anyone love your otr mw?

14 years ago

We currently have an OTR MW and actually like it there. We mostly use it during meal prep...for steaming vegetables or reheating leftovers. Occasionally it is used to pop popcorn, but we prefer our air popper. Even if it is used for a snack, no one is likely preparing a meal at the same time.

But after so many suggestions to put our MW somewhere else and get a hood, we are having second thought about getting another OTR MW with our remodel. It seems there is no ideal location for it in our kitchen. If we put it in the upper cabinets next to our fridge, we lose valuable storage space in our baking area for flour, sugar, etc. If we put it in the lower cabinets next to the fridge, then we lose our only drawer storage in the baking area for supplies. If we put it on the opposite wall, it would be too far from the fridge. So, since there is no ideal place, we are thinking we should just keep it OTR. Will we regret this?? Does anyone actually like your OTR MW? We know it is ultimately up to us, but we value your input. Thanks!!

This is the layout that rhome did up for us, which will give you the general idea of our kitchen layout.

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Comments (17)

lovlilynne
14 years ago
Nice layout! Looks like you'll have some great counter spack and an efficient work area.

I can't say I've ever thought "love" when I think about our OTR MW, but I do not mind it there at all. We don't have anywhere else for our MW in our current kitchen, nor did I have anywhere for it in the future, so it's staying OTR. I do use it for cooking quite a bit, and I think the only thing about it that is sort of a drawback is that when you are taking an item out of it - say rice and you need to stir it, the logical efficient place to put it is on the stove below it - sometimes if I have a lot of other cooking going on, the stove is cramped. It would be nice to have a better landing spot for taking things out of the MW and putting them somewhere. I may have better luck with that in the new design because at least with SS CT, I won't be concerned about putting a hot plate/pot down on it. Other than that mild drawback, I don't mind it at all and I actually find it an efficient use of space.

Also, I see that by your design your hood/vent is just one of the small ones - of course, it looks like it could be vented to the outside, which is good, but I don't think those smaller vent/hoods do much more than the OTR MW vent/fans do - but someone here on KGW may have more knowledge or disagree with me. If you are concerned about venting, and you are replacing your range, you may want to go with a downdraft. My brother has a Jenn-Aire, and his downdraft is STRONG!

Lynne
ccoombs1
14 years ago
I think an OTR microwave can work OK, just as a small hood can work ok. But until I had my first REAL hood, I had NO idea just how wonderful they are. I have cooked for over 30 years with a small hood. I rarely ever used it because it was loud and didn't do a whole lot of good anyway. I just sort of adjusted my cooking style to what my hood could handle. But now, I have a gas range and a powerful 900 cfm hood and boy has my cooking style changed!! I can stir-fry at high heat, I can fry fish with no smelling up the house, I can fry bacon with no escaping smoke, etc. That powerful hood has opened up a whole different world for me. Your kitchen looks like it has plenty of space in it....I would opt for a small counter-top microwave and get a nice powerful hood.
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boxerpups
14 years ago
Great topic. Move that mw. You won't regret it.

My DH, Kids and I fought over this topic. They won.
They wanted the otr mw. Stubborn and refusing to see
how practical my idea to move the otr mw. They
may have won the battle but I will win the war. It
is just going to take a little longer. : )

lovlillynn, describes my situtation perfectly.
mw cooking no good landing spot.

I don't think the mw would be too far from the refrig on
the opposite wall. How many actual steps is it?
I persoanlly would rather walk a few steps to get
the mw away from the range when I cook. I like elbow room.
And truthfully I love the look of a hood. It adds
character, art and beauty to the kitchen.

If you do get a good here are my favorites, maybe
you will like them too, they are larger then what
you have in your rendering but you have time to
think, get ideas, opinions, and dream...

~boxerpups

One day I will post a picture with a hood like this in
my kitchen. (winning the war)

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

ketksiekwood
thrilledtoremodel
14 years ago
I too, feel like I am tied to an OTR..I already purchased the GE advantium, and think that I will be using that a LOT (ie instead of the oven)..and I can't figure out another place in my layout to put it...

:( I'll try to post my layout this afternoon (getting an updated one from HD) in case y'all have any suggestions...
marybeth1
14 years ago
I have one too. I can't say that I hate it or love it. I have very limited space and did not want to give up any for the microwave. I have a Maytag and it vents alright probably as good as the small vent that we replaced and I'm sure not as good as the ones pictured. I would love to have stuck it somewhere else but I did not have the room just being honest.
caroline94535
14 years ago
I detest my over-the-range microwave.

It does absolutly nothing to clear the odors and smoke out after cooking, and it's too tall to be useful as a microwave. I have to reach up and then pull hot, usually liquid, containers out from over my head.

I've burnt myself so many time by spilling hot food/liquids on myself.

Before moving here I always had outside vented, powerful vent hoods. I can't wait until our remodel is started and I once again have a Vent-A-Hood workhorse keeping my kitchen/house cooking odor free.
lexluthor
14 years ago
We have a GE Profile OTR with no external venting.

We aren't huge cooks, so we aren't cooking too much strong smelling food on the range. I mostly grill outdoors when I can.

Haven't had much problem reaching to use it even though we are a short family. We always have a small step stool handy as well.

For the amount we cook, we didn't want to give up the room or incur the cost of a big vent hood, plus then we'd had to have had the MW sitting on the counter taking up valuable space as well.

We do also have a lot of windows nearby we can open.

As far as the look, we don't have a problem with that as well.

One thing that I didn't expect (I guess I should have) is that the stainless handles on the OTR MW can get pretty hot when cooking below.

I think it works fine for us.
lovlilynne
14 years ago
Are hood vents loud? Just curious - my OTR MW fan is loud and I don't even like to put it on unless we have enough smoke to set off the fire alarm. I wonder if I'd use a vent if it cleared out food smells - our kitchen is open to the 2nd level, and you can smell the cooking up on that level more than in the kitchen. Sometimes I can even still smell food smells when I put my kids to bed on the 3rd level. Not that we find it unpleasant, and if the vent makes a lot of noise, I probably wouldn't want to use it, but if it were quiet, maybe I'd think about it. I still cannot move OTR MW, but I could add a kitchen vent/fan.
Buehl
14 years ago
BoxerPups...I love the look of the wood-type hoods like in your second pic. I wanted something similar in my kitchen but as my KD told me, it was a "budget buster"! Oh well! I do like the look of my chimney one, but I like the wood better!

Bpotts44...If it were me, I'd rather walk the extra steps from the other side of the kitchen to get to the MW from the refrigerator than have an OTR. Quite a few things I add water or other ingredients to, so, to me, it wouldn't be the end of the world to get things out of the refrigerator, put them on the island, do what I need to do on the island around the prep sink, and then walk over to the MW. My sister has an OTR and when she's cooking w/her kids (or visitors) helping there seems to be a periodic bottleneck at the range & MW. I've also noticed that when something's cooking on the front burners (like boiling water/pasta), the front of the MW gets hot...has anyone else noticed that? (Just curious.) Oops...LexLuthor you answered my question!

Lovlilynne...noise level generally depends on the size of the hood, the length of ducting, turns, and location of the fan. Every manufacturer claims their hoods are quiet...but keep in mind when they tell you that, they're talking about the "best case scenario" for installing a hood (no turns, short duct). People here, too, have various installations so when someone says one vent is quieter (or louder) than another, take it with a grain of salt until you know the details of their installation!

I probably have the "worst case scenario" and while it isn't quiet, it's certainly quieter than my old builder-grade "Nautilus" (I think that was the manufacturer)...and much more powerful. I have 3 or 4 turns plus approx 11' of duct run...converted from 8" round to a 6"x8.5" rectangular duct.

I did have it on high last night b/c I was baking bacon in the oven and w/no vent near the ovens I had bacon grease/odors in the kitchen so I was trying to air it out (along w/the open windows). I didn't have to raise my voice much to be heard in the DR. That's a good thing! [BTW...I think I'm going to stick w/frying bacon on the griddle on my cooktop from now on...then I'll be able to vent the grease & odors outside! I cringed when I saw the grease & smoke rush out of the oven & up to my cabinets & ceiling last night!]
rhome410
14 years ago
You are planning a large family and lots of cooking. Please do it 'right' and get yourself a good hood now, and place your micro so that it's convenient for others to use while you're at the stove. If you're adding to the family and young ones will use it, I'd rather not have them over the stove. The big thing for me, as a mom of many, is that OTR micros are so low and come so far forward that it limits the view and access to large pots on back burners...At least that's been the case in the kitchens of friends with OTR micros.

I prefer to have my micro between the fridge and stove because of using it for meal prep, while still having it off the side for others to use. But I had mine across the kitchen in my last house, and it wasn't a big deal. A good vent hood is a nice thing to have. No smoke, no smells, but I don't think you can get a micro hood powerful enough to do that kind of job.

Here is the layout of the above rendering so people may suggest locations for you. I don't think you'd lose too much space to have it by the fridge, but it could also work in the pantry area, which is by the sliding door on the bottom right of the sink run.
bpotts44
Original Author
14 years ago
Okay, I think we are convinced to NOT use an OTR MW unless we absolutely have to. Thanks for all the input and pictures. Now to decide where to put it. We are considering the Advantium because a second oven would be extremely helpful with a large family. Also, if we go with a 36" range then we wouldn't have to heat up the large oven for a smaller dish that would fit in the advantium. The other option would be a 30" double oven range with a regular MW somewhere. We have 42" of upper cabinet next to fridge, 89" of upper cabinet on the right wall, and 104" of base cabinet on the DW run. Would love to hear any suggestions of where to put it.

Rhome, what size is the pantry hutch you have in your drawing?

Thanks again.
User
14 years ago
We have the otr mw, we actually raised a cabinet so we could put it there. Our kitchen is smaller w/wrap around cabinets so it works for us being there because our only other option would be on the counter. I don't use a microwave for anything ever and it's a good thing because I can't reach it without having to pull out the ladder which can be a royal PITA. The only one who uses it is my DH and he can reach it perfectly (of course). As far as the fan goes, it's loud, but effective, I don't need to use it very often, really the only reason I like having a microwave at all is so I can have a second timer and to know what time it is when I'm cooking.
caryscott
14 years ago
My Mom is 68 and lives alone so for her it has been a great choice and she loves it. It has a decent cfm of 420 and is much superior to the small hood she had before and is much quieter. I had them drop it 3 inches and it is about 17" stove top which works great (she's about 5'5". It is a one person kitchen so having it with stove makes ergonomic and practical sense - putting it somewhere else would be inconvenient. Hers also serves as her warming drawer so having that at eye level has been great.

This is the dirt on hers:
Item:
Genius Prestige Inverter Over-the-Range Stainless Steel Microwave (NNSD297S)
Supplier:
Brault & Martineau
Manufacturer:
Panasonic
Manufacturing Region:
China
Specs:
2.0 cu. ft. microwave
up to 420 cfm 2 speed fan
combines steam, convection and microwave features
keep warm menu
sensor reheat and cook capabilities
2 hood light settings
Cost:
$549.99 - Sears Canada Price: $699.99 - suggested US retail price: NA
Warranty:
2 Year Limited
Notes:
- delivery included

Ventilation in a kitchen is important but for an electric cooktop 400cfm is enough as far as I'm concerned. I'm one of those people who can't get excited by hoods - it's a requirement not a focal point for me. I love the retro shapes of the old stand by hoods (Maytag has one that CR recommends). Sounds like a hood will be a good choice for you - best of luck finding something that meets your requirements.
rhome410
14 years ago
I'm at the wrong computer to check for sure, but from looking at the plan posted above, the pantry base is about 39". It could be larger (or smaller), depending on the final size of the cabinets on either side of the dishwasher.
christineinct
14 years ago
Well, I may be the only one, but I think my OTR micro is just where it needs to be. I cook a lot for a large family of all boys, and I use the OTR micro every day for food prep while cooking i.e. to make a white sauce, melt butter, steam veges for a dish, etc. I can't think of a more logical place, and I don't have any ventilation issues. However, if you are using your micro differently, such as for rewarming leftovers only, then a different location may work for you.
User
14 years ago
I wish I had a better place for mine, but I sure use it a lot. Counter and cabinet space are too valuable to waste on a MW, and having the MW below the counter would drive me nuts.

Here is a link that might be useful: kitchen
battmom4
14 years ago
I am working to find a spot other than over the range since it creates a log jam in our U-shaped kitchen if anyone else is at the stove. More importantly, I am worried sick that someone will drop something on my glass top stove. I'd also like a more powerful fan so we don't have to call our monitored fire/security everytime the kids cook! Somehow that always results in extra smoke.

In all likelyhood, I will put a counter-style microwave at the end of my counter nearest the table, with a pull out board as an extra landing pad and lower the cabinets above it to make full use of the space. If I had an island, I would be looking at a microwave drawer.