What is the clearance between your OTR Microwave and Gas Range
Comments (8)
christina923
12 years agoemagineer
12 years agoRelated Discussions
OTR Microwave & Gas Stoves
Comments (4)I would be very surprised if 18" is sufficient clearance between a gas range and MW to meet any installation spec or local code. This is not a brand issue, rather an installation one. Since your wife cannot reach higher, you would be much better off to put the MW somewhere else, and install a vented hood as weissman suggests....See MoreReplacing OTR microwave with range hood?
Comments (13)No personal experience, sorry. All I can do is speak generally from the viewpoint of someone who uses the range (and hood) quite a bit. My wife and I have an Italian "designer" hood. It looks pretty spiffy, but if I had it all to do over again, I would have gone less for the looks and more for the effectiveness and ease of cleaning. I would have gone for a more restaurant style underside with baffles, a more pronounced "hood," etc. I would not even consider a hood such as the one you named. Nor would I entertain the purchase of a hood with glass or any exposed surfaces on the underside. Everything under there gets greasy quick and I don't want to worry about trying to shine stainless steel in that area. I want to use a heavy grease cutter in there, put as much of the undersides in the dishwasher as I can, put it all back together and get back to cooking. Here is a link that might be useful: range hoods...See MoreHow much space between your range and OTR microwave?
Comments (6)We actually went higher than normal/recommended. Ours is 22 3/4" from the top of the grid. It is a bit high for me as I'm only 5"2" but great for hubby who is 6'3" but I only use the micro for reheating coffee, leftovers and heating up a can of green beans - besides I like the way it adds visual interest to the backsplash - well it will when we get one :) One of the reasons we chose to do this was due to the fact we live in the Caribbean where it is always sooooo hot and humid and I didn't want to feel trapped with the heat from the gas cooktop - not sure it makes too much difference (I don't really cook yet anyway) but I still like how it looks :) Here are a few pictures and you can see how low it would have been should I have positioned it in the more "normal" place - level (ish) with the lower cabinet........ Piaa...See Morehelp me decide...30" gas range w OTR MW: Berta or GE Cafe double
Comments (14)Nope. I mean, sure, it won't melt the microwave, but as has been said before, OTR microwaves are dangerous just from being OTR and have woefully insufficient vents, especially if they're recirculating. And that's the good ones. :) What free means is that they have to give them away to get rid of them. :) To be fair, it is also possible that it's just a way of stimulating sales by giving a freebie, the way Thermador gives away dishwashers. Easier than doing a price reduction. People are a lot less sensitive to the end of a giveaway promotion than a return to regular price....See Morekatsmah
12 years ago
suzanne_sl
12 years agoI have just shy of 18" from the grate top to the bottom of the MW. We find that to be a good height.
My last set-up had less clearance, maybe 16" - microwaves hadn't been invented when the kitchen was built, so this was a retrofit. That height was great for putting stuff in and out of the MW, but crowded a large pot on a back burner. My mom had one that was higher, maybe 20" and it was ridiculous. I was always afraid she was going to dump her oatmeal on her head. Mom was about 5'1 or 2" at the time. I was not sorry when she fried that MW with a foil container and we replaced it with an on-counter model.
I think the height you have will be fine, but I have a question. Is there any way you can put your MW somewhere else? Ours is there because our kitchen just doesn't have any other possibilities that make sense, but I'd much rather have a real vent hood and MW elesewhere.
suzanne_sl
12 years agoP.S. meganmca - the venting doesn't have to be fake. My mom's was because the guy who flipped her place moved the stove and MW over a bit and didn't bother to fix the ducting (we found out when we removed the fried MW). Because ours was originally a vent hood, we just hooked the first generation MW up to the existing vent pipe. That MW lasted for nearly 20 yrs. BTW. When we remodeled, we moved the stove over a bit, but we still made the vent connection work:
Not to say that a MW vent system is anything like an actual vent hood, but it's much better that nothing.
joaniepoanie
12 years ago
dedtired
12 years ago
meganmca