Kitchen Cabinet Ideas for a Microwave

Drawers

• Sturdy, shallow drawers installed beneath upper cabinets are good for small microwaves that are used mainly for reheating leftovers or warming beverages. This placement puts the appliance at eye level when the drawer is pulled out so users can easily see the food they are cooking and makes cleaning the oven’s interior easier than with microwaves placed on overhead shelves. The microwave is easily pushed out of sight when not in use.

Cabinet Placement Options

• If you use the microwave on a daily basis for cooking foods from scratch, place it in a cabinet in between the refrigerator and sink for convenient access to ingredients and dish washing. In a modern kitchen with low windows, you can create visual flow by building a microwave cabinet at the same level as the window between an upper cabinet and the countertop. In households where the microwave is mostly used to prepare snacks, placing the oven in a cabinet adjacent to the breakfast bar is handy. Microwaves that are rarely used fit well into corner cabinets. In kitchens where two cooks typically work together, it’s best to have the conventional range and microwave on opposite sides of the room to avoid collisions.

Creating Illusions

• You can make your black microwave almost invisible by displaying it in a freestanding black wall cabinet attached to black wall shelves. You can also use a narrow ceiling-to-floor cabinet unit of any color with multiple doors to hide a microwave oven by converting the cabinet door closest to eye level to a retractable door that slides into the cabinet, similar to how a garage door operates. Place the oven on a sliding shelf that can be pulled forward to access the microwave after the garage-type door is raised over the top of the microwave.

Specifications

• According to the National Kitchen & Bathroom Association, NKBA, the ideal position for a microwave oven is 24 to 48 inches off the floor to prevent spillage of hot foods and liquids common in overhead access. Before allocating space for the oven, carefully measure all angles of the appliance. The depth and height are particularly important if you are installing a trim kit and to leave adequate space for venting around the appliance. In small kitchens, pay close attention to the microwave door before installation to ensure it doesn’t hit other appliances or cabinets when opened.