Many homeowners who have not recently renovated their kitchen may have an above range microwave mounted to the bottom of a cabinet above their stove.

Most of these have a recirculating fan for when things get smoky cooking. Moving the microwave here got them off countertops and seemed like a practical place to put them which is why this was done consistently for a few decades. So why are we seeing a trend away from microwave vents to standalone hood vents? And if you move the microwave, where should you put it instead?

More and more homeowners are opting to have a hood vent installed above their range.

You can either choose a sleek stainless-steel option or have a wood hood cabinet with a hood appliance built into it. Both can be an attractive feature of your design. For those who choose a wood hood, you can opt to have them the same color as the surrounding cabinetry or a different color to add dimension and interest to the room, perhaps matching the color of your island or woodworking.

In addition to being an appealing design element in your space, hoods provide important function.

• Hoods help to clear odors and grease out of the air as you cook, improving your air quality, which is good for your health and your home.
• They help keep those particles from accumulating on walls, ceilings, curtains, and upholstery over time.
• You can opt for a recirculating hood or choose to have your hood vented outside. Wood hoods should always be vented outside.
• If you are considering 36” or larger hood & range, be sure to talk to your contractor about adding a make-up air exchange system to add air back into the space.

Often the decision to add a hood to kitchen design is an easy one, but it leaves people wondering what to do with their microwave.

While some homeowners are opting to eliminate it entirely as they didn’t use it much previously, most still are planning one in.

OPTION 1: Many people are opting for a drawer microwave to be built into the cabinetry. This option looks great and is easy to access, but the appliance is a bit more expensive than a typical microwave.

OPTION 2: For people that want to stick with a typical microwave, you can build it onto a shelf in the base cabinetry or upper cabinetry.

OPTION 3: You could also put one within an appliance garage, out of sight.

OPTION 4: Build a shelf into a pantry cabinet

OPTION 5: Plan it into a walk-in or butler’s pantry

Look for design inspiration online or in magazines, notice which hoods you’re drawn to and start dreaming up your new kitchen!