Sunday, April 24th, 2011
Why microwave drawers are a great solution
Out of the way, free up countertop space
I was tooling around on Houzz this weekend & came across this question about whether people who have drawer microwaves (specifically located in an island) like them.
One of our clients is very excited about the microwave drawer we’ll be putting into their island. They share the same reasons discussed in the Houzz thread:
- it’s not above the range or cooktop
- it’s tucked out of the way & doesn’t take up counterspace
- food can be stirred or flipped without removing the dish from the oven
- it’s a great way to teach kids how to prepare their own food, even if it’s just popcorn
- it’s easier to lift a hot dish out & up rather than out & down
Many drawer microwaves come with a childproof control lock so you’re not nuking Jr.’s favorite Tonka truck.
Another reason not to have the microwave over the range is if there are multiple cooks – or one main cook isn’t interrupted by someone who just wants to reheat their coffee.
We had some clients last year that got one of those for their kitchen. They like it. It has the push-button open and close, and it does look cool. Their first unit was a bit noisy, but the supplier replaced it quickly.
I am not personally a fan of these units. First off, they don’t have that much room inside. Per one of their specs they have 1.2 cu. ft. capacity (holds 9″ x 13″ dish). But the dimensions of the unit are 23 7/8″w x 15 13/32″h x 26 3/16″d. So, they actually take up a bunch of space. I am also not crazy about stooping down to operate the controls on these. I love gadgets and gizmos, but I think I will pass on this one.
The other big problem I see is 5 years from now when this unit breaks down will they be able to get a unit to exactly fit where this one is installed?