Above-the-Stove Microwave Oven Installation

Height

• Before deciding to install a microwave oven over your stove, you need to be certain you have the necessary available space. The Bosch Manufacturing Company recommends that you have at least 30 inches of space between the stove and the bottom of the kitchen cabinet located over the stove. If the cabinet is any lower, then you may be exposing your microwave to dangerous levels of heat from the stove top, and you will also make it difficult to use taller pots on the stove top. You and anyone else that may need the microwave will also need to be able to safely access it. Remember that you will be reaching over the stove to use the microwave and safety is of premium importance.

Necessary Surfaces

• To properly install a microwave over over a stove, you will need a wall to hold the mounting plate and a kitchen cabinet to install the anchor screws through. If you do not have a wall behind your stove, then ask the advice of a certified construction professional on how to safely install your microwave. Install the mounting plate into the wooden wall studs or use the drywall anchors that came with the installation kit.

Venting

• Microwave ovens give off heated air during cooking. When you install a microwave over a stove, that heated air will need a way to safely vent away from the stove. If you are planning on buying a microwave specifically to be installed above the stove, then you should consider getting one that recirculates the air rather than venting it. It is easier to install, but it does require filters to be changed on a regular basis. Another situation that would benefit from a recirculating microwave is if your kitchen is in the middle of your home and does not have a wall with outside access. Your other option is to install a duct system from the top of your microwave, through the base of your cabinet, up into the cabinet and then out the wall.

Option

• According to the This Old House website, if your microwave oven is significantly narrower than your cabinets and stove top, then it may look awkward being installed over the stove. If you want to save countertop space but have a smaller microwave, then consider installing it over the counter as opposed to over the stove. You could install it over the counter directly next to the stove and still have convenient access to both your stove top and microwave oven.