A countertop microwave could be the greatest type of cooking appliance available due to its light weight, easy installation, and ability to move with you, if it wasn’t for one big problem: the counter space. If your kitchen is anything like mine, you may find your countertops feeling a little crowded when preparing a meal. The good news is, there are projects you can do to keep your microwave out of the way without being far-off from where you need it.
Expand the Kitchen
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Kitchens tend to be one of the rooms most frustratingly designed in standard houses and apartments. Even without kitchen appliances present to permanently take up a corner, you have very little counter space to work with when preparing meals. Less space means more stress (and more accidents) in the kitchen, which is never a good thing. Expanding your kitchen counter area can sound like a big to-do, but you don’t have to remodel to get this done. Furniture like bar carts and kitchen islands can be rolled alongside your current counters and then locked into place as an extension of the surface, giving you more room to work and place useful appliances like your microwave.
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There is also the option to completely remodel and take away several feet originally designated for the dining or living room. Modern dining rooms aren’t a dedicated space anymore and can afford to lose an unnecessary wall or downsize to a more compact table if you’re short on room, though it’s a much longer and more intensive project than you may be willing to commit to right now.
Two-In-One Appliances
Many microwaves are now dual-purpose to reduce the amount of appliances you need, which is great! Having only one bulky appliance do the work of three is a huge space-saver, especially in a more cramped kitchen. The big drawback is it can be an expensive investment in an appliance with a life expectancy of just 5 to 10 years (that you may not need all the extra functions for). Not to mention, they’re also more likely to be built-in kitchenware, which defeats the purpose of finding a countertop microwave solution in the first place.
Create a Microwave Nook
Having the easiest installation of all microwave types, a countertop microwave allows for setup to be a one-day, DIY process. It’s so easy in fact that you can take the time to create a shelving space for it without leaving it unpluggable. Make sure the shelf or niche is wide enough to safely fit your microwave on it so it can’t be bumped or knocked off, and that you have enough room for your hands to uninstall it and replace it with a similarly sized model.
Moving the Microwave (and Outlets) Elswhere
Let’s get moving; move your microwave to another area nearby like the pantry or butler’s station. You’ll find only a slight inconvenience in distance and that a lot of the food you want to cook is now next to the microwave for later. A pantry door can also help muffle the microwave dings and other noises, allowing you to use it later in the night without disturbance.
If you hate looking at cords, rewiring or hiding your extension cord from your microwave to the outlet is fairly easy. If there isn’t a warning against coating it, the cord can be painted with any leftover paint you have if you’ve recently redone your walls, or stationed underneath your shelving units with removable elastic hooks. Drilling a small hole from your shelf to the outlet exclusively for your appliance cords can also keep them from getting tangled with each other, along with out of the way.
Unconventional storage places are not only great for keeping your microwave off of your kitchen counters, but also for looking incredibly modern with your innovative space-saving. Taking full advantage of the space you have is a current trend and long-term way of reducing clutter in the overall household, so the benefits are twofold.
These renovation ideas may vary in complexity and time commitment, but there are plenty of ways to keep your microwave off your counters without tearing up your entire kitchen in the process.
