For me it boiled down to space. I put mine over the range because my kitchen is not that large and I didn’t want to give up the space to put it elsewhere

We have a situation like ^^. Did not want it over the range. It works in our kitchen. I like that it is at eye level and away from the range-sink zone.

An OTR MW provides poor ventilation compared to a conventional hood. It also presents usability and access issues that make it a less than optimal choice for use as a MW. Sometimes, there is no choice, and the space is so small that it’s the only choice. Or sometimes, the cook doesn’t cook very much, and ventilation is less important to them.

Analyze your our cooking habits first, for your ventilation needs. Then analyze your family use of the MW.

how high-end is your kitchen remodel? For a large, high-end kitchen, I would not put over the range. For a small, lower-priced kitchen, you have less space and probably don’t want to spend the extra money for a microwave drawer (much more costly).

aesthetically, I really dislike seeing them over the range. Functionally, they each have their pros and cons.

It comes down to space and money.

I have a small kitchen but decided to go with a microwave drawer because I didn't want OTR microwave and I didn't have sufficient counter space for it to live on.

Having it OTR is very much a compromise - it's not as good as a dedicated hood would be and it also is a bit high for comfort if you aren't tall. I suspect that it also is subject to premature aging if one does a lot of high heat cooking.

My ideal - if I had space - would be to stash the microwave in a cubby with a pull out landing strip below and have it at optimum height but the configuration making the most sense was under the wall oven.

FWIW, based on my research Sharp makes all the microwave drawers which are then rebranded so there isn't any particular reason to pay for the "name". As others have posted, you do want one with the tilt out controls because otherwise you would be obviating the ergonomic advantages since you would have to squat to read the controls.

we are in the same dilemma. Decided to fit a small one into the cabinet as shown in picture above. We don't really use it for meals. Mostly just warming things up, occasionally.

I've decided to put a small MWO on a shelf in the pantry cupboard. Kitchen is in the design faze now, and have instructed the electrician to install an outlet in the back of new pantry cupboard. Hopefully, we'll be happy with this plan.