Usually the MW breaks first.

Generally people find it too expensive to repair.

They buy a countertop MW until the oven breaks then replace both.

That has been my observation from friends and family.

Generally more expensive to buy units seperately and does not look as nice but you can replace each piece seperately.

If you are buying a seperate MW have you considered a drawer MW?

@deeageaux - I have not thought about a drawer MW but certainly open to learning more. Do you have a one to recommend? Would they reside above or below the oven on an oven wall cabinet?

Thanks for all your help.

I'm considering these options:

1)
Electrolux 30" Sincle Icon Professional E30EW75GPS $2150
Electrolux Icon Designer E30MO65GSS Built-in MW $899

2)
ELECTROLUX 30" Single Oven EW30EW55GS $1399
Electrolux Icon Designer E30MO65GSS Built-in MW $899

3)
Electrolux 30" Single Oven/Microwave Combo EW30MC65JS $3299

Do you have any opinions or advice?

Sharp makes all MW drawers.

Other brands charge markup to put their own door skin on.

24" and 30" drawer have same size cooking caviity.

The 24" SS is $719.

Below is a Sharp refurbished model for $415 with one month warranty plus option to buy 1 or 3 year warranty from Sharp.

I have one and so do several people on the board.

I did not buy extended warranty so don't remember how much they cost.

I have no problems.

One person I recall had a problem with the opening and close door mechanism. I would imagine same chances of getting a dud as brand new.

These can be returns from stores that simply ordered too much but can't be resold as new. Or units where field tech could not fix and exchanged by the factory then fixed.

Regarding Electrolux Ovens.

I don't think the extra rack,an EZ glid rack, is a huge benefit. I never use 3-4 racks but maybe you do or wish to? Do you want to bake that much at a time?

The 2 speed vs variable speed convection fan is no big deal to me either.

I really like the look of the aluminized door 75GPS model as well as the towel bar handle. The cool door feature could be a big deal depending on where the oven is placed and if you have kids.

I think you would be perfectly happy with the less expensive model but I always want all the bells and whitles if the price is anywhere near my price range. And I do like the look of the 75gps model including the towel bar handle.

I would skip the combo oven for the reasons mentioned in my first post.

Here is a link that might be useful: KB6024MS

If you stack the oven & MW, I recommend getting a single oven and then putting in a MW alcove above the oven...either an open alcove (finished on the inside) so you can simply place a MW inside the alcove or purchase a "built-in" MW and trim it out. (Don't forget to put an electrical outlet in the alcove.)

With a combination unit, you would be stuck having to replace both the oven & MW just b/c the MW broke. Chances are, the MW will break long b/f the oven will.

Yes, another option is a MW drawer. We have one and really like it. I had no place to put a MW in an oven cabinet or under an upper cabinet w/o it getting in the way, so the drawer was our best option.

The cost of the 30" MW drawer, btw, was the same as the cost of the Dacor built-in MW I had my eye on + trim kit...so the cost was a "wash" for us. The 24" is less.

Here's a picture of my MW drawer. It's under the counter, not in an oven stack.

@deeageaux - Thank you for the info. I don't bake much so I'm not really concern about the extra rack. However, I'm really leaning towards the 75GPS, as I like the door and towel bar look on that model.

@buehl - Thank you for pic. Your kitchen looks great. I'll probably end up getting the single oven and microwave with the trim kit for the reasons you and @deeageaux mentioned above.

Now to tracking down the best price...

I have the Icon single oven, which looks very similar to the one you are looking at. Ours is 3 years old. We also went with the Icon convection microwave. No complaints with either and I'm pleased with the look.

@nhbaskets - Thank you for sharing the pic. I was worried about how the microwave will look over the oven. But from you pic, I can be assured that it will look just fine. Decision made. :)

I'd make sure you want both your mw and oven in the same area if you are not getting a single unit. Put the micro where it makes the most sense for using it and if that happens to be adjacent to the oven, then that is fine. By getting separate pieces, you have the flexibility to make the layout really work for you.
I agree with buehl with why to not build in a micro and will take it one step further... I am not a huge fan of the drawers because they cost so much more and yet have not been proven to last longer than a regular micro. I think micros die often enough to not invest big money into them. Our son ruined our last one by putting 15 minutes into the cook time instead of 15 seconds. It was in great shape and then it was unsavable. If he had done that to a pricey built in unit, I'd have been even more upset!

FWIW - we put our micro on a dedicated stainless micro shelf we got from a restaurant supply place online and installed it13" above the counter. It will hold a different model and size when this micro dies if we don't get another just like it. Ours is between the fridge and sink and that location would not have worked for our wall oven.

I prefer separate units, so that one can be replaced without replacing the other. Also, there's more choices for both appliances that way. Me, I'd get the Electrolux Icon oven with a GE Monogram Advantium 240v wall oven above - the styles just about match despite different manufacturers; both are 30" wide. The Advantium does triple duty as a microwave, a decent-sized second oven or broiler, and a halogen-lamp high-speed oven. I'll bet you'll use it more often than the big oven.