I hated having it over the range. I even burned my breast once on the stove top once when taking out a casserole dish and placing it elsewhere (I'm very short). Please, do not ask how this is possible - it just IS. And of course, they barely can capture the grease and steam which comes off the stove top which others have mentioned, so the house smells awful after cooking certain foods, let alone the clean up involved and how hard it is to get into the MW itself to clean. So, in my new kitchen, it's going onto a shelf, in an area sort of dedicated to that and coffee area. There's a 27" cabinet above and below, with a landing area for the coffee pot and toaster oven below the microwave. I'll be able to store whatever is needed for coffee, tea and snacks there (there's a 9" thin upper cabinet to the right of it as well). It's on the opposite wall of my main cooking area, so it won't conflict with what I'm doing if anyone else wants to use it while I'm cooking, and near the refrigerator which has the water in the door for easy access for tea and coffee making.

I have a small kitchen and I just bought an OTR microwave, and I love it. I had to pay an electrician to put in a dedicated line and outlet in the upper cabinet, and I bought a Maytag OTR microwave which has a crisper function and melts butter 8 ways, and does everything but stand on it's head. My hood fan which I removed, had a wall vent installed, and I hooked the microwave up to that, and it is wayyyyyy better at removing exhaust than the hood fan. This microwave has 2 speeds of a venting fan. I cooked a turkey in the oven a couple of days ago, for 4 hours and this is the first time I did not have to turn the heat off in my home due to the great exhaust capabilities of this OTR microwave. Times have changed; microwaves are wayyyy better. Why would I want a vent fan when this space can have double function as a microwave and a vent fan? In review, I think I wouldn't like an OTR microwave if me or my family was short, but we are not short. I am also thinking about putting in a bar with bar stools, but I wouldn't do that if we were short either. Maybe when I sell my house, I will keep it off the market for short people (just kidding).

I think your 'possible future' layout has potential. A couple things to think about though: where will you put everything that is currently in the front hall closet? Are you getting rid of it so the hall will be wider? If so, what about a shallower closet instead? put the dishwasher to the right of the sink so it's closer to the dining room and the dishes. You can put it on the dining room arm of the counter if it won't fit directly beside the sink anymore. put the stove on the living room side so that you can watch tv while cooking instead of staring into an empty dining room. let the seating overhang on the living room side be at bar height. That will give you room for a bit of backsplash for the stove and even room for a pop-up, downdraft vent. skip cabinetry in the blind corners of your kitchen. Install drawer units that, respectively, face either the living room or dining room. You'll love having some dedicate storage in those rooms and you'll avoid the expensive and less-than-wonderful corner cabinet "solutions" inside your kitchen.

You and I have a lot in common - except I love the built-in soap dispenser at my cleanup sink (don't have/want one at the prep sink), and I love having pendants in front of my windows - but no pendants over the table or sink. Other out-of-the-ordinary loves: My appliance garage. Many people seem to think they're "dated", but mine hides a cadre of small black appliances (coffee maker, grinder, electric kettle, and soda stream) that would look cluttered otherwise. My corner storage: two base super Susan cabinets and one upper easy-reach. I considered lots of options - even closing them off - and I can't imagine not having that cavernous yet easily accessible storage! What do I loathe? Potfillers Most granites, except honed black, and the rare unique colors like cpartist's gorgeous slab. I loathe multi-color granite with stone backsplash tile even more. Work areas or cooking appliances adjacent to traffic aisles. (This is probably not out of the ordinary, but I'm amazed how many kitchens I see that have a cooktop, range, or oven right next to an entry pathway.)