Microwave Drawer? Gimmick or Gotta have?

[FINFAN]

So our oven has decided it is done. Bought the basic GE freestanding when we built this house 22 years ago. We have had a small counter microwave the whole time, not one over the range/oven. So you know how Pandora's box goes when a home improvement rears it's ugly head...doing research on a replacement oven, I learned about the latest trend of microwave drawers. I like the thought of out of the way and not looming over the range/dark and cumbersome...but it seems so low to me and like it will contain smells (as in popcorn, fish etc ) and heat, has to vent somewhere, right? We have an island so 'technically" I can cough up the space~but what if we we are looking to sell in the next 5 years? I hate trends (only because Ii can't afford to keep up with them, lol) and don't want to add cost obviously. We can afford 2 updates to our kitchen~the appliances and the counter tops (hoping to pull of switching to quartz from laminate). Footprint, cabinets, floor all staying the same
Who has one, who wants one, who thinks it's a dufus idea?
Also, our appliances are black currently ( well, oven is white, as it held out the longest on being replaced)

 

[Jaya]

My sister has one of those. The two things I don't like about it is that it is low and you have to reach down into it to pick up the food, so the steam comes up in your face and hers doesn't have a glass front, just stainless steel, so you can't see if anything is boiling over. Oh, and it cost over $1000, too, so that would rule it out for me. The one advantage is that it is sleeker than an over-the-stove or countertop model.

 

[shelly3girls]

We love ours. I like that it isn't tall so I can open the drawer and stir without taking down. Unlike the one I had above my oven I can see in the bowls again without taking them down. Mine has a glass front so I can still see inside if I want. I don't think I'll ever go back to a regular one. We have all high end appliances but chose to go basic with the microwave. It's in the island on the back side so no one sees it but me. That said, it's does a great job and is much better than all previous ones I have owned.

 

[lorimay]

I think they look awesome in the drawer like that.
We are building a new home right now, sadly, it wasn't an option, all they are offering is over the stove, I would have put it in the drawer in a heartbeat if I could have.

Good Luck!

 

[tvguy]

We put one in almost 2 years ago when we remodeled. Yes, it does take a while to get used to looking down. Ours is a Sharp and it has a window to look in, but of course, it is not at eye level, but neither is the regular oven! The reason the designer suggested a drawer microwave is because it allows someone to be working on the stove and oven, without being in the way of someone using the microwave. Been through 2 Thanksgivings and 2 Christmases with it, the only time we tend to have a crowd in the kitchen, and it is nice to not have people in the way.
Yes, they are expensive. Too soon to tell about reliability, but the it is built like a tank. Only thing we didn't like was Sharp.......literally as we were ordering ours........stopped offering colored fronts, it only comes in stainless. The fridge, dishwasher, hood and stove/oven are bisque, but it looks okay. Never had an issue with odors or venting. But by using the drawer microwave, instead of a micro-hood vent, we have a MUCH more powerful vent system over the stove, and it sucks any steam, odors, smoke right out. Haven't set the smoke detector off if something is burning on the stove since we put that mega vent hood in.

 

[IDoDis]

I would spend the money on updating the cabinets if yours are oak colored or updating the flooring and not on on this drawer. We've been slowly updating our kitchen and switched from a counter-top microwave to one over the stove (both stainless), new counters, painted the cabinets white (no more outdated oak), and we just picked out new tile for the floors. Those things will increase your resale value more than a microwave drawer, assuming you can't do every update you want. We are doing these things to help with a faster sale and increased resale value when we list the house in late spring.

I've been looking at houses online and cringe at the kitchens that have outdated looking garbage disposals. Those things remind me of the Diaper Genie. The idea was good, but pee-u and they really scream "outdated." If/when you sell, a buyer is going to look at the overall appearance of your kitchen. If you have outdated cabinets and flooring, but have a microwave drawer, the outdated items are going to stand out even more.

If everything in the kitchen is new and up to date, then get the microwave drawer. That would be the last item on my list of updates though.

 

[minnie mum]

I would love to have one, but the $1000 price tag was too much. Instead, we have a standard microwave on a shelf under the counter. There's a drawer underneath it that's just the right size to store all my casserole dishes, etc. This way my counter top space is freed up and I have my big exhaust fan over the stove top.

 

[tvguy]

I would love to have one, but the $1000 price tag was too much. Instead, we have a standard microwave on a shelf under the counter. There's a drawer underneath it that's just the right size to store all my casserole dishes, etc. This way my counter top space is freed up and I have my big exhaust fan over the stove top.

They are expensive, but not $1,000. $854.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_586714-467-KB6524PS_1z0ynwx__?productId=50128922&pl=1

 

[FINFAN]

I would love to have one, but the $1000 price tag was too much. Instead, we have a standard microwave on a shelf under the counter. There's a drawer underneath it that's just the right size to store all my casserole dishes, etc. This way my counter top space is freed up and I have my big exhaust fan over the stove top.

This sounds like what we were thinking..DH is 6"4 and I am 5'9~ the whole in the drawer thing sounds so low to us. DH is NOT a fan, I see the appeal, but wonder if it will fade out in future years? For those that have it, does it permanently alter your drawer/cabinet? Can you reverse no problem?

 

[minnie mum]

They are expensive, but not $1,000. $854.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_586714-467-KB6524PS_1z0ynwx__?productId=50128922&pl=1

$1000 in Canada would be one helluva good sale price.

 

[tvguy]

I would spend the money on updating the cabinets if yours are oak colored or updating the flooring and not on on this drawer. We've been slowly updating our kitchen and switched from a counter-top microwave to one over the stove (both stainless), new counters, painted the cabinets white (no more outdated oak), and we just picked out new tile for the floors. Those things will increase your resale value more than a microwave drawer, assuming you can't do every update you want. We are doing these things to help with a faster sale and increased resale value when we list the house in late spring.

I've been looking at houses online and cringe at the kitchens that have outdated looking garbage disposals. Those things remind me of the Diaper Genie. The idea was good, but pee-u and they really scream "outdated." If/when you sell, a buyer is going to look at the overall appearance of your kitchen. If you have outdated cabinets and flooring, but have a microwave drawer, the outdated items are going to stand out even more.

If everything in the kitchen is new and up to date, then get the microwave drawer. That would be the last item on my list of updates though.

You raise a very very good, and difficult question to answer. Are you doing this for you, or are you trying to do it for the next owner? The 4 real estate agents I interviewed when I sold my parents house in 2013 were unanimous in telling me not to do a single upgrade that wasn't required by code. At best, odds are 50-50 that your upgrade is going to be what the next owners want. So even if you are only planning to stay 5 years, I'd lean towards upgrades YOU like.

For us, it was easy. Our house was built in 1979, and we bought it in 1983. It was unchanged....exactly as built....until 2 years ago. Our remodel was to convert our "raise a family" house into our "retirement" house. Hopefully replacing all those contractors quality items that lasted 35 years, with top quality stuff will mean we never have to replace anything again.

And I am highly amused by your "no more outdated oak" painted white cabinets comment. The big home improvement show is going on here this weekend, and we went yesterday. Looking at the show program, the ads for cabinet companies are all touting replacing those "ugly painted" cabinets with "luxurious oak". So you either ahead of the trend curve, or behind it. I do know that we were told by our designer that the trend 2 years ago was back to wood and away from paint. We had considered painted cabinets. And for the record, our kitchen cabinets were dark dark wood, we replaced them with natural alder.

 

[tvguy]

This sounds like what we were thinking..DH is 6"4 and I am 5'9~ the whole in the drawer thing sounds so low to us. DH is NOT a fan, I see the appeal, but wonder if it will fade out in future years? For those that have it, does it permanently alter your drawer/cabinet? Can you reverse no problem?

Well, our cabinets were built for the drawer microwave. But all that means is there is an electrical outlet in the back of a fully finished cabinet box under the counter with a drawer below it. You certainly could pull out our hood vent and put a microwave-vent combo over the stove, and use the box where the drawer microwave was for storage. It would just be an open box with no doors. Certainly could store cookbooks or pots and pans there. Other than undoing 4 screws, and unplugging the microwave, it would require no work at all.
But again, our mindset was different. We don't care what anyone else thinks, or trends. This remodel was to give my wife the kitchen she wanted. We were both 55 when we did the remodel, and we spared no expense to build a kitchen my wife will be happy with for the rest of our lives.
I will add, our 24 year old daughter still lives at home, and she and a couple of girlfriends regularly cook/bake in our kitchen and love the space and being able to have one of them at the oven/stove, one at the microwave (and the counter over it) and another at the sink or other counter space all at the same time and not being in each other's way. Throw in that my wife often is in there helping, 4 adult women can work quite nice in the space.

 

[Jaya]

They are expensive, but not $1,000. $854.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_586714-467-KB6524PS_1z0ynwx__?productId=50128922&pl=1

Lowes has them up $1399. $854 is a lower-priced one.

 

[tvguy]

Lowes has them up $1399. $854 is a lower-priced one.

Okay, that is the one I have. It is the same price I paid for it at the high end appliance store.

 

[FINFAN]

Thanks all~ lots of real life help! I think it will be cost prohibitive for us, and we are keeping our oak cabinets and hard wood floors so guess we will look into maybe a range/oven that is backless so the microwave doesn't look so cumbersome above it. We also have soffits (gasp) and not 42" cabinets that I think really complete the look of the trending fancy hood etc. At this point, I think we are going to go minimum, enjoy having appliances that match and try to stay on budget as best as possible. Our newest car is an '07 and she needs new shoes, lol. I always like to have more than enough in the auto repair fund. I really, REALLY want to move from IL to warmer digs and am protecting that relo budget fiercely as well

 

[Jaya]

Okay, that is the one I have. It is the same price I paid for it at the high end appliance store.

Good for you. Sounds like you got a good deal.

 

[CPanther95]

This sounds like what we were thinking..DH is 6"4 and I am 5'9~ the whole in the drawer thing sounds so low to us. DH is NOT a fan, I see the appeal, but wonder if it will fade out in future years? For those that have it, does it permanently alter your drawer/cabinet? Can you reverse no problem?

I'm only 6'2", but I can tell you it's not an issue for me. We have loved ours for the past 7 years. Only downside on ours - that they fixed 2 revisions ago - is that it is just a bit too short for a Starbucks Venti cup.

Placement is far better than an over the stove version. Slightly worse than on counter top. But counter top space is a premium and saving that much counter space made it a no-brainer for us. We'll never go back.

Worst possible placement - especially for someone taller than 5'0" - is putting a standard microwave under the counter.

 

[CPanther95]

Lowes has them up $1399. $854 is a lower-priced one.

Functionally both are basically identical. I just put the newer one in a house I built for my daughter - but I prefer the version 1 revision back with the keypad exposed.

Another note: Sharp is the patent holder and manufactures all microwave drawers for all brands. Only the fronts vary depending on the brand.

 

[tvguy]

Another note: Sharp is the patent holder and manufactures all microwave drawers for all brands. Only the fronts vary depending on the brand.

You are correct.

 

[IDoDis]

And I am highly amused by your "no more outdated oak" painted white cabinets comment. The big home improvement show is going on here this weekend, and we went yesterday. Looking at the show program, the ads for cabinet companies are all touting replacing those "ugly painted" cabinets with "luxurious oak". So you either ahead of the trend curve, or behind it. I do know that we were told by our designer that the trend 2 years ago was back to wood and away from paint. We had considered painted cabinets. And for the record, our kitchen cabinets were dark dark wood, we replaced them with natural alder.

Oak cabinets ARE outdated (sorry to break it to you). White, black, cherry and of course high quality medium to darker woods are in, but not your standard oak that scream 90s. Just do a google search for kitchen cabinet trends and see what you find. You won't find much oak at all and the oak you will find is a different cut and looks different than what I'm referring to. I'll help with what came up at the top of my google search:

http://www.hgtv.com/remodel/kitchen-remodel/kitchen-cabinet-styles-and-trends-pictures

http://www.bhg.com/kitchen/cabinets/styles/top-10-cabinetry-trends/

http://blog.kitchenmagic.com/blog/b...Color-Style-Combinations#sthash.suxPnzig.dpbs

Replacing cabinets is very expensive but painting them a neutral shade can really brighten up a kitchen. White cabinets are timeless, so I completely disagree with you. Changing out our old bisque appliances to stainless, changing out the counters (we opted to stay with laminate due to the cost and the price range of the house, but it looks like granite), and painting over the 90s looking oak made a dramatic difference. The white cabinets with the stainless steel give the kitchen a clean, open look and paint is much cheaper than replacing cabinets. Our realtor said we've already added $10k to the value of our home and we only spent 4k. Our carpeting was a very high quality when we built the home 17 years ago and it's held up well, but it's a hard sell if we don't upgrade the flooring, so we are replacing the kitchen and bathroom tile that is outdated and chipped, and we're putting in wood laminate in the rest of the downstairs rooms. Our home will sell quicker and we'll make our money back and then some. We are kicking ourselves for not having done some of this sooner so we could enjoy it longer.

The house you were selling sounds much older than our home if your realtor was talking about code issues. In that case, it was probably best to sell w/out the upgrades at a lower price and let the new owners revamp. Most buyers who are looking in the price range of our home want a move-in ready house.