Emily, When end my GE microwave died last fall I was certain I would go with another brand to synchronize the brand strategy a tad in our kitchen. But after looking at several brands, the GE just delivered the best value and I liked how the buttons all worked. To be honest, hard to come down hard on a microwave that lasted 17 + years for me with heavy use. For about $220 I got a GE that I would consider an upgrade vs the old, turn table, better lights, quieter fan, more control options. One surprise was that the bracket Ray was different and could not just drop the new where the old was without switching out the wall bracket. Also, the plug hole was in a different spot, so had to drill a new hole. One thing your installer will notice is that the new is only about 2/3 the weight of the old. Anyhow, best of luck with your decision. I'm still very happy with my decision (GE) almost a year later. Laundryvet

We have an oven/microwave combo (KitchenAid). If I could redo my kitchen I might do that part differently. I did not know when I designed my kitchen last year that microwave drawers were a thing. If I had known I might have chosen that with a built in oven instead. I do not dislike our oven/microwave however I do have concerns about the microwave breaking. The fan was actually broken when we installed it, and we had to get it repaired. So if something happens to it, I know we will have to pull the entire unit out to get it fixed which is more of a pain than just fixing a microwave. The other issue I have with it is that microwave is a little higher than I would like. We installed the unit 1.5" higher than they recommend (so I could have a 15" drawer below) and since I'm only 5'3" the microwave is a little bit high for me. Even installing it at suggested height would still leave it higher than the ideal. A drawer would be a nicer height most likely. I definitely like having a separate gas rangetop and built in oven. There are many reasons I want them separate, so a range was never an option for me. But I probably won't combine the oven and microwave again if I did another kitchen.

Search the archives. This question comes up regularly. In general, many people see the benefit of having more than one oven, but few people need three or more ovens. This is a little different, if you make some of these ovens have special features. In other words, your choice of a double walloven seems rather unusual. But having a steam oven and a microwave (or better a speedoven) is quite useful, if your budget allows you to do so. These usually all are 24" devices. That's fine, as it doesn't take up unnecessary large amount of real estate and as it pre-heats much faster. But depending on what you cook, you might still need a fullsize oven in your range. If you don't need it, then a range top is a better choice.

My daughter did what you are planning on doing. I’m not sure her gap was exactly the same size and her ovens were only 24” wide. Since she did not want to remodel her whole kitchen, she stuck with 24” wide replacements. She put the oven on the bottom and used a speed oven/microwave on top. Like hers your microwave will need a shelf to support it. She had a carpenter put in a shelf and a filler piece between the lower oven and the upper. She also needed an electrician to put in an outlet for the microwave/speed oven. Her over the cooktop microwave was replaced with a vent hood Good luck with your project.