Do you mean an over the range microwave or a separate fan and microwave? I would never get an over the range microwave, regardless of how compact the space is. There are minimum standards for spacing of ranges/fans/microwaves and you must adhere to those standards for safety reasons.

Adivra, could you say more about the down side to this? It is a costly purchase and I am not sure about it. Thanks.

APK Designs LLC, the condo rules out exhaust to the outside. It will have to be a filtered exhaust. Does this have implications?

Thanks for the help!

Kathy, are you referring to a microwave-vent combo unit? Installed above a standard 30" wide range? Is there a vent already installed to the outside? We install these all the time, be glad to provide some further advice (venting & electrical requirements) depending on what your desired application is. Cheers, Greg

Thanks for the response, Greg. It is a condo where the vents from the kitchen fans are internal, they cannot go out the wall to the outside. The previous owner had a Jenn Air stove vented to a filtered outlet into the kitchen below the counter. This is all new to me as I have been in an old farmhouse for 40+ years and venting to the outside was clearly assumed.

The space is the standard 30" with no electrical or vent in place at present. What do you think?

Regards and thanks,

Kathryn

Hey Kathy, If that's the case with existing fan/microwave unit, you should have no trouble finding a new combo unit to go above the range. They make tons of models to choose from in the 30" wide version, since 90+% of regular ranges are 30" wide. So you can easily update the look of this space with a new unit, and most new microwave-fan combo's have the capability to be "ducted" to the outside, or stay internal and steer upward to vent out above the microwave. And lots of the newer models now have cool/bright LED lighting which is a plus.

Just keep an eye out for you electrical. The old unit "should" have it's own circuit run to it already, but we see it all the time in older homes, that it shares a circuit. But you don't want to keep blowing a circuit when you turn on this newer (possibly more powerful) microwave, fan, and light.

Hey again Kathy, just noticed you mentioned that there is currently NO electrical above range. An electrician can easily add the line over to this space as it's a pretty common project for them. But just be prepared for a few possible drywall patches that need to be fixed after electricians, but that's no big deal.

The downside that people complain about is (1) that recycled venting is crap. however, you have no choice, so it doesn't really matter whether it's a microwave or a hood; just wash/change the filter as frequently as you can. Venting is more of an issue with gas than with electric, for what that's worth. (2) that they like the look of a sleek modern hood over the stove. However, people around the country have dealt with over-the-range microwaves for decades just fine. I would never try to find another solution in a kitchen that's at all tight for space -- you just sacrifice too much storage. I should note that (3) there are people who don't like a microwave at eye level, but I prefer easy view of the controls to whatever the benefits might be of having it lower (less splash risk? more bending??), and honestly, some of the folks who move the microwave put it above their wall ovens, so this objection seems underwhelming to me.

So plunge ahead with your over-the-range microwave/hood -- there are plenty out there, so just try to get one with a decent filter, as that's all that's servicing you. And open a window when you're cooking a big heap of something. :)

Thank you for the good information. The electrician is working there now and he mentioned that we do not want to underpower this circuit, so I think he will see to that. The drywall repairs are coming next, so I wanted to be clear about removing the cupboard and making the space for the combination unit if that is what we are going to want.

You have been generous in your descriptions. Thanks!

Kathryn

OK, ACM, I will pay particular attention to how good the filter is and how easy it is to get at it and clean it. There is a window right near the range, so that is a plus. Thanks, this has been a really big help.