The importance of the microwave inside a kitchen is genuinely remarkable. A microwave has to be one of the best inventions for a kitchen. A microwave can cook a wide variety of foods with ease. Modern microwaves have more and more features to make sure you get a perfect and delicious meal coming out of your microwave every single time. Warming up your leftover meals is the top feature that most people use in their microwaves.
A microwave adds a significant amount of convenience to your everyday kitchen routines, but where do you place it in the kitchen? You could always put your microwave on the trusty countertop, but it covers up a significant amount of space. A microwave’s space on the countertop can be used for other crucial stuff like meal preps and cutting areas. A microwave is a large and bulky appliance and may present a rough and untidy look to your kitchen if not placed well enough.
There are many other places that a microwave can be integrated inside the kitchen. From placing your microwave in a cabinet to fixing it inside a wall, here are some of the best places to integrate your microwave in the kitchen and how to do it.
Open Cabinetry
Fitting your microwave inside an open cabinet should resolve many problems. Fitting your microwave in an open cabinet may have a precise fit for your microwave. If your microwave is a snug fit in the cabinet, it will help in the neat finishing look. If you get trim fits from specific manufacturers, they can help align a loosely fit microwave in the cabinet and salvage the ending look. The best part about placing your microwave in a cabinet is that it requires no demolition or building in most cases. The height of the cabinets in your kitchen is often convenient to reach and use, and this will be highly beneficial when placing your microwave in a cabinet.
Microwave Drawer
If you’re going for a discreet look with the placement of your microwave, opting for a microwave drawer is your best option. Fitting your microwave in a drawer saves you a lot of counter space. For all the short people out there, reaching the top cabinets is inconvenient. Having your microwave below the countertop gives you easy access to it. The only setback of having a microwave drawer is that children in the house might play around with it, which could be dangerous.
Over the Range
Having your microwave fitted over your cooking range might not be appealing to the eye, but it saves up a lot of space. If you have an over-the-range microwave, the fitting is said to be in the upper cabinets, and the fitting is in line with similar appliances. Over-the-range microwaves perform the duties of a vent as well, eliminating the need to buy a separate vent for your range. However, the vent in over-the-range microwaves does not perform as well as regular vents. Therefore, over-the-range microwaves are generally fitted in a small kitchen to save up as much space as possible.
Combined with the Wall Oven
Most people integrate their microwaves in the kitchen this way. Fitting your microwave with your wall oven gives a streamlined and tidy look. Having the wall oven and microwave next to each other also makes it convenient to use. Having the microwave with the wall oven makes it easy to reach as most wall oven fittings are at an easily accessible height. If you plan on integrating your microwave with your wall oven, you will have to get them both with a matching exterior for a neat look.
Fitting it in the Wall
Having your microwaved fitted inside your wall will call for prior planning as well. Wall fittings require demolition and reconstructions in your kitchen, and this can be highly inconvenient. People go for wall-fitted microwaves if they are remodeling their kitchen or building a new house. A wall fitting is a heftier project than the rest, but the outcome is easily the best. You get to save a lot of counter space, and the wall fitting seems natural. Your microwave will have a precise fitting made according to its measurements.
Hiding it in a Cabinet
Are you looking to hide your microwave completely? Hiding it in a cabinet is your safest and most convenient option to go for with minimal to no drawbacks. Some people don’t use the microwave often. Hiding it away inside a cabinet seems like the way to go for such people. It doesn’t matter if your microwave does not fit snugly inside your cabinet, as the cabinet doors will be closed after use. Using a cabinet to store your microwave eliminates the headache of providing a neat look to your kitchen. The chances are that your cabinet that has a door does not fit your microwave. You will have to get the door installed on an open cabinet to hide your microwave.
Away from Other Appliances
Having your microwave integrated into your kitchen away from the rest of the appliances makes it more prominent in your kitchen as it stands out. People who choose this option prefer fitting their microwave near their drink station. A coffee machine is the only appliance that people keep near the microwave in this case. Most people do this to make an “easy to go” corner in their kitchen. People who have their microwaves away from other appliances often have their kitchen use limited to warming up their food and grabbing a drink to go.
Counter Top
In case all other integration options are a no-go, there is always the trusty countertop placement available. Some people prefer to place their microwaves on their countertop as it is convenient and easy to access. Having your microwave on the countertop will give an untidy look. A countertop will prevent most microwave-related mishaps from happening as it provides a sturdy settlement for the microwave. Relatively more straightforward cleaning of the microwave is achievable for microwaves placed on the kitchen countertop.
Conclusion
You are the one that decides where your microwave goes in your kitchen. Your kitchen design layout plays a key role when determining where your microwave goes. People with a big kitchen often have it easier when making this decision. A bigger kitchen opens up the possibility of installing your microwave with ease. There are loads of options to select between for people with relatively smaller kitchens as well. You need to know your requirements when making this decision for the best possible result.
Are you all about microwaves nowadays and want to learn more about them? Then, please have a look at our guide on how to check microwave wattage. Going through our guide will provide you with basic knowledge of the power input of a microwave