Kitchen ovens - Convection/steam/microwave drawer - thoughts?

The microwave drawer is really an awesome idea. Instead of installing microwave somewhere hard to reach, installing them right under the countertop makes it even easier to warm food. Here are few tips which may give you a better idea of upgrading your kitchen http://www.ultrastor.ca/blog/storage/8-storage-solutions-kitchen-makeover/. Hope you’ll find it useful.

I HATE the thought of a microwave drawer- a definite how soon can I remove it item. Likewise not a fan of high places for microwave ovens (I’m tall). We brought our microwave/convection oven (excellent for pies- pizza and other frozen) with us and I prefer the on the counter one to the one that came over the stove. Reaching to stir things, remove hot things from on high- yuck. Dedicated over the range ventilation hoods are better also (read this several years ago). Why reach over a hot stove to get at the microwave???

It is nice for we two retired empty nesters to have two microwaves going at once (had the electrician wire them separately when redid the kitchen so power use can be handled). It is funny that we rarely use oven features but currently have a toaster/convection oven, two oven (one convection) stove plus two convection microwave ovens.

@wis75 What do you make in a microwave convection oven? I have never used the convection feature on my microwave.

Agreed that it is so personal, depending on your cooking habits. And boy, have things changed since we are empty nesters. About the only thing I cook is hard-boiled eggs and rice. It feels like my cooking days are over!

Mine is microwave, convection, and infrared. Rapid cooker for anything. Bake a potato, reheat frozen leftover pizza, cook a Digiorno, frozen fries, chicken fingers, or most anything from the freezer, crisp wilted leftovers from the fridge. All in 5-10 minutes, just like it came from a regular oven.

I said it was MY opinion! :slight_smile:

If I looked at a house where I could not fit at least a half sheet pan in ANY of the ovens, I’d be either moving on or calculating the cost of replacement into my bid.

Same thing with lack of a real hood vented to the outside and with glass-topped cooking surfaces,

I’m not cooking on a glass top cooking appliance in an island with a down draft. Some people think that sounds fabulous. Totally inadequate for the kind of cooking I do. Nor am I cooking on a glass-topped range with a microwave over it. Suits many just fine. Nightmare to me.

Obviously, YMMV. What I would suggest when looking to the future and appealing to the widest audience is to try to make sure that any appliance can be replaced without tearing apart half the kitchen. Otherwise you are going to be limited to buyers who either like what you chose, or who can afford to throw tens of thousands at a kitchen remodel.

@Consolation, would you please clarify something about the cooktop for me? Do you mean any type of glass cooktop or just the old school electric/radiant heat glass cooktops and not the newer induction cooktops? I’m just curious because we’re discussing possibly remodeling.

ITA about not wanting any cooktop in an island with a down draft vent. We had one in a peninsula years ago. The cooktop was a hazard for both dh and the kids, and the vent was inadequate.

If we remain in our current house, I want to remodel our kitchen with two 30"+ wall ovens (French doors or side opening) installed at waist height plus a 36" induction cooktop beneath a good Vent-a-Hood with a control mounted at counter level. One of my kids has induction and it’s wonderful - all of the infinite control of gas without the indoor air quality concerns, plus I’m less likely to burn myself.

We want two microwave ovens, too, and prefer counter top models that we could hide inside pantry cabinets. We like our cheap counter top Sharp microwave much more than our built-in Wolf. For a fraction of the cost you get more power, and I don’t stress over replacement cost when dh ruins it by exploding something.

I live in your basic four bedroom, 2 1/2 bath colonial house. The kitchen is your basic kitchen like all,those houses had.

If someone wants a commercial style or grade kitchen, they won’t be buying this house. The folks buying this house will want the 2 acres, private beach on a beautiful lake…and,the location.

So…when I redid my kitchen…I did it for ME…not for the next owners. The next owners can put a kitchen addition on if they want to. Or expand the kitchen into the dining room…or something.

We don’t do commercial cooking. We just cook normal meals. Our flat glass top electric stove is fine. Our over the stove micro is fine. We don’t have a subzero or wolf anything…and that’s fine for us.

My opinion…the OP said they were looking towards resale in FIVE years or so. That means this kitchen is theirs for five more years, or so. The OP should get what the OP wants.

:slight_smile:

We built 15 years ago. I was a vegetarian for 35 years, 10 in this house. We have a built in 25,000 BTU WOK. Now I wonder, when we sell in 2-3 years, how that is going to go over! :-S
It does do an amazing stir fry!

@oregon101 , I would LOVE to have your fabulous wok! :smiley: One of the reasons I yearn to get back to a gas cooktop/range is the ability to use my woks on a suitable element.

@Silpat , I was thinking of the radiant heat type of glass cooktop. I didn’t think that induction was glass.

I’ve never cooked on an induction surface. I understand that many people love them for “serious” cooking. I’m worried that I would have to throw out half of my pots, at least, and buy new ones. I have a rag tag collection of stuff, some of which is nice and some of which isn’t. I’ve never gone out and bought a suite of All-Clad or whatever. I’m still using some hand-me-downs my mother gave me when I had my first apartment, as well as other things I’ve picked up over the years.

@thumper1, I think people should have what they like and want to use, to the degree that they can afford it. I don’t think one needs Wolf or Subzero to have a great-functioning kitchen. :slight_smile:

If I am living in a place for another 5 years, I’d buy what I want to use for those years, tho I agree something easy to replace without having to remodel existing cabinetry is ideal.

The house that we have been in for the last 10 years came with an over the cooktop microwave which I do not like. IT is very hard to keep clean. I do like the double ovens we have though. We keep our pizza stone in one of the ovens and use it warm pizza. Otherwise the only other time it is used is when we are entertaining during the holidays. The top oven is a little high for me with the traditional drop down door. I have get help moving large items in and out.

In my last house, I had a six-burner Viking dual fuel range with a large Vent a Hood. The oven was massive and the convection was great for baking. I loved it and still miss it. The microwave was on a shelf above the counter between cabinets. We used it primarily for reheating.

My ideal set up would be the six-burner Viking with a wall microwave/oven combo with french or side-hinge doors. A warming drawer sounds interesting but I probably only use it during the holidays.

My sis has an drawer warmer. She has forgotten food in it several times and only found it at the end of the party or sometimes even a day later! It does SEEM like a cool thing but if it is something you aren’t used to and don’t remember what’s stashed in it, that can be a problem. :wink:

That’s funny, HImom. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten to serve something at a big do. Usually something I left warming in the oven, like a ham! A warming drawer would definitely not be on my list of must-have features.

It is on mine. :slight_smile: It is much nicer to serve food on warmed up plates. I use it frequently - to keep the sides warm while I am grilling steaks, to keep Costco chicken nice and warm while I am unloading the rest of the loot and making a side, etc.

@consolation, now that I am old, for parties, I make a list so I don’f forget to serve something!

I had a warming oven in my previous kitchen. I bought it on purpose, but never used it once. Even at parties. It still seems like a great idea. The wok burner I’d think was cool if I was buying a house. My wok has a flat bottom and my burners put out 21,000 BTU so I’m good for now.

I have to ask, why do I want a steam oven?

We have friends who have a wok burner. They used to use it but not so much any more. My dad had a wok burner at his house and hasn’t used it now for decades, tho he did use it when we would have family dinners there every week.

We have a microwave in an open cabinet below the counter And we have a second smaller microwave on the pantry shelf. This is for when we need to defrost or heat additional things from the freezer at the same time. We used to use the additional pantry one a lot when the kids were little and home, not as much now.