Sharp.

Some that are improperly installed have the control panel facing up.

Is that a true happening or a joke???

Hopefully a joke, but I have seen stranger things happen.

Is Sharp the only company that makes a control board that is easily read?

I have the Wolf (all made by Sharp) and the panel is not easy to read. You are also NOT supposed to manually nudge the drawer closed The Sharp used to say you could. Not worth spending extra for one of the re-badged models.

Sharp flips out and is very user friendly.

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion, small appliances incorrectly installed...

Sharp is the only manufacturer of microwave drawers. All other brands buy from Sharp, modify the appearance, and jack up the price. Sharp's drawers are the only ones with a tilt-out control panel. Be careful how you install the appliance to be sure your view of the control panel is not blocked by a countertop overhang.

I chose the microwave drawer with the handle and the stationary control panel. It can be opened with the open button or the handle.

My son in law has the other type and I wasn’t crazy about it. I’m 5’6 and it’s easy to use. No bending over. I have mine installed proud of the cabinet.

I have the kind Mojomom posted, with the flip out panel. Very easy to use, and easy to close the panel for a nice clean look. I have no problems opening the panel, even with a bit of an overhang on the cabinets. I'm 5'11" and the shortest one in the house - none of us has to bend down to see it.

I too have the one mojomom has and love it. Before that in my old condo, I had the one Red has. My DH didn't like that one because he said the panel was hard for him to see. He really likes the one we have now.

And as someone else mentioned. All drawer microwaves are made by Sharp. You want a branded one, you're just paying hundreds of dollars more for the name.

I would just like to mention that a MW drawer is the least favorite part of our new house. So we may have a Sharp to sell if you are interested.... (not ready to do it yet).

It looks great and all and is safer with kids.

But opening the drawer takes time. Closing the drawer takes time. Particularly when you are reheating something and want 20 secs and then check and then another 20 secs. It also beeps really annoyingly if you don't open it right away. Like you aren't doing several other things at the same time. I always try to open it with 5 secs left so that it won't make those annoying beeps....

Our last house, we installed a Sharp undercabinet. Oh how we miss it.....

I truly am going to rip it out and somehow recreate the cabinet it is in. It is on a large island. We have full overlay drawers to cover my hack job.

I love my MW drawer. I do agree with David Cary about opening and closing taking a long time. I have learned to live with it by pressing open ahead of time. For example, if I want to heat a mug of milk, I will open the MW drawer and while it is opening, I pour the milk into the mug. Still have to wait for it to open when it's done :)

You can program it to turn off the reminder beep (it is truly annoying) although if the power goes off you will have to reprogram it. I don't mind the delay in opening. And the inside is large compared to other microwaves I've had--I can heat up a couple of plates at a time if I want to. We are happy with ours after 2.5 years of using it. One of the few appliances I haven't had some kind of issue with in our new build (knock on wood)!

Thank you all...this is such an interesting subject. David Cary , I was especially interested in what you had to say. Those issues would also drive me crazy. I use my microwave a lot for small, quick heating. I also sometimes use it for heating dinner plates ( I had a plate warmer in previous home and rarely used it. Easier to use microwave.)

phooneycat - Does programming the beeper completely eliminate any beeping? I have an annoying over-the-range microwave in our rental house. The beep is very long and VERY loud. I tried programming and the only option is to cut it off completely. I was hoping I could just tone it down.

Now I have a decision to make and I would like a vote. I don't know how to add that option on an existing thread, so please just simply state what you would pick between the below two options...1 or 2.

I need an undercounter microwave for a new build. There is no room in the kitchen to put an oven cabinet. I will have a full 36" gas range. My appliances are Kitchenaide, except for a Bosch dishwasher. The microwave will be further down the cabinet run and on the opposite side of the sink from where the dishwasher is. The Bosch dishwasher handle is similar to the Kitchenaide handle in looks, and being so far apart, I would not worry about them clashing. If I go with the Sharp drawer, no need to worry at all about handles. I would pick the more streamline Sharp model because the handle model would stick out like a sore thumb. Though I do like it!

Which would you choose:

1. A matching Kitchenaide appliance where I would need to slightly bend down to see controls (I am 5'9") and put food in and out like in an oven. I would have better control of timing. Kitchenaide

2. A sleekSharp with the flip out control panel that first needs to be opened, and then pushing a button and waiting for the drawer to open. Would be the third appliance brand in my kitchen.Sharp

Both types will be 24" and both are the same in cost.

Thank you!!!

It still beeps at the end. And the opening of the drawer takes about 3 seconds to open completely.

As for which microwave you should get, I vote for the microwave drawer as there would be less bending. I have the one with the handle so I can’t speak to the tilt option. I’ve had the pull down handle microwave before but it was much higher and therefore probably more comfortable to reach in. I would imagine at the under counter height you would have to bend down more and reach in to pull out your food. With the drawer, you pull up your food.

My vote is 2, although I've never had #1 I would dislike bending down to see controls. Waiting a few seconds for a drawer to open doesn't bother me. I like accessing the hot items from the top to pull out or stir. Since you're tall I think you might like that too.

I posted some info awhile back when I replaced my MW drawer, because the new model had a different fit than the old model. There are some pictures and helpful info from cpartist and Buehl and some comments about mounting flush vs not flush, so here is a link in case you want to read it.

Redesign for a MW shelf in an upper. Or use a small one that hangs from an upper with a bracket.

Thanks for everyone's input.

Celadon - There is only one place that I would think about doing that. Not wild about the idea, though.

Are there upper cabinets that are made especially for built in microwaves? The lower cabinet that is currently in my plan is made for microwaves, yet I would still have a lower drawer for use below the microwave?

The upper cabinet that I am thinking about possibly placing the Kitchenaide built-in microwave is a 33" wide by 42" high.

Bluestar, Subzero, Sharp, Miele. 4 brands in my kitchen.

And 5 if you want to count the Haier fridge drawers in the butler's pantry.

But I also have Grohe, HansGrohe, Delta, Moen, Newport Brass and probably a Kohler somewhere.

Do you have cabs ordered already?

Haha...I guess having 3 types of appliances isn't a big deal.

We are getting close to having to order our cabinets. After thinking about it over night, I think I will go with the Sharp drawer. I can fix the excessive beeping, and as phooneycat says, the drawer taking 3 seconds to open is not that much. About as long as it would take me to get a spoon. Does the door open automatically when done?

I had asked about an upper microwave cabinet and now realize that it would have to be wider than the 13" width that I would have. Which means a wider base down to the counter top. I don't want to lose that counters top space, so we are back to a drawer.

It's funny, because when we started out planning our house, and kitchen, I said that the one thing I would not have is a drawer microwave. It's nice that most of you love the microwave drawers. ;)

The plus side of having the drawer is easy accessibility should DH or I become wheelchair bound at some point. We are building close to a ADA compliant home as we can, or feel comfortable with, for this stage in our life. We are 63 and 68 and are aging in place with our last home.

Thank you all again!!!

"Does the door open automatically when done?" No, it stays closed so you can either add more time or press 'open'.

Thanks!

Now I have a new dilemma. 24" or 30" drawer. I think I have room for either because there is a spacer on either side of the 27" base cabinet drawn in the plans. But is a 30" microwave drawer overkill? The Kitchenaide built-in microwave was going to be a 24" because it needed to have a 3" trim kit. Space was going to be small in that model. What does everyone else have?

The 24" and the 30" are actually the exact same size drawer on the inside. The 30" just has an extra trim piece along the outside perimeter. They offer the 30" for people who are trying to match up with a 30" wall oven.

Oh wow...thank you so much! I did not know that. My cabinet is 27" wide. What can I do to make up the difference?