In deciding the place to place a microwave in a kitchen, there are such a lot of choices obtainable. Having deliberate kitchens earlier than in my work as an inside designer, I can admire {that a} microwave is a key a part of numerous busy kitchens. And getting its location proper is essential.
In the event you’re planning a brand new house kitchen design, or your present microwave placement isn’t feeling fabulous, learn on. Under I’ll cowl off among the finest locations to retailer your microwave, in addition to some areas you’re finest to keep away from regardless of how tempting it could seem.
In case you have any questions on the place to place a microwave in your kitchen, drop them on the finish of the put up within the feedback part and I’ll enable you out.
Picture above is through Carlisle Houses.
1. Underneath the Kitchen Counter
From a visible perspective, putting your microwave oven beneath the kitchen counter can’t be beat. Let’s face it; microwaves aren’t on anybody’s checklist of the sexiest home equipment for the house. Housing it right here beside some decrease cupboards retains it out of sight, however nonetheless simply accessible.
If the cutout across the microwave is bigger than the unit, you’ve area for correct air flow, but in addition room to accommodate kitchen necessities like chopping boards. In a earlier small kitchen of mine I even saved issues like glad wrap, baking paper and tin foil on high, as a result of there was loads of room to take action.
The draw back to a microwave positioned beneath the kitchen counter: The fixed bending down or squatting (not nice in the event you’re of a mature age). And the truth that you possibly can’t see the buttons on the microwave door panel when standing up. I learnt that the laborious means through the nice popcorn burning debacle of 2024, once I set a means longer time than I meant to.
2. Above a Wall Oven
That is by far the most suitable choice in the event you’re constructing your kitchen from scratch. The chance to pick a wall oven and microwave that complement each other and slot into cabinetry completely is a welcome one. That’s the visible ticked off, now let’s speak operate.
By way of usability, built-in microwaves above an oven permit for straightforward entry, for positive. You don’t need to bend all the way down to it both, and you’ll clearly see what you’re doing. Younger youngsters can also’t entry it simply, so there’s a security bonus there too.
On the draw back, having a microwave with a built-in look set at this top may make heating sizzling objects problematic for shorter individuals. There’s alternative for spills and burns in the event you really feel as if your arms are going above your head to succeed in the microwave door.
3. On Prime of a Fridge
We’re a real-world design enterprise, so I do know not everybody has a designer kitchen. Some are small and have little to no counter area. So you actually do need to assume outdoors the field relating to microwave placement. A microwave on high of a fridge although, I’m not bought on.
In case you have a shorter fridge like those in our small fridge roundup, a smaller microwave can work on high of it since you don’t have to succeed in up very excessive. And it actually helps unencumber area in your benchtop for meals prep. However on a tall fridge, it’s a no-deal for me.
Visually it doesn’t look nice stacking two home equipment on each other, and functionally it’s laborious to succeed in. Sizzling meals and plates popping out of a microwave that prime up screams hazard to me.
4. Constructed In At Shoulder Degree
I like this concept, I actually do. It places the microwave at most individuals’s shoulder top, so it’s inside simple attain. Plus, it avoids doable burns from meals spillage since you’re not reaching above your head to steadiness a sizzling bowl out of the microwave.
Having your microwave constructed inside a kitchen cupboard at this top additionally means it’s out of attain of children who’re on the youthful aspect. But it surely’s excessive sufficient that with time they’ll study to entry it safely beneath your supervision.
By way of the place to position this setup in your kitchen, give it some thought logically. Meals that’s being heated is being taken from the fridge or freezer, so finding it in a vertical run of cabinetry not far out of your fridge is a superb concept.
5. Underneath the Higher Cupboards / Over Cooktop
In the event you’re designing your kitchen from scratch, a suspended microwave cupboard that sits beneath an higher run of cabinetry and over the cooktop generally is a nice possibility.
It could actually make the microwave look extra part of the general cooking zone. From a practical perspective, it may possibly make getting ready a meal a complete lot simpler too since you’re not working round to totally different components of the kitchen.
Keep in mind that you just’ll must buy a microwave with a built-in extraction fan. That is widespread for these of you studying from the US however much less widespread in Australia.
6. On a Floating Shelf
It is a welcome boost to an present kitchen. It’s a straightforward DIY repair for these of you who get pleasure from that sorta factor (I actually am horrible at it), and it doesn’t value a lot to implement.
Putting in a couple of cabinets like within the picture above retains the equipment at an easy-reach degree but it surely additionally afford you the flexibility to model up the world as nicely to make it extra visually interesting.
Do make sure you’re fixing the shelf to a stud within the wall although. Microwaves is likely to be small home equipment however they do carry a good bit of weight. The very last thing you need is your complete setup peeling away from the wall.
7. Inside an Present Kitchen Cabinet
In smaller kitchens, you want each inch of precious countertop area you may get your palms on. On this case, why not place your microwave inside a tall cupboard like a pantry?
I did it in my mom’s condominium and it really works a deal with. The microwave can’t be seen when it’s not getting used, there’s sufficient countertop area for meals prep, but it surely’s additionally in shut proximity when wanted.
There was some meals cupboard space to surrender contained in the pantry, however that was a compromise she was keen to make. We additionally needed to set up an influence level inside the cabinet however that wasn’t too expensive both.
8. In a Butler’s Pantry
In the event you’re fortunate sufficient to have a butler’s pantry, you may need to contemplate it as the world the place the actual work occurs, together with your fundamental kitchen being extra of a present piece.
It’s truly the course a variety of house’s are heading it; the butler’s being hidden away with all {the electrical} home equipment and devices housed in it.
We did this for a shopper just lately. The microwave lived within the butler’s pantry, inside a cupboard area with retractable doorways. It labored very well for them. The primary draw back is the additional work in strolling meals from the kitchen to the butler’s to warmth it up.
9. In an Equipment Cabinet
I like an equipment cabinet. In a house with a smaller footprint, it’s the easiest way to get a butler’s pantry vibe with out the associated fee. And you’ll cover ugly kitchen home equipment – together with your microwave – behind a cupboard door.
You can even put a pull-down roller-style door on it and make it your very personal equipment storage. Broom broom!
This zone is a superb microwave placement possibility as a result of it’s close-by however hidden away on the similar time. The cabinet may have {an electrical} outlet inside so every little thing can plug in neatly. And you then’ll have a variety of area left in your countertop for styling (which I like).
10. Straight on the Counter Prime
A countertop microwave is just not going to win any magnificence award anytime quickly, however for a few of us it’s the one place it may possibly stay. On the plus aspect, countertop fashions are a handy possibility. They’re proper there beside all of your different home equipment in a snug day-to-day location.
And there are methods to make it look much less utilitarian too. Putting an over-microwave shelf round your equipment could make your microwave really feel like much less of an unsightly focus, extra intentional. After which have area on high to retailer on a regular basis necessities whereas nonetheless selling air flow.
11. Underneath the Kitchen Island
Storing a microwave throughout the kitchen island is a well-liked possibility for some, but it surely’s a no from this kitchen designer. Be it in a brand new kitchen or present one, the island is a excessive site visitors zone.
It’s the place individuals collect, eat meals, have drinks. The place all of us join. It’s not the perfect place to have microwave doorways swinging open with sizzling meals popping out. It presents too many security considerations for me.
From a kitchen structure perspective, the wall cupboards on the outer edges of the room are the higher areas to retailer home equipment, not in the midst of the kitchen.
12. On a Freestanding Shelf
Questioning the place to place a microwave in a kitchen that doesn’t actually have countertop area or room in a cupboard? Some kitchens are like this. I’ve been in properties that for causes unknown have barely any cabinetry constructed and but loads of area the place it might have been put in.
A freestanding shelf is completely an possibility right here and nice for renters too! It could actually look much more engaging than you assume. The disclaimer is that you just need to guarantee it’s sturdy, deep sufficient, and hooked up to the wall. Rocking cabinets with heavy home equipment on them usually are not suggested.
How you can Decide The place to Put a Microwave In Your Kitchen
You actually need to ask your self a couple of questions, which can enable you decide the place the perfect location on your microwave is:
- How usually do I take advantage of my microwave? On a regular basis means it must be simple to entry. If it’s not usually, place turns into much less vital
- Am I older or have accidents? If that’s the case, bending down low to a microwave in a base cupboard won’t be an excellent possibility
- How tall am I? In the event you’re on the shorter aspect, a microwave up excessive the place burns from meals can happen is just not an amazing place for it
- Do I’ve younger youngsters? If that’s the case, the proper place on your microwave is likely to be at grownup eye or shoulder top to allow them to’t attain it simply but
- Would a typical dimension microwave slot in an present cabinet? This is likely to be the spot for it when you’ve got sufficient kitchen cupboard space however want extra countertop area
Has this put up helped you determine the place to place a microwave in your kitchen? I actually hope so. Drop me a remark beneath is there’s the rest you have to know or ask about and I may also help you out.