Kitchen islands with integrated microwave drawers offer unique benefits in terms of convenience and accessibility. However, these built-in appliances also pose some downsides to consider before committing to an installation. We’ll analyze the key pros and cons to determine if a microwave drawer truly belongs in your kitchen island design.
Pros of a Microwave Drawer in a Kitchen Island
Installing a streamlined microwave drawer into an island cabinet provides several advantages that standard countertop microwaves cannot match.
Provides Extra Counter Space
One of the biggest perks offered by built-in microwave drawers is freeing up precious real estate on your countertops. By tucking the microwave away under the island, you regain room for meal prep, staging plates, or keeping small appliances out like coffee makers and toasters. For avid home cooks with overflowing counter space demands, reclaiming this area can make a significant difference in functionality.
Island microwave drawers also reduce clutter for a cleaner, smoother aesthetic. You can maintain open corners and clear surfaces instead of having a bulky microwave hogging space. The streamlined appearance also integrates seamlessly with contemporary kitchen designs featuring handle-less cabinetry and a minimalist style.
Easy to Access for Some Users
The lower placement of an island microwave drawer increases accessibility for subsets of users who would struggle to reach or see into a taller over-the-range or countertop microwave. Specifically, small children, wheelchair users, and people of shorter statures benefit greatly from the lowered height.
Opening and closing the drawer places all controls directly in front of you instead of requiring reaching upward. The interface remains visible at all times, allowing you to select cook times and power levels with ease. In terms of safely removing food, the drawer slides out to bring hot contents closer to you without having to struggle lifting dishes out of a hard-to-access cavity.
Creates Storage in Island Cabinetry
Rather than occupying room on your countertop surfaces, microwave drawers efficiently utilize existing cabinet space within your island. This allows you to maximize storage nooks that would otherwise sit empty inside the base cabinets and gain a functional appliance without sacrificing square footage.
When closed, the drawer even provides you with a sizable storage nook to tuck away kitchen tools or specialty cookware. Some owners opt to store baking sheets, pot lids, or even kitchen electronics inside when the microwave is not actively being used. This “secret compartment” remains obscured by the cabinet door for a hidden storage perk.
Looks Streamlined When Closed
Microwave drawers fully integrate into surrounding cabinetry for a unified appearance. When closed, the drawer is concealed behind a cabinet front consistent with the rest of the island aesthetics. Compared to a bulky countertop microwave that sticks out like a sore thumb, you can achieve a much more seamless look.
For contemporary, transitional, or modern kitchen designs, in particular, this discreet look allows technology to fade into the background. You avoid ruining the visual flow with an obtrusive commercial-looking appliance. Instead, all cabinetry works together in complementary styles and materials.
Cons of a Microwave Drawer in a Kitchen Island
Unfortunately, some distinct disadvantages accompany embedding a microwave in your island. Before choosing this route, consider whether the following downsides would negatively impact your experience.
Access Can Be Uncomfortable
Despite increased accessibility for some users, island microwave drawers force others to hunch over uncomfortably. The low placement around waist height means taller cooks must bend down constantly to access controls, load dishes inside, and check cook progress.
Continually crouching to peer inside, programmed buttons, and retrieve contents strains the back, shoulder, and neck muscles over time leading to discomfort. And for those suffering from existing back issues, this repetitive motion can aggravate chronic pain and spasms.
Cleaning Is More Difficult
Reaching the interior microwave walls poses an awkward challenge due to the bottom drawer placement. To fully sanitize all surfaces, you need to partially crawl inside and crouch down low to scrub corners. This uncomfortable contortion makes maintaining cleanliness inside the unit difficult.
Exterior surfaces also prove tricky to keep spotless as they exist underneath the island exterior. Reaching downward to wipe down cabinet fronts and handle hardware requires bending that quickly strains the core and back muscles.
Installation Is More Complex
Constructing specialized cabinetry and integrating electrical connections adds cost and complexity compared to plugging in a countertop microwave. Custom cabinetry accommodating the built-in appliance may ring up around $500 – $900 alone for slide-out drawers with full extension capabilities.
Factor in electrical modifications, potential ventilation needs, and finishing repairs, and you could easily exceed $1,000+ in installation expenses. For renters or those in temporary housing arrangements, this financial commitment likely outweighs the benefits of an integrated appliance.
Can Lack Safety Features
Microwave drawers approved for installation beneath combustible surfaces differ structurally from typical countertop models. Rather than pointing ventilation upward, the airflow system redirects internally so steam and heat bypass adjacent cabinetry.
However, removable turntables sometimes eliminate this ventilation path. Without a built-in turntable, plates placed directly on the drawer floor interrupt safe airflow. Always use microwave-safe cookware, and never run the drawer empty to prevent potential fire risks not mitigated by auto shut-off sensors.
Key Considerations Before Installation
Below are a few vital factors to consider before committing to a built-in island microwave to determine if it aligns with your needs and lifestyle.
User Height and Mobility
As outlined previously, an island microwave drawer shines for wheelchair users and shorter residents looking to avoid straining for ceiling-height appliances. However, it simultaneously diminishes convenience for tall users constantly crouching down.
Before installing a drawer, have all frequent kitchen users test mock placements using temporary tape markers. Ensure all parties can comfortably operate controls, view food cooking, and access contents without excessive bending or crouching. You want this appliance to accommodate your household, not introduce new friction.
Available Cabinet Space
Microwave drawers need extensive cabinet depth (18-24 inches) to fully integrate the appliance behind false drawer fronts. Ensure your island design incorporates adequately sized base cabinets before constructing specialty pull-outs.
The slides and rails also differ from standard drawers in their heavy-duty full-extension capabilities able to withstand appliance weight without sagging or warping. Invest in quality hardware designed specifically for built-in ovens and microwaves to prevent cracks and malfunctions.
Intended Frequency of Use
Microwave drawers only provide true value if you intend to use them extensively rather than occasionally. Heating up an occasional mug of water or defrosting random meats likely will not offset installation expenses and use frustrations.
However, regularly reheating leftovers, preparing microwave meals, defrosting, etc. translates to genuine daily convenience that ameliorates awkward access points. If you only intend to use the microwave sparingly, skip the specialty installation for better return on investment.
At the end of the day, deciding if an island microwave drawer makes sense depends entirely on your needs and priorities. For wheelchair-bound individuals or shorter residents, they greatly boost accessibility and ergonomics in the kitchen. You trade storage space for priceless independence using a vital appliance freely.
However, the inherent access frustrations pose significant downsides for taller households used to traditional microwaves. And if you only intend to use microwave cooking conveniently, you likely cannot justify the steep installation costs.
Carefully weighing convenience versus awkwardness and accessibility against price determines if integrating a streamlined microwave drawer into your kitchen island design proves warranted or more trouble than it is worth.
