Regardless of the cost, stick with the range hood. I don't know what you currently have, but in general range hoods are much better for venting than micro-hoods. (I'm assuming your current range hood vents outside and isn't the recirculating type). Not only do they have more power (higher CFMs) but they also have a greater capture area. You can buy a small microwave or even one that can be mounted under a cabinet (GE JEM31) for around $200 or less. That's the best way to go.

One idea is to get the toaster oven off the counter. I have one that attaches under the upper cabinet. I don't see them around often so I wonder if that idea has passed. If you don't cook too much or too smelly, I would think the micro vent would work OK, but just OK. I am waiting for the micro-convection-toaster oven combo!

You may want to check online with the mfg of the existing range hood and pull the pdf file with the installation instructions. It will note whether it's recirculating or vents to the outside. Also will note where the vent out is located in the back as well as power requirements and where it's located. Long shot, but if there's a cabinet above the hood, get on a step stool and look up in the bottom of the cabinet. May just have the power outlet in that cabinet. (probably hard wired behin the unit itself but worth checking). Unless your doing seriously hardcore cooking with lots of grease, high odor, etc. you could probably live with a good recirculating microwave hood. I assume you don't have a huge stainless hood, but a smaller, lower CFM model in there now. Measure the width of the opening from cabinet to cabinet...that's the size of your microwave. Also make sure that the microwave/top of cabinet to bottom will not be too low. Shouldnt be problem but worth checking before taking the plunge.

I want a 2nd oven. I want the Advantium 120 built-in, but I donÂt have any room for it. So  IÂm thinking about a MW/Convection OTR instead There is an OTR Advantium, but IÂm more interested in Convection than Speed Cook (if I have to choose).

Straitlover  in my last home, I replaced the OTR MW all by myself. I donÂt have any particular experience; IÂm just a woman who is not afraid to figure things out. The biggest challenge was holding the unit up while mounting it. The instructions said it takes 2 people, but I found some sturdy plastic bins around the house and managed to get them the right height for holding it. One of my favorite sayings: "Necessity is the Mother of Invention." If I can do it  you can too. Also  back then, money was tight so I purchased the least expensive OTR MW Home Depot had and it worked Great! It was much nicer than the old one that gave out! I was so proud of myself! :-)

Another thought Most folks on these forums would only have a range hood. However, IÂve read that unless you have a professional range, they are not always necessary. IMO, if one has a very small kitchen; one has to make the best use of the space available. OTR MWs and the 30" double ovens are wonderful options for small kitchens.

Do you have a glass/ceramic cooktop/range? If so, keep in mind that if you drop anything from the MW you have a pretty good chance of breaking the smoothtop. I don't have an OTR MW but quite a few people here and/or in the Kitchen forum have mentioned that it's happened to them.

Love my microwave/convection OTR. We hung it ourselves after we built this house. Maybe it does have a dedicated circuit? We have a box that we used to sit the microwave on to get it up on the mounting brackets. A regular microwave won't be as heavy, so yu should be able to do the job easily.

DITTO WEISSMAN.

I use my microwave daily, but I'd forgo a microwave forever before I have one of those awful OTR units again.

They are weak on venting, weak on microwave power, cost too much, break easily and often. With the two I owned, you had to practically take them off the wall before you could change the light bulbs for the range.

They are simply the worst solution possible to the question of where to put the microwave...

Jeri, thanks for the encouragement! If I was replacing an OTR w/ another, I would try to do it myself. I just have a regular old standard range hood now, and that's why I posted the original question. If it needs a dedicated circuit (thanks rnmomof2, that's what I was trying to say!), then that's why I guess my co-worker got such a high estimate (the extra electrical work).

Buehl, no I have a regular coil electric stove. I'm still not ready to move into the smooth top era - LOL!

Re the venting - I have that tiny cabinet over the stove, Open it up, and there's a vent pipe that elbows into the wall. I thought it vented to the roof, is that not right? Does it just vent into the wall? Anyway, I don't fry much at all, so I don't have problems w/ grease or anything. The vent is usually used for steam and smells. If I did go this route, I would save the range hood, so if I sold and the buyers wanted to put it back in, they could. The range hood is actually 9 years old, but it looks brand new (since I dont fry, lol!)

Guess I'll just have to break done and call an electrician to find out for sure what has to be done to switch over. Thanks everybody!

straitlover - The vent pipe that elbows into the wall most likeley will vent out to the roof or the side of your house. What brand of hood do you have? How many CFMs? It's clearly your choice but if you have a nice looking hood that vents outside, I would strongly recommend that you keep it in place. You can get a microhood that vents outside but it won't work nearly as well as a regular hood. I'll reiterate what I said above and encourage you to consider other options for a microwave including one that mounts under a cabinet so you won't lose counter space. Good luck.

A microwave that hangs from a standard cabinet that is 18" above the counter still takes up usable counter space because it is about 12" high and 12" deep.

No offense to anyone, but sometimes an OTR microwave is the best option, even amongst appliance snobs. I don't believe the microwave performance is particularly poor, and most people will NOT recognize the less-than-perfect venting. At least yours vents outside, Straightlover! (If it just vents into the wall, that's very very very bad. It's most likely it goes up and out--or straight out if it's on an exterior wall.)

Of course, I personally hate the things because a. I am short and don't like having my microwave so high and b. they tend to hang quite a bit lower than a regular venthood so they get kind of close to the stockpot. That's right. I hate them because they are too high AND too low. So do check out a store display that has one mounted properly and confirm that it won't drive you crazy before you make up your mind for sure.

Our choice was to get rid of our old hood and replace with a OTR due to lack of counter space. I LOVE the extra counter space and it gets used daily. When I take things out of the mic, I always have a trivet set on the granite and pot holders handy, then I just move from point A to point B. I'm very careful b/c we have a smoothtop.

Is your cabinet above your hood 18" or 15"? If you put in the OTR, you will need a 15" cabinet up there.

I agree with Fori, and sometimes we have to do what's best with our kitchen scenario and putting a microwave on or under a counter isn't always the best option. Many of us just don't have the space.

Deb

I'm not at home right now so I can't check for sure, but I'm pretty sure its a 15 inch cabinet. I measured the width and height of the space under the cabinet once and compared it to the measurements of one OTR microwave, and it would have fit (I was concerned that there wouldn't be enough sapce between the bottom of the microwave and the cooking area on top of the stove). Also, I was just looking at a listing for a house in my subdivision the other day w/ the same kitchen layout (and I think even the same cabinets!) I have, and they had one. If I knew them, I'd ask them about it! LOL!

"Another thought Most folks on these forums would only have a range hood. However, IÂve read that unless you have a professional range, they are not always necessary. IMO, if one has a very small kitchen; one has to make the best use of the space available. OTR MWs and the 30" double ovens are wonderful options for small kitchens."

I have to agree 100% with Jeri on this one. We switched to an OTR MW, combined with a Gemini range, in our last house and it made all the difference in the world to the functionality of our small, galley kitchen. The MW was actually more powerful than our current Advantium, and the venting was certainly adequate for our needs.

I'm thrilled with my OTR micro, a CR best buy. I'm also in a small kitchen with very little counter space. If you don't do a lot of frying or smoky cooking :-) and clean the filter regularly, the OTR microhood should do fine.

Upper cabinet height: A 12" cabinet was necessary for clearance in my kitchen. I found a used cabinet frame for $20 that fit and trimmed my existing doors on the bottom to get the best match for the existing cabinets. Only the tallest person might be able to see what I didl because the microhood extends past the cabinet surface by about 3 inches.