I have a 10 yr old microwave oven that will soon need replacement--ran across a Bosch combination unit that I could buy in barely used ( one month) condition for $300-400--retail price is about $700. Bosch HMB8050 Stainless Steel Built-In Series 1.5 Cubic Foot Capacity Wondered if anyone had experience or advice? I like the concept of having a longer lasting oven with the convection feature..but even at this price, it is expensive. Thanks in advance John

The answer really depends on how much counter space you have and how you plan to use it. I've had a microwave on the counter and it was great for access. If you use it as much as any other cooking appliance then it's worth the space it takes up. You really shouldn't be concerned about a built in looking too contemporary if you are doing a remodel because your whole kitchen is getting an update. You can also just put the microwave on a shelf and not use the trim kit.

I also heard that one of the Korean companies was making microwaves. Sharp and Panasonic for sure. All microwaves degrade from the jump. The magnetron (is that what it's called? Too early for me..) degrades with use. Search the forum, and you'll get good explanations from Kas about this. Investing a ton of money in a microwave, therefore, doesn't make a lot of sense. OTOH, that part will last a heck of a lot longer than a few years, if you get a kitchen grade microwave (as opposed to a desktop cutsiepoo unit for which I have no data at all). The thing that makes so many microwaves "disposable" is wear and tear. If you have family members who SLAM the door, PUNCH the buttons, etc., and constantly fiddle with it, starting and stopping and opening and closing, and just using it a lot for one mug of hot water, the box is going to wear out long before the magnetron. If you're nice to it, and use it a couple of times per day rather than all day long, it could last 20 years or more. One of the things you can get with a more expensive unit, along with looks and snooty badge, is potentially a sturdier housing. It is also potentially possible to have a built-in unit repaired (I can't imagine it being worthwhile to repair a freestanding unit). There are people who do microwave repairs and they do make replacement magnetrons. The only situation where that seems like a possible good idea, however, is when you have the beautiful built-in that matches your beautiful kitchen which still looks like new. Re convection: The initial convection microwaves didn't work well as ovens, and also didn't meet the expectations of the buyers. That was before convection ovens themselves were well understood in the US. In the time I've been researching appliances and hanging out here (coming up on ten years), the general tone from users of them has gone from not worth the money to acceptable second oven. Again, I don't know if that's a change in quality or in user expectations. Convection ovens cook with circulated hot air. They do a good job roasting. Great for "cooking" or "baking" a casserole. Even baking a loaf of bread. For small things, like cookies, a lot depends on the pan, the cookie and whether or not it really wanted bottom heat. For most, it'll do an acceptable job. Some outliers really do better with a proper baking mode. Egg rising things like angel cakes and soufflés really don't like being blown about. If you can arrange the angle of the pan to the blower just right, it's possible, but still iffy. The heated air can also bounce off the surfaces in unexpected ways leading to uneven cooking/browning, contravening the evenness that you otherwise get from the movement of the air. It's likely that there are still poor ones out there, especially at the lower end. There must also be good ones. Just familiarize yourself with the features and abilities of the unit, and use that to sift through the consumer reviews to know whether it was the oven or the user, and make your judgment from there.

Drop back and look how bisque looks with white painted cabinets. It isn't the best companion. This is why most use stainless. It's reflective, and it blends better with any surroundings because of that. Keep a 36" stainless hood over the cooktop. No OTR. You will get better function, and form. There are combo MW and wall oven units in stainless as well, but a 28" wide cabinet will be really really tight for a 27" combo oven. Most would want at least a 30" cabinet for a 27", because the face frame is all of the support on a framed cabinet and you would be cutting away almost all of it. Modern 30" combos need a 33" oven cabinet to provide the proper support.