I do not have personal experience with either, but I know a few people who have the microwave drawers and they love them. I am planning to have one. As to the mixer, I just imagine all of the flour, batter, and other spills that end up on the counter around the mixer being on the floor! Maybe it doesn't work this was IRL -- or maybe I'm just a sloppy cook.

LOVE the MW drawer. My mixer stays out on the counter. There are lots of threads on microwave drawers.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0818055823674.html

An easy way to research things on GW is to type the following into the google search bar. So for microwave drawers I typed:

site:ths.gardenweb.com microwave drawer

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Microwave Drawer

I don't know anyone who doesnt like their microwave drawer. Only negative thing I have ever heard is that spills are harder to clean.
I thought about getting one but didn't. They seemed too expensive for something my family uses so little and it used more real estate in the island than I wanted to allocate. We have a small one tucked in our walk in pantry and that works perfectly for us.
I think the mixer pop ups are cool, but agaiin didnt opt for one. Again, seemed to use more real estate than I wanted to allocate.

We don't use our MW much, only 2-3 times a week. So I opted for an Advantium because we wanted to try a speed oven.

We did opt for a mixer lift. I had a small space left that wasn't in a location that worked for garbage, it wasn't a place I needed more small drawers, and I didn't want a second tray cabinet. So I stole 3 inches from the depth of the drawers facing away from it and put in a lift. We love it so far, we really don't have much counter space and it would be hard to leave it out all the time when we use it only occasionally. Haven't used it yet, but we plan to move it onto the counter for use.

Our only other option would be in an upper cabinet somewhere, probably above the fridge or pull out pantry. Then we'd be right back where we were before the remodel, with the mixer too high to safely get down for use. So it wouldn't be used.

We put a MW drawer in my parents' new kitchen (the Sharp one that's pretty popular). They love it. I haven't used it much, but it seems great and I'd definitely consider installing one in my next kitchen.

It seems that people who have one wouldn't ever want to go back to the traditional MW.

Here's the link to the thread I started when I was trying to make the MW drawer decision for my parents' kitchen:

Here is a link that might be useful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1015131625474.html

My friend who has a home in the Keys has a mixer lift and she bakes bread a couple of times a week. I've been to her house when she's been using the mixer, and I was surprised at how stable and wonderful it was.
Knowing her experience has prompted me to plan one for my island in my new kitchen.

I will have an island almost the same size as yours (30" x 10') and I 'm doing the microwave drawer for the same reasons as you. It's expensive but it's what works in my space. I simply won't have a microwave on the counter, the micro-hood combo is too high for me (have one now) I don't have room to put it on a shelf on the wall side (that's where I had it in my last kitchen), and I figure in an island, access is easier with a drawer than a door.

Soon, I will have a micro drawer and a mixer stand located on an island about the size of yours. The mixer in the middle with the micro and freezer drawers on each side. I hope I love the layout, as this is the first kitchen that will have an island and counters!

Karen

Thanks for all the feedback and the tips for searching the site. After reading everyone's comments, I'm thinking that the drawer MW is the way to go, probably purchased from ebay to get a good deal.

I saw a mixer lift at a local home improvement store today, and I hated it! It was hard to reach the release and I think I'd have hit myself in the face with it as it popped up if it'd had a mixer sitting on it, so I think I'll just go with a pull out shelf for the mixer and lift it onto the counter myself. I'd probably use it on the counter, anyway, so that there wouldn't be flour and batter splatter inside the cabinet and so we wouldn't break the open cabinet door while using the lift.

What price are you seeing on eBay for the microwave drawer? I just bought mine yesterday (along with all my other appliances).

You may find this posting helpful regarding the mixer stand. It was just posted a couple of days ago.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pop up mixer stand

I keep my KitchenAid mixer on one of these
http://www.hafele.com/us/products/LeMans-blind-base-corner-storage.asp

I lift it the last foot up onto the counter when I use it ....about once a week. I need my mixer on a large surface since I'm messy and like every ingredient nearby before starting to cook. The swing-out feature is soooooo much easier than when it was in a traditional base cabinet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Swing-out

sjhockeyfan - I saw some factory refurbished 24" and 30" Sharps for around $515. Do you mind if I ask which one you purchased, how much it was, and where you got it? Having just decided to go with the drawer MW, I don't know much about them yet.

This post was edited by noname4me on Sun, Sep 22, 13 at 23:11

We got our appliances locally at Pacific Sales (which is owned by Best Buy). I got the 24" version (the 30" is the same size inside, with a larger faceplate), model number KB6524PS. I paid $809, but there was some fudging going on with my entire order, basically discounting various other appliances because they said they couldn't discount the refrigerator.

That's interesting about the 24" and the 30" being the same size inside. I was thinking I'd need the bigger one, but if it's not actually bigger, than I'd rather have a smaller faceplate. Thanks for the information!