I know people will be horrified by it, but if it works for them...
I have the world's tiniest kitchen, and I hate microwaves.
I only have one because other people in the house insist.
So it's nesting on top of my fridge. (awkward, but not hideous--it's white, like the fridge).

many friends in germany kept toasters on the table. oh, how i miss those leisurely and tasty breakfasts. :)

I know several people who do this, and the setup works just fine.

It works, yes, but it's not good design.

What about a microwave with a grill facility? Kill two birds ...

Mine is also on top of my fridge. I'm sure it would be safer on the table, but my kitchen table isn't much larger than the microwave, so it wouldn't work for me.

Doesn't look bad at all!

I really should try hiding my big and ugly microwave in the cupboard, thanks for reminding me.

Putting an exercise machine in the center of the living room, a cat-litter box in the kitchen and a beer-cooler next to the bed could be considered practical too...

It fits that room in that vignette. That's all that matters. Design is all about problem solving. Sometimes you have to find a way of making your needs works. Kitchens are workrooms; they are all about function. In this room this works well; color, scale, shape, and function are all dead-on. Frankly, the radiator is more distracting to me.

I say, ignore all of those "rules" and do what works. That's what trendsetters do. And the others follow....

hey I like that beer cooler next to the bed idea!

In the pic above the microwave on the table works just fine and I don't see how a toaster oven won't work, usually they are much smaller and therefore less obtrusive on the table than your typical small microwave.

I have a red Emerson microwave that I stash in the pantry that's next to the fridge and I just use a heavy duty extension cord from behind the fridge to plug the microwave into that. Works just fine and it's off the counters which in my kitchen are miniscule and are used for other needs. I also use the top shelf of theh pantry for the crock pot, the mixer and blender but since teh pantry does not have doors, they can still be seen and look nice too.

And I should say that w/ the mixer, blender and crockpot, they sit up there until needed and I just bring them down to the counter at time of use, clean and put away. Works for me.

I love the light over the table! We are looking for something like this, so the photo is inspiration in other ways to us!

http://www.makemineeclectic.wordpress.com

Harsh, some of you!

If it works for you, do it. We have a nice toaster oven (which actually makes great toast -- so we don't have a popup toaster) and it has a spot on the kitchen counter. It's white, our kitchen appliances are stainless, and I wish the oven blended better, but it's a tool we use nearlly every day and it is useful enough to compensate for it's lack of beauty.

My grandmother had her toaster on her breakfast table for years, so all she had to do was swivel to the breadbox on the counter behind her and make breakfast. If you have a small space, you do what you need to do. A little pragmatism is not a bad thing.

Is this really such a groundbreaking idea?

Looks horrible. What's the point of this post? Here's the Q: Would it look better without the micro? Answer: Yes, absolutely. Do you want to look at a microwave while you eat?!

You would have to be careful with an electrical chord so close to the heater in the winter. I would probably be more prone to come up with a cheap table or shelf idea somewhere on that wall space beside the table.

I'm not sure that you have to displace the microwave to accommodate the toaster oven. Like @ciddyguy suggests, keeping appliances stored in cupboards and only taking them out when you need them would work best. So I'd suggest leaving the microwave where it is and only bringing the toaster oven out when you use it (which may not be more than once a week). We keep our blender and toaster in the cupboard and our microwave on top of the fridge. Works well.

A microwave on any open table/counter surface is definitely not good design (which of course has nothing to do with practicality).

It's a bother, but I put our toaster oven away (in another room when not in use); they are so unsightly and take up a lot of valuable space, no matter where it goes.

Thank god it's nearly dead, soon I'll be able to throw it out.
One less thing to think about.

I can understand why so many would find this cringe-worthy, but they've made it work. So be it. We can't all have picture perfect kitchens ;)

I don't understand why people are so determined to have their microwaves hidden. What's the big deal? Buy one that isn't the ugliest one in the store, and put it where ever is easiest for you to use, based on how often you use it. If you use it once a month, put it in a cabinet. I use mine daily, and it sits proudly and happily above my fridge.

When I lived in a teeny tiny flat in Helsinki I had no counter space, so I stored my toaster in a top cupboard and had it on the table when in use.

Friends of mine have it on their windowsill!

Kitchen are much much more about function than design.

Toaster on the windowsill. Sweet! Like the old diners (age showing here) that had toasters on the tables. Toast is always fresh