside, it really just draws the steam in and spits it back out. I don't cook anything greasy and I don't cook meat so I can't say how quickly it fills up with junk and/or how easy or difficult it is to clean the vent. I have had it for over 2 years and have only had to clean it once. DM
10-23-2007, 06:52 PM
It is not really going to work for any effective venting, but is likely to work well anyway. I tend to like the Sharp models myself. I would make sure you are getting a least 1000W and have the instant add feature (you know, press a button and get an extra 30 seconds or be able to hit the 1 for 1 minute, etc.) If you don't have this you will not like it. Your local appliance store will often have these in the scratch and dent section, often from home show displays. You can pick up a good deal there.
10-23-2007, 07:22 PM
I see it's a gas stove, so I'm definitely with BGnR on this. I, too, have a gas stove, and there is no way I'd want to have my microwave over the cooking area. There are ventless fans available, and I understand they work pretty well as long as you remember to maintain it properly. As far as saving countertop space, there are undercabinet microwaves, too, although I find them only slightly less annoying than a micro over the stove myself. When I'm handling something hot, I want a convenient and quick spot for it to land.
10-23-2007, 07:55 PM
I've had one in my kitchen for about 15 years. I'm rather short, but I have to admit I've never once had a problem getting anything out of the microwave or spilling the hot contents on me. I've also raised 2 kids in this house and have never had a problem with them and the microwave nor it being over our stove. It works great and I like it where it is, even tho it is a big open kitchen with plenty of countertop space. Ours IS vented to the outside, as we built the house.
Sounds like it is a matter of personal opinion, to me. |
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