I guess it depends on whether you want a better vent. If you're happy with a recirculating hood, then I think you should stick to the OTR. In a small kitchen, this would be the best use of space since you can't really put a useful cabinet over the range and you can store more stuff in your pantry. However, if you want a more efficient exhaust system, I think the micro in the pantry should be fine. We put ours in a small open closet in the mudroom (about 25" wide and 15" deep) since we don't use it much. It's a small low powered unit I picked up at Target last year for $50.

The Velos is set to vent outside so that's not so much of an issue.

The usage thing is a concern, as I use our microwave pretty much every day (heating up the soy milk for my coffee, thawing out stuff for dinner, etc.). If we put it in the wall pantry, it won't be as accessible because not only would it be behind a door, the pantry will actually be across from the kitchen in the major traffic corridor of the house. (Kitchen is in middle of house with living area on one side, bathrooms and bedrooms on the other.)

pbrisjar, I would definately stay with your original plan to have it over the stove for a couple of reasons.

1. If you're already borrowing space from another area to create the pantry for storage and you may have regrets later if some of that space is now eatten up by the MW.

2. You didn't say where that was is going to be in relation to your work space, but it sounds like it won't be as conveniently located as the space over the stove. I seldom ever use the MW but would still find it inconvenient if it wasn't within arms reach when I needed it.

And, I know you didn't ask about this but I can't help but say, that I also think that if you have had specific MW in your plans for that long, you should just stick with it and get what you really need for the space cause as I'm sure you know, usually when a change is made in haste like that it's regretted later on.

BTW, what did you end up doing with your ceiling paint?

The pantry will be roughly where I stood to take this pic:

I just updated the ceiling color thread with pic and comment. It's not done yet (way too much happening in our lives right now) but unless something changes, we're going to repaint to the cafe au lait color of the FR (it's Behr's Haze).

Ok, so I found your other thread, love the cafe au lait idea, that's a really pretty color.

But, in regards to the MW...how big is that Velos? Height wise?

Here's why I ask, I was peeking at your pics and the space over the stove is very small and you have the pot filler already in place. You need at least 18 inches clearance from the stove top to the bottom of the MW.

Our kitchen is very similar in size and we had that exact same problem and raised the cabinet to accomodate the MW. But I noticed you have a soffit there so you don't have that option. On second thought, maybe...the pantry would be a better fit.

That's all accounted for. We'll be rebuilding the cabinet over the stove in order to accommodate the Velos. The lowest part of it will be flush with the bottom of the two cabinets on the sides. Hubby is already making all new doors (hence the naked cabs) so it wouldn't be that much more work.

That's very cool. Gotta love a man who knows how to work with wood! Than I stick with my original vote for OTR, I honestly think it will work better from a functional perspective and look nice too!

Another vote for the Velos.

Definitely vote for keeping it OTR. We had an OTR microwave in my NYC galley kitchen, and it was the most efficient use of the space. None of the cons that people talk about here ever were cons for me. I supposed it wasn't the greatest vent, but I had no idea, never thought about it. I guess I didn't do all the much greasy stove-top cooking then. I had actually had a shelf made for the mw, and then found out about the OTR mw and ended up using that shelf for a toaster oven, which freed even more of our precious counter space.

Another vote for keeping to the original plan.

I use our microwave pretty much every day (heating up the soy milk for my coffee, thawing out stuff for dinner, etc.).

So have it where you need it! The only reason I'd move it, if I were you, would be if I really wanted a stronger vent hood. Even then, I might go with the mini MW, but probably would put it in the corner and keep it in the kitchen. But then you don't get the speed oven, which might be very functional for you.

So... WHY have you been thinking about moving it?

I had a similar issue but resolved it by putting a standard size micro in a very small pantry that is located in the hallway outside my kitchen. (The pantry is actually a converted hall closet, the size of which is only 32" (w) x 24" (d) 108" (h).) Although I haven't yet finished configuring and building this pantry, I've got a temporary shelf system in there for the time being and the MW is already set-up and installed. There's no question that there are times I regret not having access to more of the shelf space in that pantry that the MW is now hogging. OTOH, I am so absolutely thrilled that it's out of sight and out of the way of my kitchen "essentials" that I have learned to live with this arrangement rather happily. It probably makes a difference that I don't use my MW every day -- although I use do use it fairly frequently. But, again, given that my kitchen space isn't all that big in the first place, I really don't find it to be a terrible inconvenience to walk 8 steps from the stove or sink area or 5 steps from the fridge to get to the MW in the pantry.

Two reasons I'd consider switching:

Cost: The micro I saw at Costco is $50 (have not looked at details as to wattage, etc.) The Velos on a good sale is around $800.

Head space/clearance: Even with the bottom of the Velos flush with the bottom of the cabs, it would still be a bit lower than I'm used to. Though I don't think that's a huge deal as I don't tend to hover to much over the stove.