Recirc. hood, definitely. (Miele has that option.)

Just curious—why is the island the only option for the microwave location? I see that you have upper cabinets, so why not put the microwave on the wall?

I had my microwave in an upper microwave cabinet but found it too high - I am short - probably not an issue for you - but possibly a difficulty for children. I have also found it a bit dangerous to reach up over my gas stove - I used to have a cabinet over a small hood - and nearly caught my blouse on fire - so I am doubly not fond of over the range microwaves. I probably would get a small inexpensive countertop microwave or do something like this:

Or get a built in cooktop and a steam oven, as steam oven can heat a plate of food too. No microwave needed. More vitamins.

Sharp drawer micro, recirculating hood The Sharp is great. Tell the designer to get with it. : ) At the VERY least, get a low profile........ ( Kitchen aid ) if above the cook

Assuming that cooking will generate grease or odor effluent plumes, a real hood is needed. In this case the hood has to also recirculate and FILTER. Vent-a-Hood ARS is one option. There are likely others that should be researched. Hood capture area and containment flow rates should be commensurate with the seeming infinity of advice messages I and others here have put forth on this forum. You won't need make-up air.

A shorter wall cabinet with a Sharp Over-the-Counter microwave hanging under it may be an option.

Your designer knows squat about microwave drawers.

I have a Sharp microwave drawer with a tilt up control and it's great. I have a silicone mat on the bottom in the event there is a spill and I also use splatter covers. I have been using mine for a year and have had no issues with cleaning it. So long as one wipes down with some degree of regularity it's easy to keep clean. Mine is far more convenient to use than a microwave above a stove would be.

If you have adequate lower storage a microwave drawer is great. Most people go with over the range microwave/hoods because they are theoretically space spacing and they are less expensive. You need two appliances plus wiring and installation for both of them and obviously a hood plus a separate drawer is more expensive than an OTR microwave/hood.

I second Helen's comments! I was VERY reluctant to get a microwave drawer but we had cash rewards about to expire and used them to offset the risk. It's in our island and has become one of the workhorses of the kitchen which is surprising because I've never been a big fan of microwaves. As others have mentioned, it's much safer to lift hot dishes and liquids straight up and down and place them on the counter instead of maneuvering and dancing with them overhead.

Also, a 9 x 12 pan fits easily, it doubles as a warming drawer, and has lots of options like melting chocolate and butter perfectly. Because you're investing in high end appliances plus paneling them and don't need extra storage, I think it would be a shame to get an OTC unit and make it your focal point. Finish strong!

Definitely skip the OTR micro. Not only does it not convey the look you are aiming for, it doesn't even work well as a hood substitute. I'd go with the Vent-a-hood ARS (search this forum for a comprehensive review of it from garyvp) and, if you decide you can't spare the drawer space for a Sharp micro, you could get a GE Profile micro that mounts underneath the upper cabinets: PEM31SFSS. (The Sharp micro drawer will be more powerful though.)

I can't see that you're gaining anything by opening up the kitchen.

What you are losing by opening it up is wall cabinet space which would give you a place to tuck the microwave out of view from the LR.

I have the sharp micro drawer with the tilt out panel and honestly, I do not like it at all. The only positive thing about it for me is that it doesn’t require wall space. It IS difficult to clean (especially the interior roof). You must get down on the floor on your knees in order to clean it and even with that, it’s still difficult. The interior is not as tall as most microwaves and my tallest travel mugs do not fit in it. Also, when standing in front of it, you cannot really see what’s cooking inside because the thing is down by your knees (unless you’re only 3 feet tall). When you want to keep an eye on things (melting butter) the dish must be slid all the way towards the front in order to see it. There is no turntable. And, if you’re a true NY’er, you will hate waiting for the oven to open or close (especially if it’s in the process of closing and you need to add another ingredient....you will have to wait for it to close all the way before you can open it again to add your ingredients ...drives me crazy....I’m originally from NY :) ). Liquids WILL spill, but only if a glass or bowl is filled to the tippy top.

Now, if I only had the option of an OTR micro or the Sharp drawer, I would choose the SHARP drawer hands down (even with all its drawbacks). Not only is the OTR oven unsightly, but it’s a nuisance if you have one person cooking at the stove and another needs to use the microwave. This is especially true during holidays when there’s a lot going on in the kitchen.

In a perfect world, IMO, the best place for the microwave is at eye level and if you can find space like that in your design, that would be best. If it was my choice though, I would probably consider bumping into that bedroom closet and put the micro there flush on that wall.

I would encourage you to visit an appliance showroom that has the oven on display at the height it will be installed and see what it will be like to clean it etc.

In a small apartment with no ventilation, I'd reconsider the gas stove -- they've been shown to create a lot of toxic byproducts that are bad for lung function, and no filter takes care of that. Induction cooktops are supposed to be equally satisfying to cook on...

Induction!

"they work but things spill easily, and they become a mess"

Your designer has no idea what he's talking about! I've had one since 2008 and love it! NO spills (it utilizes "soft close"), NO mess, EASY to clean, etc.

Even my 6'7" DS and 6'5" DH like it. My DH has said when we build again he definitely wants another drawer MW!

Following

I would recommend a Sharp SMD2480CS 24" Wave Microwave Drawer with 1.2 cu. ft. Capacity, Hidden Touch Glass, Motion Sensor Touch-less Access, in Stainless Steel and a down drafting vent for stove/oven.

Buehl.....I don’t understand how you can say it’s easy to clean. What is your method for cleaning the interior roof area?? How are you able to completely reach into the oven and access that part for thorough cleaning without getting down in the floor? It’s impossible to even view the roof area to see what you’re actually cleaning unless your on the floor or are completely bent over with your head almost upside down.

I also would eliminate the range hood since it serves no purpose or functionality and replace it with some cabinetry.

Interior Concept wrote:

"I also would eliminate the range hood since it serves no purpose or functionality and replace it with some cabinetry."

Wow, I wish I knew that sooner. It would have saved me money and time on my kitchen reno, and there would be no need to give advice here based on what I thought I knew.

Hoods are attractive, but my hubby would leave me if I made him bend over to get something out of the microwave drawer. Tall and bad back.

Kaseki, you are too funny!

For anyone who thinks cabinetry works as well as a range hood, here is why a reconsideration of that idea is seriously in order:

* All ranges/stove tops come with regulations about how close flammable material (i.e. cabinetry) can be to the stove top. (Not close) This is to protect you from accidentally burning your house down while cooking.

* Every gas range/stove top MUST have external ventilation, or you will reap the negative health effects from breathing the chemical byproducts from gas combustion. We learned this the hard way, with my son suffering brain damage (Central Auditory Processing Disorder), which thankfully was reversed within 6 months of swapping our gas range for an electric one. We are in the process of changing our recirculating OTR microwave for a real externally venting hood with makeup air, because we now know how dangerous it is to not have that. Please learn from our mistake.

Clean air is important to your life. Don't swap extra storage for breathing polluted air. Totally not worth it!

Good luck!

Nidnay, we use splatter cover when using our microwave drawer. There will be no hard crusts to clean - a simple wipe will be enough. Maybe use your phone camera to see if you missed a spot?

RYHawk......we do always cover our food, but many times things “explode” (butter, tomato products, dried beans etc.) and even though it’s covered, everything spatters when that happens. I went to clean the oven today after my latest post (just to make sure I wasn’t exaggerating) and holy moly I had to contort my entire body just to clean that oven. It’s not easy.

following

Many years ago, I had one of the original Amana Radaranges. Weighed a ton, as movers always informed me. Then husband decided to heat up some turkey grease which he put in an open cup and set for high power. I can still remember the sound of that grease exploding and the sight inside that microwave.

Thos discussion about venting made me chuckle. I wish I had a better picture. See that round door at the very top of the pic, above that sign? That's my kitchen vent. You open the little door to the outside and pull a chain to turn on the fan. It's undergoing reno now but I'm already nostalgic for some of those 1930s quirks
(won't miss having to use table lamps because there is no overhead lighting, though).

@Danette - That is positively high tech compared to the "venting" systems I grew up with in older homes which consisted of opening a window :-).

I am not sure when vents became a requirement or necessary for Code. None of the apartments I lived in or my friends lived in during the 1980's in Manhattan had vents and these included newly built or remodeled units. The apartments ran the gamut and included a lot of the "white" apartment buildings on the East Side built in the 1960's as well as brownstone apartments and the classic Upper West Side apartments on West End Avenue and Riverside Drive.

My first "adult" apartment was a J51 loft conversion and it had a new kitchen - obviously built to Code - with absolutely no venting system. This was pre-microwave so not even an OTR bad venting system.

Helen, you're so right!
I live in an historic district and when house shopping a few years ago I was shocked at how many older, even "high end" , homes just have a range plunked in with no vent system whatsoever. I was wondering about any codes...

@Danette - I would suspect that one must bring up to Code if doing enough renovation to require a permit.

I am not claiming vents aren't a "good thing" but since I never even had the experience of a vent until relatively recently I am not over-concerned with adequate venting. No one I know was ever asphyxiated from cooking fumes and kitchens did not seem to gather more schmootz than my currently vented kitchen does - one with a dedicated vent :-).

I'm not sure one even has to go back to the murky realms of history as I am thinking back to suburban homes in the NYC metropolitan area built in the late 1960's and the kitchens of my relatives had no vents - these were relatively upscale homes for the time and not Levitt type of starter homes FWIW.

We've certainly come a long way, in terms of understanding air pollution. Heck, back in the late 1960's people were inhaling tobacco smoke straight into their lungs (which we now know will kill you) and damaging the health of others with second-hand smoke. If people were already doing that, it makes sense that they wouldn't think to bother with kitchen ventilation. We now know a lot more about how bad all smoke is for human health.

Also, the average BTUs per burner has gone up quite a bit in recent years...

Definitely go induction if you're not going to vent a gas Miele properly! The higher end gas ranges and range tops are powerful! I agree with the above comments...plus, if you cook, your smoke alarm will go off. All. The. Time.

Induction range:

• GE Profile PHS930SLSS
• Cafe CHS900P2MS1
• LG LSE4617ST

Slim, over-range, ventless microwaves:

• Whirlpool
• Kitchenaid

Sharp also makes an Over-the-counter model that is 24" wide instead of 30". It looks JUST like an over-the-range style but smaller and NO vent fan. It still has a light that will light up the countertop beneath. Here is one i did for a client. You could put yours on the far right of the right leg over the DW. I see you also have a few closets. Anyway, to just put a counter model on a shelf?

Showplace Concord White + Quartersawn Oak - Oakwood OH · More Info

Showplace Concord White + Quartersawn Oak - Oakwood OH · More Info

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Wow, I'm very grateful to all of you who took the time to reply! Great to see your pictures, too. Some responses (if you're interested), now that I've finally been able to go through:

Sammy and The Kitchen Place are correct that we could put it in the upper above the dishwasher — that's the only upper that is the right size that wouldn't block other cabinets. (Thanks for the pictures, The Kitchen Place!) I was intrigued by nidnay's idea of bumping into the bedroom closet, but that closet is filled with custom cabinetry so it would be a huge project to put the microwave there.If Icould put a Miele microwave (/speed oven) in an upper cabinet, I'd try for that, but of course our uppers are only 13" deep and the Miele opens down, so not workable. My better half is against mounting a "normal" microwave in an upper cabinet (he thinks in that case we might as well go OTR, and that it will pull away from the pretty stove/hood that's the whole reason for this conundrum).

(ci_lantro questions the whole premise of opening the kitchen. Others in our building have done it and it makes a significant difference in the feeling of the whole unit—we're confident it's the right move, long term.)

Helen, HU-41121833, Buehl, Interior Concept, RTHawk and others: Thanks for saying good things about the Sharp microwave drawer. nidnay, thanks for your criticisms of it, too! The slimline microwaves are attractive too!

Unfortunately induction sounds great, but not in the cards for us. I do believe everybody who says we need something more powerful than a microwave fan — the Vent-A-Hood system does look quite good. kaseki, thanks for your hood comments. pittsburrito, I hear what you're saying about external ventilation. There is a small vent in the kitchen and windows in the living room, so we try to be careful.

Thank you all! Still not sure what we'll do, but I'm grateful for all the advice on the Houzz forums.

Coming late to the party here but I live in a Manhattan coop and understand your issues. We went with a Miele speed oven when we redid our kitchen. It was the perfect solution for us. We got to have a second oven and a microwave in one. We don’t use the speed cook setting that much, but we do use the oven as a microwave and conventional oven about evenly. I have a large Blue Star range, and rarely use the oven because the speed oven fits most things when cooking for just the two of us.

An OTR is just ugly and the hood is worthless.

if you live in a prewar building, you might not have enough amps for induction. I have induction in my country house and do like it. It would be good for your situation but maybe the electrical requirements are the issue for you. If that’s not the issue, I would really take a look at it.