I have the LG LMHM2017ST, basically the same but I hear is about 1" taller.
Love ours, had it for 14+ months without any issues, plenty of power, plenty of options. The Warming feature is great.
Has pretty good vent, as good or better than any other OTR Micro you will find.

i was hoping you would answer ...I saw your pics with range that you had posted ...Im GLAD TO HEAR ITS STILL WORKING WELL ..no issues with the extenda vent ? Does the vent work in the closed position.. ? Or does it have to be open to work ...And when its open , does it only vent from the front , or do the rear holes vent too....Brad

No issues with the extenda vent or anything else.
Works just fine both ways, just when you push the extenda vent it gives you about an extra 4" or so and 2 extra vents to pick up smoke.
For what it is it works fine and gets the job done.

This is not a full blown 600-800+CFM stand alone vent so it has its limitations, but for a 400CFM OTR micro it works as good if not better than any other OTR Micro vent.
If I get a full griddle full of burgers or bacon or what ever and start getting a lot of smoke it can get over run a bit and start smoking up the house.
But for that matter I have yet to have ANY vent that could handle that either.

As you stated its not 600-800 , but for an OTR m/w its the largest out their avail ... i do like that it pops out for that little extra coverage over the front burners ... For me , it works because I can always open my kitchen window rain or shine and I have a ceiling fan in the kitchen ... Looks like the LG is what I will be going with !!!! Should look good with my new induction range ...

FYI in July consumer reports the LG LMHM2017 came in #2 out of 68 tested. I am thinking of purchasing one also. However the cooktop is a KA and so is the fridge. Does it look okay to mix brands? Anyone with experience mixing brands? Thanks so much for your help with my question.

no issues mixing brands as far as im concerned ...i have a samsung fridge , f&p dishdrawer , viking range and now going to have electrolux microwave...Lg shipping time 4-7 weeks on that microwave ...just couldnt wait

although mine was a different model num , same basic m/w

Kenmore makes a 600cfm microhood

Here is a link that might be useful: sears

Do the LG extenda vent OTR microwaves have the option to vent to the outside? Because of counter space constraints, I would like to replace a traditional vent hood with an OTR microwave. The old hood is set up to exhaust through the cabinet above the hood. Can I connect the LG to fit that same exhaust? I also would like to pair the LG OTR microwave with a new GE Cafe Free Standing Dual-Fuel Range with Baking Drawer C2S985SETSS. Since the GE range has its larger burners at the front - I thought the extenda vent feature might be helpful. But does anyone think this Range will have too much fire power to match with the vent on the LG? And finally, hoping somone with the LG extenda vent could comment and let me know if using the vent is cumbersome - does it stick out in your face when you are cooking?

I do not own one but did look at them briefly last year and they most certainly do vent to the outside. My recollection is that it vents out the top through a 3"x10" port but there are adapters for converting rectangular ducting to it to 6" round ducting if that is what you need to connect to.

The extended vent does not stick out any more than your basic range hood. Go to a store and check out the display models. Last winter, they were on display at Home Depot and at Sears. Pop out the vent and see what you think.

I do not know what you mean by asking if the GE Cafe will haveg "too much" fire power for an OTR. Do you mean will an OTR violate safety codes when one of the stove burners is rated for 20K-btu-hr gas consumption? The answer to that is no. There are no specific building codes for this.

Heck, GE sells a matching Cafe OTR MW for use with your stove and it only covers the back 15" of the stove. The LG extends out to 22 inches (I think) and that at least gets it halfway over the front burners.

Did you mean, will the LG be unsatisfactory? That's pretty subjective. Compared to what? If you mean compared to your exiting "traditional" range hood -- many basic models being rated at 160 cfm --- the LG will probably seem like a real improvement.

Are you planning to run very-high temperature wokking on the GE's 20k-btu-hr burner? Maybe getting cast iron pans red-hot and searing steaks or burgers, generating lots of grease and smoke? Then, you'll probably see yourself overwhelming the LG and needing to open windows to keep up with smoke and steam and etc. Something less than these extremes? It may work okay.

If you mean will everybody here be impressed with its performance? Obviously, not. (Perhaps you've done a search and are hoping somebody here will contradict all the past information posted here? Ain't gonna happen.)

But the LG may be adequate. Might not be. Depends on you personal standards.

Many threads here will explain why an OTR is not ideal and others will discuss why and how it can be serviceable. There have been four or five such discussions that I can recall within the last three or four months. Off the top of my head, Nunyabiz has posted photos and discussed using his LG with an NXR pro-style range. Luv2putt has likewise posted and discussed using one with his Viking induction range. There are other postings on this.

If you have not done a search -- try terms like LG + OTR --- then doing so will turn up a lot of useful info for you. If you did not do a search because you thought that that there might be something so truly special and unique about the GE Cafe that past discussions won't have any application to your situation, you are missing out on a lot of help.

The basic thing is this: a basic range hood (venting to outside) is better than nothing; a 400 CFM Otr will do a better job; better still will be a range hood that has an actual hood (as opposed to a flat base); better yet will be a 36" wide, deep hood; and better still will be a range hood that is an actual hood, with a generous capture area and which projects out at least 24" from the wall. Ideally, you add up the max BTU-hr draw of all the stove's burners and get a fan rated to draw 1 CFM per 100 Btu-Hrs.

But, you work with the kitchen space and budget you have.

JW about summed it up.

I went with the OTR LG because of 2 reasons, one and foremost is that we have a small kitchen with no other place to put a microwave and I want a microwave so an OTR was really the only option. The 400CFM LG works decently.
The other concern is we didn't have an extra $1800 to spend on a proper hood and installation, that is what the dang range cost. So we spent $395 total and got a microwave and a workable vent.

If you have the room or either do not care if you have a microwave or not then buy a good hood with 800cfm.

Thank you JW and Nunyabiz1. I am a new user on this forum and found your responses extremely helpful. And thank you JW for your advise on how to better search and utilize the forum - I will do that!

I currently have a Whirlpool OTR G2 Microven. It was their answer to Advantium 10 years ago. I absolutely love it. It has what I suppose is a halogen lamp that grills or acts as a regular oven. I have made everything from grilled hamburgers to roasted chickens and turkey breasts. Too small for a whole turkey, though. It has many programmed functions and we make perfect quinoa and rice - as good as a rice cooker - without any tending. I even bake in it. Now I am moving and redoing the kitchen. I am getting the Thermado combi steam/convection oven in addition to a microwave. I don't want a puny microwave and would love to have a multi-function unit like this. But I am not going to put it over the cooktop - have decided a need a real vent. has anyone mounted an OTR unit someplace other than over the range? I could hang it from an upper cabinet as it is now, just not over the range. I wouldn't need the vent, but the light could be used in that spot instead of an undercabinet light. jsut wondering if there's any reason why this should not be done. Thanks.

No reason to avoid doing it except that an OTR is a much greater expense than a large "countertop" MW with a hanging kit and getting usable counterpace will require hanging the cabinet(s) higher than may be convenient.

Every OTR I've seen can be set for venting or recirculating, so you would just set it up for recirculating. AFAIK, most new OTRs come with the charcoal filter kit for recirculating operation but it is an extra on some of them. Read the specs on the box to find out for sure. If you already have OTR and just want to move it --- as I did for a job a decade ago --- you may need to buy the recirculating kit. I found one at Sears Parts Direct (or whatever they called it back then.)

On that job I worked on, the owner wanted a full range hood over the stove but wanted to keep her OTR-MW because it was still working and wanted her MW off the counter and liked having the lights in what could have been a dark part of the counter. We adjusted the cabinet upwards by a about a foot to allow counter space beneath the OTR. Upper cabinets are typically hung about 18" above the countertop. OTR MWs typically stand 16 to 18 inches tall (in contrast to large countertop units these days which say they are about 14-inches high). The owner was tall, so this was not a problem for her. But, if you are short, you may be looking at a tradeoff/compromise between having counter space beneath the unit and the convenience of being able to reach into the cabinets above the unit.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Sat, Jan 5, 13 at 11:38

I am planning to buy the LG OTR microwave with extended vent, but have read recent customer reviews which complained about lack of LG customer service and breakdowns within 2 years of purchase. I find GWers opinions to be the most reliable so I would like to know from those who have purchased the LG if there have been any problems with their microwaves. Thanks.

I am planning on getting the LG LMHM2017ST for 3 Reasons:
1.) Space, Need all the cabinet space I can get in my small U shape Kitchen Remodel: New Cabinets / Granite / Floor / Lighting. I will get new appliances later, but not in the budget now and mine are still good.
2.) Since I don't have the space to put it anywhere other than over the Range I like the idea of the Extenda Vent to cover all 4 burners. I haven't found another Microwave that does this, is there one?
3.) There are two models in the LG Extenda Vent, but I like this one because the control digital panel is on the bottom instead of the side. Because I am only 5'1" I believe that will be a big help. I noticed where a few have said a few months back that they plan to get this and was wondering How you are liking it?
Thanks for all the Great Help...GW is the next Best thing to having a Kitchen Designer..but with Lots of different ideas! Love it!

I just ordered the Samsung OTR MW, with controls across bottom. I too am your height. It will be an adjustment, as I am use to MW sitting on counter.

I reviewed all options, like putting in a real vent, redoing plans for cabinets, and it just wasn't worth extra $2-3000, plus losing a cabinet.