Have you all heard of a microwave drawer? I had not heard of one until we started designing our kitchen with my friend and kitchen designer Debra Hupman? Maybe I’m late to this party, but it was a whole new concept for me.
(pantry in last house)
You might recall that we kept our microwave in the pantry in our last house. It certainly wasn’t convenient, but it sure did serve a purpose. I didn’t want to see it sitting on the counter in our kitchen, and we really couldn’t find a place in the design for it. Our pantry was a working pantry, and it’s also where I had my bake station, the blender, the toaster, and a sink. So, putting the microwave in there made perfect sense and worked well for us.
A microwave drawer is just what it sounds like. This is the exact one we are getting, and you can see it here. It is a drawer built into the cabinet design. You pull it out, and what do you know??? It’s a microwave. You set the dishes, bowls, etc. in it, close it, push the buttons, and nuke your food. And by the way, this is not a sponsored post. We just wanted to let you know about it.
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It looks so much better than having a microwave on the counter – at least for me and my family.
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Our island will be very long, and there is plenty of room to place it in the cabinet design there.
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It will also be very convenient in that spot.
If any of you have a microwave drawer, let me know how you like it? I can’t wait to find out.
Take care.
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Sorry, I hate ours and will eventually have it removed. When open it impedes movement in the kitchen, and it makes a terrible grinding noise if it should barely touch someone standing slightly in the wrong place as it opens. The grandkids have run into it repeatedly when cutting through the kitchen. Fortunately none of them have been hurt, as it is just at eye level for the very little ones.
You can’t put anything tall in it, and it doesn’t have a carousel or lazy Susan to rotate items as they are cooked. Thus, when melting chocolate, for example, you set the micro for ten seconds, open it, stir and rotate the chocolate, close it and reset for another ten seconds. Repeat ten to twelve times. Sorry to be a nay sayer, but it is the worst kitchen appliance I have ever had.
Make sure the height will allow your favorite coffee mug to go in the drawer for a reheat.
We had our microwave built into the upper row of cabinets in our kitchen. The controls are just above eye level and we found it to be another great solution to the microwave-placement problem.
I like the convenience and out of the way placement of a microwave drawer, I currently do not have one. I would be concerned with cleaning the top/ceiling, does the door come off like an oven door?
When we moved about 6 years ago, the kitchen had this feature and I love it.
I would think that it would be difficult to program it given the height in your family. Seems like you would constantly be bending down to see the control panel. As a former microwave cooking instructor, I would definitely not get one without a turntable in it. One that is built in more at eye level seems like it would be much more user friendly if you want to keep it off the counter top. I have two microwaves in my kitchen and I always go to the one built in at eye level more than the one that is lower down.
You know the height of the family as I do 🙂
Seems this drawer appliance is either loved or hated. There are so many options available to build in a microwave. When we undertook the kitchen remodel for our house I needed to maximize space and move the microwave from above a wall oven. The microwave is built in slightly lower than upper cabinet height and we love it. I am tall so it doesn’t bother me to have it high but shorter folks might prefer a built in option at the end of an island for example. There are a million ideas on Pinterest. Mine is a GE with a trim kit that makes a seamless installation and is easy to replace if needed. Cheers!
While we did not have a microwave drawer, we had one built into our island. At 5’3”, I loved it. My 6’3” husband hated it. He could not easily see the numbers and he hated reaching down to use it. He removed it and got one for the counter — of course, I hate that one.
Whoops! We didn’t even think about that for my Mike…….Stay tuned!
Great story, and thanks for your interest in microwave drawers. I work with Sharp who recently introduced the Micro-WAVE Drawer, which opens simply with the wave of a hand. The sleek appliance comes with a Touch Glass Control panel that is easy-to-see and operate at a convenient 45-degree angle, and is deep enough to accommodate a 4-quart casserole dish or a 20-oz beverage cup. We’re happy to connect if you’d like to learn more!
Wow!!!