Over the range, microwave ovens, etc.

[combo52]

Over the range microwave ovens were one of the worst ideas ever widely used in kitchens.

It’s a very dangerous place to put a microwave oven not only burn hazards from working over a stove, but when you have a stove top fire, the thing can catch on fire and the rest of the house can be lost when all the plastic starts melting and burning and dripping down on the stove top fire, for this reason they’re illegal in many countries in Europe and elsewhere. I read some years ago that US insurance companies were considering charging an extra charge to homeowners that had this product because of the high rate of damage when a kitchen range top fire occurs.

Best place for a microwave Oven is on a dedicated shelf built in with the cabinetry or possibly built-in to cabinetry possibly above a wall open etc.. Of course you can put one on the countertop but why take up all your nice countertop space and then you have this big heavy clunky thing on the counter that you have to move to clean around and under it, etc..

John L

 

[donprohel]

Best place for a microwave Oven is on a dedicated shelf built in with the cabinetry or possibly built-in to cabinetry possibly above a wall open etc.. Of course you can put one on the countertop but why take up all your nice countertop space [...]

For instance, not to take up all my nice cabinet space

 

[phillymatt53]

For instance, not to take up all my nice cabinet space

I don't have much choice in my small galley kichen, however I manage pretty well.
The microwave has its place just above the Kitchenaid DW.
And next to the fridge is my "prep" area.

 

[magic_clean]

Probably the "root" cause of the stove top fires can be traced to the I-phone and its non-stop distractions.

-LP

P.S. John, please don't give the Homeowners insurance companies any more ideas on how they can justify rate increases. It's a shake down already!

 

[phillymatt53]

Probably the "root" cause of the stove top fires can be traced to the I-phone and its non-stop distractions.
-LP
P.S. John, please don't give the Homeowners insurance companies any more ideas on how they can justify rate increases. It's a shake down already!

Oh my!
Blaming that wonderful and convenient cellphone and its endless "apps" that are so attractive and needed by humans.
Billions of humans across the planet depend on those things!...... in order to live!
Even the naked tribes in the African jungles are now learning the best way to split a coconut open or build a fire by using an "App"!

 

[parunner58]

I would never have anything else. My mom had the range with the two ovens Hi/Lo. I loved it. When I bought my first house in 1984, I got a GE Profile micro/convection when I needed to replace the regular countertop microwave in the early 90's, so I could have a second baking oven. When we remodeled the whole kitchen, I got the Profile range with the convection oven and smooth top. My second house I did the same. I never had any burn, spill damage. I believe it is just a preference and cooking habit people have. I do not like the microwaves that are now being put in the lower cabinets, being 5'11'' I would find that very awkward to try set the controls. Especially with bifocals.

 

[qsd-dan]

I used OTR microwaves for 26 years, never a problem except for microwaves dying on average every 10 years. Yay for modern junk!

 

[petek]

My issue with them is they aren't very good exhaust fans . I spent extra on getting a powerful hood fan with 600 fpm which handles any smoke or unpleasant smells, so long as I can remind the other half to turn it on . LOL.

 

[rp2813]

No fan of OTR nukers here. I'm stuck with one for the time being. There's so little clearance that I can't see into a pot on the back burner (the most BTUs) unless I open the door to the microwave and stick my head partly into its cavity.

 

[luxflairguy]

Lynn and I had an OTR in our first condo. It was a GE and had a flip-out glass panel to help capture fumes. It worked OK but the best way to capture fumes was to place a paper towel over unused side. Increased the airflow immensely! But it wasn't vented outside only re-circulating! Greg

 

[neptunebob]

I think it would be great to have a microwave oven built flush into a wall, but you would have to have another room or closet behind the unit. I thought I saw one like that in one of the photos here of Christmas dinner.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

well, can't live with, can't live without...

a microwave, period...

not everybody has that premium counter-space, me included...

the over range, over range,--somewhere over my stove top...,--if microwaves were meant to melt like lemon drops, mounted over those flaming hot burning stove-tops and cooking pots...

So, right now, as my microwave still works, somehow the part of the cord right at the plug in the single-outlet over it is a bit dangerously getting frayed, and the failure to sometimes cover our food has gotten the inside beyond crud-ily splattered, we'll see how a new improved LED-cook top light and missing out on the blue LED displays to the most-likely WHITE ones will be on the readout, while we're bearing with the tired and out of fashion green, eerily and wearily staring back at us after those started out in RED...

Aside from the occasional reheating, it is good for making rice, I dislike my wife cooking eggs, though she manages to nuke it without it exploding everywhere contributing to the perpetual mess, but she won't rub the remaining yolks off the bowl, very thoroughly with the two slices of bread, when I insist she use a spatula, oil and a pan...

(More later!)