Short story: I need recommendations on a countertop unit - I'm leaning toward a convection microwave rather than just a standard micro. Since I live by myself, I'm often cooking or heating something just for myself and would rather not have to always have to heat up the full range (I have a 36" Thermador Pro-Harmony dual-fuel range.)

Long story: Just as the end is in sight on my kitchen renovation, I get some very unexpected news from my contractor - the Thermador convection microwave I selected with my kitchen designer doesn't fit into the microwave cabinet selected by same kitchen designer - the height on the cutout is only 16" when the Thermador requires nearly 20".

Given that the cabinet, countertop, and backsplash tile are already installed, replacing the cabinet isn't an option, and short of trying to rebuild parts of the cabinet, there's no way to make the Thermador (or many other built-ins) work.

I'm not sure what I was more shocked at - how a designer could pick a cabinet that won't work with the appliance they were involved in selecting or that a microwave cabinet on a fairly high-end line of cabinets (Embassy / Omega) doesn't work with many of the built-in microwaves.

I've spent the last week thinking through my options, and have come to the conclusion that this is one of those 'happy accidents' (something that initially seems bad, but ultimately turns out better in the end).

The microwave was to be installed in a base cabinet. Once it was actually placed into it (as we were trying to figure out if there was a way to make it work) I realized that the little voice in the back of my head that told me that I wouldn't like having it below the counter had been right. Previously, I'd always had either a countertop or above range unit. I'm 5'8", and personally, I found it was inconvenient to have to bend down to try to read the various buttons when it's installed below the counter.

So rather than try to find a different built-in (or placing a smaller countertop unit in the space intended for the built-in), I've decided I'll be much happier with a countertop unit. I've got nearly 23' of countertop space (almost double what I had previously), so space isn't an issue. It also gives me the flexibility to put it in a more convenient place in the kitchen.

I've decided to add a door over the opening where the microwave was supposed to be installed and use the space for storing taller, bulkier items like my blender, coffee maker, etc. Since there is an electrical outlet, I may also use it as a place for recharging electronics or keeping my cordless hand vac recharged. For a moment we thought it could be a great place to store my KitchenAid mixer - unfortunately the one I've got is 16.5" tall and the opening is 16".

So, ultimately, I think I'm ending up with a better solution than the original plan!