apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Mine is built in, just above the oven.
When I upgraded my appliances a few years ago, I considered replacing it with a warming drawer or just dumping it altogether. But my realtor friends convinced me that was a bad idea for resale. Whether or not I use it, I guess the expectation for buyers is that there is one.

My refrigerator is kind of short with shelves over it, and I'm tall, so my microwave is perfect on top of the refrigerator - eats up no counter space, and convenient to the counter and the stove.

We have ours built into our island, right below the counter, similar to the first picture. I hate having the microwave on display -- the are ugly, and often too big.

"Out of site", oh dear.

My microwave is on the counter, though I constantly wish I could tuck it away somewhere.

Mine is on one of those trolleys with wheels because my kitchen is sooooo old there are not enough electrical outlets. I don't use it often but when I need to heat up leftovers, it's a pain in the butt to have to pick it up and move it to a functioning outlet!

i need all the counter space that i can get - but i really don't like the microwave over-head idea. i had the option of having it built in when i did the options on my house but i'm too nervous about trying to get something out that might be very hot and spilling it on myself (or worse, my son spilling it on himself).

i like the way rita and morgan have theirs hidden away, but then i'd be fearful of dropping the hot plate on the floor.

ah well... counter it is. *sigh*

Mine is on a shelf in the kitchen pantry, where I have an outlet wired for plugging it in. I am considering getting rid of it altogether, though, because I rarely use it.

I did a gut remodel of a kitchen/greatroom about two years ago. I had loads of room to install a built-in microwave somewhere, but chose to hide it on a table in my pantry instead. My reasoning:

Microwaves are cheap and aren't worth fixing when they break, so why do a built-in and worry about filling the space with one of the same size when it needs to be replaced?

Improved models come out frequently enough that it makes no sense to commit to one type or size.

Microwaves that match built-in ovens (Thermador does one) are way overpriced, so hiding it in plain sight wasn't an option. (I put in a range in the end anyway, so no wall ovens.)

I lived without a microwave until fairly recently, and I've never fully accepted that they are necessary.

Mine's above the fridge. I like the one in the picture, but are microwaves generally standard sizes, or when you have to replace it to you have to rearrange your cabinetry set-up?

I was very surprised when we moved in our place to see that there was an electrical outlet in a large cabinet in the kitchen so, our microwave is in there.

This is something that I had not seen in apartments before.

Mine is in a specially built nook over the stove, with ventilation for the stove underneath.

I use the microwave at least a dozen times a day. I'd go nuts if it weren't convenient and hooked up. My oven, on the other hand, I use maybe once a month.

Mine's is on the counter but i wish i had another place to hide it...

I got rid of mine years ago - It took up too much room and had become just a glorified hot water heater/clock.

I need to find a good place to hide mine. I hate looking at it--ick.


Ashley
rainycitystyle.blogspot.com

I rarely use a microwave--my parents never had one when I was growing up; they just remodeled their kitchen and didn't install one, so I'm not used to them being a necessity.

That said, I really don't like it embedded in the lower cabinets like the picture above. Not only does Forestdweller have a good point about the potential difficulty of finding the exact same-sized replacement, it seems like you'd have to crouch down every time you wanted to use it, which isn't very ergonomical. At least a stove is at waist level and all of the controls are a bit higher and eaiser to reach.

I've managed to live without a microwave, but I enjoy cooking a lot and no, putting something in the microwave is not considered cooking.
My kitchen is too small to have a decent sized one (although I never considered putting it in the cabinet above the stove or sink, that would probably work), so I never bothered to get one. And surprisingly, I don't miss it at all.
At first I missed my microwave popcorn, but I bought an popcorn maker (air pop) to satisfy my addiction and I must say, it's WAY better than microwaved popcorn.

Mine is on the counter in a corner, squished between my stove and sink, and underneath my cabinet mounted toaster oven.

I would put it on top of the fridge but I don't want to get up on a chair everytime I want to use it. Plus I have other stuff stored up there so, blah.

I need to reorganize...

Ours used to be built into a cabinet overhead, but I was always spilling hot food on myself (I'm short) so we moved it to the counter. I hate having it there in plain view, but have nowhere else to put it for now.

Ours is on top of the fridge. We're tallish, and we only use it a few times a week.

We used to have an over-the-stove venting model, but I couldn't stand it hulking over the cooking area, so I replaced it with a real vent and we bought a smaller standard microwave.

Mine's built in, right above the stove/oven. It's an alright placement, but it's a bit of a pain to clean in the back because I'm short.

Oh, and it's GE and matches the stove.. which is a horrible halogen stove that I despise. The only thing I hate about the place!

I meant to also say my old microwave kind of stopped working (only the defrost button worked, and the minute plus, and stop) and my mother was incredulous that I hardly used it anyway. She didn't buy me a new one, but there was one from my sister's first apartment that she didn't bring when she moved to AZ in good condition, so I kind of begrudgingly replaced the old one with it when they visited in January. When my mom got her first microwave, she started making vegetables that didn't come in a can, so it's really hard to explain to her that I just cook mine on the stove, and it's easy. All that explanation aside, I don't think right now that having a microwave is intrusive because I can keep it over the fridge. I can't think of anything I use it for since I stopped buying meat and freezing it, so I may quietly pass it along soon.

Please forgive the architecture typo ("site" = "sight")... occupational hazard

I hate microwaves. Not because they're ostensibly bad for you, but because they take up space, don't brown food, and are a pain in the butt to clean. Yes, they are convenient for warming up leftovers, but a toaster oven is equally talented at this task and takes only marginally more time. And a toaster oven will brown melted cheese or crisp up your pizza crust. A microwave doesn't do that.

We had it over the fridge in our old house and I hated it there...too high. Our new house has the setup in the first picture and The Hub thought he'd hate it because it would be too low, but it's grown on him. We don't use it much - a couple of times a week. I'd be open to moving it into the pantry completely and using the cabinet space for pots, but the setup we have is...there. So it wins.

Since I use my toaster and microwave about 10 times more than my stove/oven, they have a prominent place front and center right on the counter next to the fridge. Don't judge.

I have a small kitchen with very little counterspace, so I bought a chrome shelving unit and put the microwave at chest height. I'm short so I don't have a lot of options.

I considered it a blessing when my new apartment didn't have enough space for one! It's slowed down the way I cook (i.e. defrosting a day in advance), and therefore has made me more conscious of what I'm eating when! I like the change, but I can see it being a major detriment for home sales. Having it below eye level (as pictured above) is great.

kimg924- A toaster oven takes up just as much space as a microwave and I while it is faster than a regualer oven- it is a redundant appliance. For us we can't justify the lost counter space because we can use our oven for all those things. Maybe it uses more enegry to make toast in a regular oven but that's one less appliance to own that breaks and takes up space.

That said, my parents never had a microwave but do have a toaster oven and use it all the time so I understand your preference. A toaster oven is probably even harder to find a good place for in a small kitchen.

I'm thinking that I'd like to try putting my microwave into a cabinet, although I'm wondering if when you cook something, will the heat/moisture be a problem since it's then trapped in the cabinet with the microwave?

Who wants to crawl on the ground while cooking, like in the first pic? Mine is on the counter, under a lower cabinet, and pretty inconspicuous. Now the toaster oven... ugh. It's home is on top of the fridge, but according to my husband it's wherever he plugged it in to make toast that day. I once threatened to throw it off the balcony if it was still there when I came home from work the next day.

I've recently moved the microwave from the counter to a wire shelving unit, so it is a little above waist height. The nice thing is that it is now on a convenient power bar that is off when the appliances are not in use. I hate seeing the glowing lights on the microwave all day long.

If my husband did not love microwave popcorn so much (despite it being bad for him) I'd get rid of it. I've been looking for an air-popper on CL but no luck so far.

We install microwaves under counter like this for our commerical clients. It is more accessible for all staff (incl those in wheelchairs) and saves counter space for the usually large coffee/beverage machines that are on the market.

Yikes... I'm using the dreaded plural :)

under the counter on a shelf.

I have a tiny kitchen with very little counter space, so I put a small table under the kitchen window and the microwave stays there. It's in plain sight, yes, but it's not in the way.

on top of my fridge

Mine is on a shelf, out in the open, brazenly displayed for the world to see. It's a dual-purpose device though (both a regular oven and microwave, but it looks only like a microwave).

I don't hide my appliances, television, etc. I put them where they're most convenient to use.

Mine is in a little metal cart, below counter level. I need all the space that I can get! For the day that I can design my own kitchen, the microwave oven drawer from SHARP is on my list!

Mine is part of the built-in wall oven. The problem is, the whole unit is over 20 years old and I've randomly been looking for a replacement for when the time comes. I can find a double oven or a covection oven with a regular oven but I haven't found the micro/regular self-cleaning oven combo (like I currently have) yet, probably because I need a 24" oven.

Well since we rent - and since a lot of rental properties don't have all these built-ins - it sits on the counter nearest my fridge.

I really don't care if the microwave is on display. All the other appliances are. It's great to be able to move it somewhere if counterspace is limited, but I prefer it at counter level- it's just convenient and people expect to see a microwave in the kitchen so who cares.

I hate how it's become so trendy to put the microwave over the stove- talk about ugly; but, I just hate the idea of reaching up and pulling out hot food over me (I can only imagine the injuries if we'd had that as kids. We were always hopping up on counters to get to the cabinets, but the microwave was easy access). And I don't even know how those people in the second pic get to their microwave! Do they break out the ladder to heat up a can of soup?

The low microwaves are great if you have kids, but I'd hate bending over constantly, and it's probably not a great setup for the elderly.

I use my microwave often and would spill too much if it were above or below counter-top level. I found simple white burner covers for my electric stove-top and put the microwave on top of that. The way my tiny apartment kitchen is laid out, this arrangement keeps the microwave out of sight. If my cooking plan requires the stove-top, I move the microwave.

Under the bed, where else?
My fridge is out on the fire escape, and the range? I don't have one and would be MORTIFIED if anyone ever thought I had one, let alone saw it actually being used in my kitchen.
SERIOUSLY, how pretentious is this topic?

MJR - LOL

It is sad that people worry more how their home looks to others than their own convenience. If I use it daily, it stays where it's accessible - there's no point in having it any other way. It also makes it much easier for guests than having to ask where I keep something or having to raid every cabinet to find it. I do admit to owning a smaller microwave - it fits in the same area of counter space as my small coffee pot and small toaster (2 ft by 2ft). The toaster actually just sits behind the coffee pot - LOL.

Wow, some of you would so hate to see my home after how you would hide anything just so people won't know you have it. I guess I'm more for accessibility that looks.

We rent and as the freezer in the fridge is so small we bought a small extra freezer and the microwave sits ontop of that. We actually added a shelf on top of the small freezer, because the microwave was too heavy. If we didn't have that extra space I don't think we'd have one there is not really any room.

In some climates a toaster oven is a very good thing. It's too hot to use the oven much.

Hmm..if I ever decide to hide my microwave, maybe I'll stick it in the oven....

No microwave here.

http://emblemorstain.blogspot.com

I have lived quite nicely without a microwave for my little family and I for about two years. I have a 20-month-old baby, and we never used one for him. I don't think I will ever get one again. Besides, when I had a microwave years ago, I only used it when I was drunk for atomic burritos and reheating pizza.

I grew up without a "real" oven, just a microwave. Takes up less space. Cheaper to replace. Uses less electricity than an electric stove, and has none of the danger of gas so I could cook myself meals when I was nine years old without worrying about blowing up the house. We didn't eat out a lot or just defrost things, either.

You can cook pretty much anything in it if it's a big enough model. My mom would making Thanksgiving turkeys in it. Admittedly I now prefer making pasta on a range (we didn't have one of those when I was a kid either) but you can make it in the microwave. Using it only for popcorn and burritos is a choice.

You don't "need" any cooking appliance whatsoever. Why the microwave is shameful and the "real" oven is mandatory, I dunno.

To save counterspace you can put it on a shelf, or otherwise hang it, but I do not like this very much as I am only five feet tall and I don't want to drop hot grease on my head.

My microwave is on one of those chrome microwave carts- except its on the middle shelf. My laptop is on the top shelf. I dont think I have to bend over anymore than I would if I were getting something out of the oven.

Mine sits proudly atop the fridge, because it LOOKS like it's aluminum and fits in with the retro aluminum paper-towel/aluminum-foil/wax-paper holder I have in there.

out of site, around the corner, near the floor on an old tv stand.

i used to put it on the fridge. saves counter space & it helps you avoid using it all the time.

My stovetop is hidden from view unless you're actually in the kitchen. I got some plain white electric burner covers at the 99 Cents store (took a while to come across plain white -- most had faux Delft designs or faux Colonial fruit arrangements screened on them) and put them on the burners. I sit my microwave on top of those and plug it into one of the two courtesy outlets. Between my microwave, toaster oven, upper oven, crock pot, and blender, I'm pretty happy. If I need to boil water [Did you know that boiling water in a microwave is dangerous? You can superheat the water and create a sort of "steam bomb".} I move the microwave for the time it takes to boil water/make pasta/carmelize onions and then put it back when I'm done. This soluction returns precious counter space to me and makes the stovetop look less hideous, surprisingly. The microwave is also in a much more effecient spot in the work triangle.

Also, I keep my toaster oven on the shelf beneath the counter. That means if I want to use it, I have to take it out, use it, clean it, and put it back. I saw a segment on HGTV about a couple living in a tiny apartment (1/3 the size of mine) that looked amazing. Their secret was that they were willing to take things out as needed and were scrupulous about putting things away when they were done. I've tried to follow their example. This makes some solutions possible that, although they require some effort, win me more space/less clutter. It's a trade-off I'm willing to make.

I did the worst thing...

I didn't use a microwave. I had my kitchen remodeled( by a designer) and was advised(convinced) for extra counter/ cabinet space to put one built in over my counter depth fridge. I did it. Paid about 1500.00 for a custom cabinet and the microwave. I have had it for 6 months and have only used it twice for someone else.
The rest of my kitchen is great. The microwave looks great just did not need it. I prefer to use my range(Electrolux).I don't ever intend on selling my tiny house. So you should design a kitchen for YOU and you only, no matter what someone says.
Also you save money monthly on your electric bill from a microwave not being plugged in all the time.