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chrisgsxt19 10-22-2013 01:02 PM

Drawer microwave under GAS cooktop??
Is it possible(safe more importantly) to put a drawer microwave under a gas cooktop near the incoming natural gas line? I have enough room and this cabinet is not used for anything but is this a potential hazard?

joecaption 10-22-2013 01:10 PM

Not a safety issue just a pain to have to bend over all the time to use it.

wkearney99 10-22-2013 01:20 PM

I'd seriously question whether you want an under-counter unit, let alone a drawer one. The effort to get things in and out safely is something to keep in mind. It's one thing to lift and place things into it at counter level or over the range height. Now picture doing the same gestures down under the counter level. Like pulling something steamed up and out of a drawer... not my ideal choice.

But for a disability situation, yeah, under counter would be nice. But not a drawer, as again you have to think about the in and down nature of a drawer as opposed to just into a door opening.

chrisgsxt19 10-22-2013 01:25 PM

this is for my wife who is only 5'3" so she has a hard time reaching the microwave that's OTR(currently on it's last leg) with the measurements i did the drawer microwave would be just below her waist so not much bending down for her. With just a built in regular style microwave put in the lower cabinets she would have to bend down to get things out.

wkearney99 10-22-2013 01:38 PM

Yeah, over the range sucks. It's either too high for shorter folks, or too low and it blocks access to the pots on the stovetop for taller people.

I'm not sure that a drawer would be any different, height-wise than just a regular one. I guess, yeah, you'd have to reach in to load/unload it. As opposed to pulling out the drawer and then just reaching down. But then you've got a drawer pulled all the way out, blocking the path. At least with a door you can more readily open/close it and not be blocking movement.

chrisgsxt19 10-22-2013 01:42 PM

if it were me, I'd get one and plop it on the counter and call it a day BUT my wife doesn't like the look/hassle of an OTR and won't settle for one on the counter so my only option is to get her a drawer one or I may have to start cooking

firehawkmph 10-22-2013 09:46 PM

I've installed a couple of the Sharp drawer units in islands. I don't particularly care for them. The drawers are an effort to pull out and shut compared to a regular drawer. The controls were on the top edge of the drawer and didn't seem to easy to see and use. Also for the money, they seem expensive and aren't deep enough to put a normal travel mug in. Go take a good look at one on display somewhere and try it and see what you think.
Mike Hawkins:)

wkearney99 10-22-2013 10:16 PM


Originally Posted by chrisgsxt19 (Post 1256588)

Well, just don't plan the layout in a way that leave you stuck with only the drawer. I think they're crap, none of the ones I've seen or tried ever came across as reliably-built compared to one with a door. I'd take a cheap one with a simple door hinge over a drawer, any day. The drawer just seem like they're asking for break-downs. And heaven help you if you have to clean up a big mess inside of one.

So make sure wherever the drawer gets mounted that the space will be capable of holding a regular one later. Lots of the 'built-in' ones are pretty much the same dimensions as a counter model. They just gouge you for a trim kit to get the built-in look. Just make sure your cabinetry could accommodate one like that later, when the drawer unit bites it.

That or make sure the actual counter areas have a possible spot for it, AND that there's a circuit to power it.

Two Knots 10-23-2013 10:38 AM

I've been thinking a lot about this since I first saw your post.
Friends of ours had an island unit made with a counter micro
built in and it worked out fine and looked great.
Our daughter also has one built into her wall. She has a wall
oven, warmer, and micro all in a row.

We have our toaster built into a drawer in our cabinet. The cabinet
is 23" wide, it's a double door. When we use it, we pull out the drawer.
It works out fine, as I don't like looking at "crummy" toaster ovens
on the counter.

Now, if you have a 30" range top, I'm assuming that your cabinet doors
are 15" each; so, the cabinets would stick out in front of the stove
15"...would that be a problem? Do you have hinges that open all the way
and would be able to be against the cabinets flanking the range?
We have mostly European hinges, only in our breakfast room do we
a few have regular hinges that open fully.

Is it possible for you 'to build' in the micro under the range? You could
use the existing doors to re-make the area. First thing, off the top of my
head is-- after building in the micro, make a full length drawer under
the micro wave for roasting pans, cookie sheets etc...
On either side of the micro, make a slim cabinet doors that you could
use for pull out spice cabinets...or just use wood fillers for each side.

Two Knots 10-23-2013 10:50 AM

1 Attachment(s)
Here is what I mean...a pull out spice cab on each side,
the drawer on the bottom could be between the two pull outs.

You could use your two existing cabs to make this.

I just pulled this off the web for an example.
