Microwave vent hood - yay or nay?

[ASusan]

Having the microwave (for those who have/use one) above the stove and serve as the vent hood seems to be all the rage these days in new kitchens. I'm not in love with the idea of lifting hot food above my head, and I've heard that the vents are less powerful than in a traditional vent hood. However, there isn't a ton of counter space or cabinet space to put the microwave. (And, no, we're not going to ditch the microwave. Nice thought, but I know it wouldn't work for us.)

So, do you have one? Do you like it? Did you intentionally avoid one?

Tell me all about it!

[cristeen]

After breaking two microwave glass trays this way (the one that's part of the microwave), I'll never put an appliance above chest level again. At $85 a piece to replace them, it's a pricey mistake.

They are not nearly as powerful, nor do most of them vent to the outside, which is what you really want for a stove vent.

[ASusan]

See, we're building...and we're paying extra to have an outside vent for the stove. But, we think we want the microwave above the stove with the vent. Is it even possible or worth it to try to do this?

The air has to take a 90 degree turn at the back of the stove, and then be piped 5-6 horizontal feet to the outside. I've heard that one reason the micro-hoods don't work as well is that the air has to make more twists and turns to even get outside the unit (let alone then vent to where you want it to go). Will the micro-hood even be able to get the air to take the turn and then out the pipe?

But I don't want my micro cluttering the scarce counter space!

Aahh! And we're meeting with the site manager TODAY about these issues, and I'm not sure what the answer is. We need to tell them whether to go ahead with the outside venting...

[slsurface]

I don't have one, but have been considering getting one to help clean up the counter space too. My house has an exterior-venting hood already, but I'm not sure what products with a microwave can do this. I would definitely go for an exterior vent. Our last apartment vented in the house, which just moves the greasy mess up to your cabinets instead of behind your stove :.

[bender]

Our kitchen has a built in shelf for a microwave, so it's not on the counter. That might be an option for you.

Plus, when I've seen houses for sale with the vent-microwave, the microwave always looks ancient, which really dates the kitchen, imo.

[ASusan]

Yeah, I think we're going to keep the venting outside. We will discuss having a hanging shelf for the micro. but if it ends up over the stove, it should be ok for our needs. We do cook smelly things like curry and garlic. But we don't do a lot of really high heat cooking (stir-fry). (except when DH heats our ONE non-stick pan on high...arrrugh...but that's another rant, and the behavior should change when we get a gas stove.)

And we have a slider in the adjoining dining room, and a door to the garage in the adjoining mud room... so we should have plenty of opportunities for cross-ventilation should we burn a steak or something.

And we make curry in the crock-pot most of the time anyway! :

[lovemyfamily6]

We have a microwave over our stove and I LOVE it!! I'd never go back to one on the counter again. We use ours mostly for reheating leftovers or boiling water. I don't use the vent a ton but when I have, it has worked just fine. I really love having the free counter space too.

[cristeen]

Another thing to keep in mind. When the microwave breaks, then what?

My parents built their microwave into the cabinet (this was 20+ years ago). When the microwave died, they pulled it out, and no microwave since has come close to fitting that hole. So either they use it as a shelf for the microwave, which looks weird, or they use it as a shelf for various things (plates, dishes, etc.), which also looks weird. Microwaves do not have a standard size, and 5 or 10 years from now when it dies, the likelihood of being able to find another one the exact same size to replace it is very slim.

[ASusan]

But isn't it standard if it is above the stove? It has to be 30 inches wide, because that's the width of the stove. It has to be 16-20 inches deep, because the upper cabinets come out 16 inches...and it can't go too much further out than that,.

I understand it not fitting perfectly into a cabinet or specially made place. My parents cut a piece of their cupboard out in 1978 to accommodate our new microwave...luckily the microwave still works, but it sure is ancient-looking. But to fit above a traditional-sized stove and serve as a vent hood, it seems pretty standard.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by ASusan

But isn't it standard if it is above the stove? It has to be 30 inches wide, because that's the width of the stove. It has to be 16-20 inches deep, because the upper cabinets come out 16 inches...and it can't go too much further out than that,.

Width only. Height and depth vary by manufacturer. Just a quick search turned up
Whirlpool models are Width: 29 15/16 in.; Height: 17 1/4 in.; Cutout Depth: 13 in.
But GE models are H 16 13/32" W 29 7/8" D 15 1/4" or H 16 13/32" W 35 7/8" D 15 1/4" , and
Kenmores are Depth, 13 in. Height, 16-1/2 in. Width, 30 in.

Since the hood has to be a specific distance from the stovetop in order to work properly, those variations can make a difference.

[phoebemommy]

Our house came with the microwave above the stove, and I like it for its space saving qualities. HOWEVER, the vent doesn't go outside, it basically blows back into the kitchen. Is this what you're talking about? I don't fully understand how it's supposed to be, like if I could hire someone to build a pipe in the cupboard above it to vent the air outside. But I have to say, everything in the kitchen tends to have a layer of grease on it because of the lack of venting. I try to open a window while cooking but I'm in Alaska, so, this isn't always doable. So I say, whatever you do, make sure the vent goes outside. I don't know what the people before us were thinking the way they did ours.

[ASusan]

Yup, the vent IS going outside (we're paying extra for it to do so), but I was unsure if we could get a micro/vent that woudl be strong enough to vent the air the 90 degree turn at the back of the stove, and then the 6 feet to the outside.