Remember that microwave we bought at a great price a few months ago? We returned it.
A few readers asked why we needed such a large microwave in the first place, and that made us think. We don’t microwave that much—an occasional bowl of soup, reheating, or defrosting—so the huge 30-inch model felt out of scale for our needs and our kitchen. When we removed the original black over-the-range microwave (which matched the oven at 30 inches), the new 30-inch unit would have looked massive next to the pantry and crowded the window area.
So two weeks ago we traded it in for a much smaller countertop model—an 18-inch unit that cost $84. It’s compact and modestly sized, which suits our actual use better. I even put a tea mug inside to show scale.
We didn’t intend to leave the new microwave sitting on the counter long-term. The plan was to integrate it into the cabinetry so it could be hidden most of the time. One of our old upper cabinets—the one that used to hang to the left of the previous over-the-range microwave—fits the new unit almost perfectly. The front frame of the cabinet is snug around the microwave, but inside there’s about two inches of extra space on either side.
Two challenges remained:
- The cabinet was too tall for its new location next to the pantry and would hang too low as-is.
- The cabinet wasn’t deep enough for the microwave to sit back far enough to look flush while still allowing adequate ventilation.
We adjusted the cabinet’s height and depth, added a top and back support to create ventilation space, and built a new door so the microwave can be concealed when not in use. We had already installed an outlet where the cabinet would hang, so power was ready.
Before altering the cabinet, I removed the metal shelf rails, then measured carefully, leveled, and marked the cut lines. I used a jigsaw to trim the three sides of the cabinet down to the proper height. To accommodate venting and to allow the microwave door to open fully, I cut a hole in the back and notched the bottom right side of the frame. That notch lets us shift the microwave slightly to the right so the hinges on the left have room to swing. The notch will be hidden behind the cabinet door once it’s installed.
The microwave still needed space to vent. The unit protrudes slightly through the back, and we left a column of free space behind the cabinet to allow airflow up and out the top. I added a small shelf above the microwave by nailing in support ledges for an existing shelf we planned to use.
To create the new top, I used three pieces of wood: a thin sheet of plywood for the surface, a pine strip along the front, and a scrap 2×4 to hold everything together. Along the back I screwed in doubled 1×4 blocks so the cabinet would sit a couple of inches away from the wall and provide solid wood for mounting screws. We routed a wide channel through some of those blocks to create a clear vent path up the back. I cut and attached a thin plywood side panel, clamped it to fit, and nailed it in place.
After reinforcing the cabinet and adding the top and side, it looked much more finished. With the help of my assistant we hung the cabinet in its new spot next to the pantry. I drilled ventilation holes in the left side to take advantage of the existing gap between the cabinet and the pantry frame. The microwave fits, plugs into the previously installed outlet, and vents properly.
Once we add a door and paint the cabinet to match the rest of the kitchen, the installation will be nearly invisible. The routed areas and notches will be concealed with the door closed; when the microwave is in use the door will be open and those internal shapes won’t be visible.
Hanging this reworked cabinet left a balanced visual spacing in the kitchen: we now have 14 inches between the right side of the cabinet and the window over the sink. When we install the new 12-inch floating shelves on the oven wall there will also be about 14 inches between the front of those shelves and the same window. The result will feel open and balanced rather than crowded.
Returning the oversized microwave and selling several old items helped our budget. We received $255 back for the large microwave, sold the old over-the-range unit for $90, our old table and chairs for $120, and our old granite counter for $350. After buying the new small microwave for $84, that’s roughly $731 returned to our kitchen budget—welcome funds as we work through the middle stages of the remodel.
We still have a list of tasks to finish before the kitchen is complete: trimming down doors for the modified cabinets, adding window trim and a sill, installing toe kick around base cabinets, removing and rehanging doors for fitting and touch-ups, priming, and painting. Later we’ll move on to the lighting plan, cork floors, backsplash tile, floating shelves, and a custom range hood. One cabinet at a time, we’re making steady progress.