Undercabinet Convection Microwave INstallations

13 years ago

I fear this has gone full circle for us but it is coming down to crunch time. After first thinking we would go with a seperate microvw ( with convection ) and wall oven, we decided to go with a combination unit. Late last night we saw some serious flaws in our layout and decided again to split the tqo. Sounded easy until I discovered many of the convection/microwave units had 'no" listed nect to the ok to install under a counter top.

We do plan on raising the countertop to 42 inches on this wall to provide easier access to the undercounter oven and microwave- they will be installed next to one another NOT above if we do this.

I would welcome any experiences with convection/microwaves being mounted under counter, photos are also appreciated. She isleaning toward the kitchaid microwave/convection drop down door models ( 27 inch ) but open to tohers such as the Electrolux Ico Pro series, speed oveens, and so on.

We do NOT want the drawer model microwaves as they are small and do not include the convection capabiltiies. Thx John

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

Davis Jones
Original Author
13 years ago
Follow up to my own post :) Thus far I have found:

(a) Jenn Air series of convection/microwaves and 1 speed oven that are listed as ok to mount under cabinet
(b) Miele microwave/speed ovens that are approved for under cabinet
(c) Kitchen Aid convection/microwaves that SEEM to be approved to mount under cabinet ( installation instructions give instructions for mounting under cabinet )

Seems the Electrolux and Icon microwaves/speed ovens are NOT approved for installing undercabinet.

Concern of course is with the home inspection following the renovation.

One salesperson felt we should NOT go under counter with these due to bending over, etc though the drawer models available require the same amount of bending over to use the controls. Anyhow, am sure this list can be expanded and of course anyone installing these kinds of microwaves under counter, positive or begative, feel freeto chime in!

PS We intend to raise this particular countertop to 40 inches to help with the bending over. it is not in a food prep area.
sportsrx
13 years ago
Jdavis

We went thru same prices & needed undercounter....

Choice became miele vs advantium (110v model only 220 not approved under counter)

Went w miele smaller size worked for us but was not cheap

Speed ovens had universally positive reviews here

Hth
Related Discussions
microwave or microwave/convection with trim kit
Q
Comments (5)
When our 7 year old GE Profile over-the-range Microwave went out a few months ago, we wanted to get a convection/microwave unit so we would not longer need a Toaster Oven/Convection sitting on the counter taking up space. But we had to find one that would work in our space, as there is a full-granite backsplash that comes right up under the cabinets. The problem was finding a unit where the rear-wall template wouldn't have to be drilled into the granite. All of the KitchenAid/Whirlpool units were 17-18" down in the back, which would put them 2-3" down into the granite. So we ended up having to go with another GE and got the JVM1790SK for about $430 (it was only $60 more than the non-convection PVM1870SMSS). We've used it for about 2 weeks now and works good. Have done some convection baking and fast-bake (that uses both the Microwave and Convection together). So far the only thing that hasn't turned out grate was pizza, as it was still soft in the middle (not crispy). That's probably because there' no bottom heating element (there's just a 1550W coil on the right-side around the fan).
...See More
Convection microwave cannot be closer than 2 feet from oven!?!
Q
Comments (18)
lovebirds, it looks as if our posts crossed in cyberspace earlier. My first thought is that the Panasonic tech support is somewhere not in North America and the English as a second language issue is getting in the way of clear information. If you have someone you could consult locally about the installation with trim kit I think you will find that the you don't need 6" of clear space above your Panasonic oven. After all, the trim kit is meant to be used for a built in treatment and the upper portion of the trim isn't wide enough to cover a 6" gap. Maybe I'm misinterpreting their e-mail and I'm way off base here. Our cabinet was built for the Sharp convection microwave and so the space is a bit smaller than needed for the Panasonic. But, it is within about 1/8" of the Panasonic specs and we will have only a few inches of space between the top of the oven and the wood shelf above it. Hope that makes sense. So, I think they are saying that unless you use the trim kit your will need granite to protect your other oven and 6" of clear space above the Panasonic. That, in fact, sounds remarkably like the situation you would have if your Panasonic were sitting out on your kitchen counter above a built in wall oven. Does it sound possible to you that this is what they are trying to say? Thanks for the info on the pyrex pan. The handles explains what happened. My pyrex pan doesn't have handles. Good luck with solving this. I think the Panasonic looks beautiful and DH is completely convinced that it is a superior cooking appliances so for once in this kitchen project we completely agree on what we should get. LOL.
...See More
can I put a convection microwave in an Ikea microwave cabinet?
Q
Comments (7)
It depends on the model you're choosing...they come in all different sizes. How deep is the model you want, and how deep is the cabinet? I just bought a GE convection MW (countertop model, but it can be used w/ a trim kit), and I couldn't find anything in the documentation about how much clearance space to leave around it for venting (which I found strange! but who knows, I might have missed it). It did say to leave 3" clear in *front* of it, to protect against tipping...so do check the manual before you decide on that cabinet. And, if you don't mind, pretty please report your findings here...I'd love to know, myself! Thanks, Chris
...See More
Convection Microwave vs Speed Cook Microwave Help
Q
Comments (3)
Browning happens at a temperature above 350. You don't need a broiler for that. As Weedmeister said, a broiler will do things faster, but a higher temperature will also aid browning. You don't need a broiler for crisp chicken skin. You do need the right amount of moisture. If there's too much moisture, it'll stay soft. OTOH, a slightly moist environment will aid crisping. The moisture comes from the air in your kitchen, and the chicken itself, plus whatever else you put in. I regularly make crisp skinned chicken in a convection-steam oven. You might need 360-375 degrees, however. I use 360 out of habit because it said so in a recipe, so I don't know if there's any magic there. The thing about browning with a broiler is that because the heat is coming from above, the top will brown first and/or faster than the rest cooks. This is useful for a variety of things you might want to cook. But you can have browning and crisping without it. The big difference with a speed oven is that you have combination modes where both heated convection and microwaves are used, and possibly other elements such as the broiler. This allows you to cook and brown on the outside as well as cook from the inside out (microwave) all at the same time, which makes the food done sooner. Some Speed ovens are more microwavy, others are more oveny, and most will allow you to customize the settings so you can change that balance. Most convection/microwaves let you do one or the other at any particular time. If you're buying it specifically for pizza, you might look into the freestanding pizza cooker appliances too. Pizza is usually cooked over 500 degrees, and not under 450, and is generally best on a thermal block like a pizza stone, or cast iron pizza pan. Some of those pizza makers will also do any kind of other snacks that aren't tall, such as sandwiches, burritos, etc. A speed oven seems overkill (and a lot of money) if you don't want to use the speed features, but if you have the money and want to clear the counter, and if your choice has the broiler and can deliver an appropriate temperature for the pizza, it might work well. If by "pizza" you mean teens warming up a pre-made one caring more about speed than quality, either oven would work, though speed ovens have an edge in speed as well as quality. The counertop pizza maker might take less time than either.
...See More
Davis Jones
Original Author
13 years ago
Sportsrx,

Thanks.. the Miele chef version seems to be priced somewhat more resonably and looks very nice... curious how easy you find it to operate under the counter, as in does it make you bend over to the point it is not easy to use, etc. Thx John
drrust
13 years ago
One possibility would be to have an open shelf built into a cabinet at what ever level you choose. That way you could buy any type of counter top unit. It might have a 'less finished' look but would be functional and likely much cheaper. If the microwave needed replacement you would be looking at a much lower cost for a counter top unit. One thing that is mentioned quite a lot is that there are only two or three real 'microwave manufacturers' The others buy their products or have them make it.
kaismom
13 years ago
I installed Miele Chef Speedoven undercounter. It is not difficult to use. I am sure it would have been better at above counter level but "form" and "layout need" won over the function of this particular appliance.

Miele Chef is not as easy to use as a typical $100 MW because it does not have 1 button function for reheat. It does not have a typical MW turntable. It seems to work fine without it.

If you want a speed oven/second oven/convectioin oven even though the functionality of the MW is slightly more cumbersome, then Miele maybe an option for you. I think a typical MW with convection function (kitchenaide, jenair etc) has an easier MW control panel, ie single button reheat. I am not sure.

I felt that Miele is a superb oven first that has MW capability. Kitchenaid is an MW first that has convection capability. I opted to go for the oven, ie Miele.

I really wanted undercounter installation and Miele was the best I found that would work as second oven AND as a MW well.

I bake things in the Miele and really use it as my second oven, not just as MW. I am very happy with how well it functions. It fits 2 1/2 sheet jelly roll pans perfectly and bakes cookies very evenly. If you can find a pan that fits in the side grooves of the oven (which is what I do), then you don't need to rest the trays on the oven rack.... There is no easy way you could put two trays of cookies in the Kitchenaide. They have those funny round racks for putting cooking trays on.

Undercabinet Convection Microwave INstallations

Comments (5)

Davis Jones
Original Author

sportsrx

Related Discussions

Davis Jones
Original Author

drrust

kaismom

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Undercabinet Convection Microwave INstallations

Comments (5)

Davis JonesOriginal Author

sportsrx

Related Discussions

Davis JonesOriginal Author

drrust

kaismom

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Davis Jones
Original Author

Davis Jones
Original Author