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How to find a correctly sized microwave?


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This seems difficult.

I need to replace a built-in microwave in my kitchen.

The existing one is a Baumatic (brand not relevant really) stainless steel finish model, which appears actually to be a freestanding microwave on a pair of tracks in the mounting kit.

Microwave dimensions: 508W x 285H (310 if you include the feet) x 420D.
Hole Dimensions: 600W unit. 450H hole.

There is a front surround plate which has a hole of size 520W x 290H.

I have some up and down adjustment in the existing mounting kit.

My ideal solution will be a simple microwave which matches the hole in the front surround in stainless steel.

How do I find one to match?

I had a conversation with my usual appliance supplier (Appliances Direct), but they could not really help in the showroom and the website is not set up for search by size.

Cheers

Ferdinand

 

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I'm afraid this may well be a challenge, as I went through a similar process when trying to buy a matching oven and microwave (two units) that would fit any of the standard tall appliance cabinet options we had available.  It seems that oven sizes are reasonably well standardised, but microwaves aren't.  I ended up having to take apart and modify a brand new appliance cabinet, rebuilding it to get the shelves in the right place, with a modified filler strip at the top, in order to get the microwave to fit.

It wasn't helped by the manufacturers not being that accurate with their dimensions, particularly appliance height.  I found the whole thing very frustrating, and spent hours trying to find a combination that would fit neatly, and even then ended up with two stainless steel models from the same manufacturer that don't have exactly matching styles, as that was the only way to get a pair that would fit.  I sent back two microwaves, because their actual dimensions didn't match the stated dimensions (both from Appliances Direct, by coincidence).

I think all you can do is trawl around kitchen showrooms with a tape measure and see what the real fitted height is of all those you can find.

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Currys had one - a Neff one - when I checked in store last. IKEA have all of theirs and you can get to them to measure properly. 

We have the Ikea one and I'm really pleased with it - very simple to fit and a 5 year warranty too. 

Most of their stuff is Whirlpool rebadged from memory. 

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2 hours ago, PeterW said:

Currys had one - a Neff one - when I checked in store last. IKEA have all of theirs and you can get to them to measure properly. 

We have the Ikea one and I'm really pleased with it - very simple to fit and a 5 year warranty too. 

Most of their stuff is Whirlpool rebadged from memory. 

2 Ikea ones appear to be the correct size to a smidgeon.

Inevitably they are the £450 and £500 versions. !!

The commercial option looks interesting.

Edited by Ferdinand
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Hole Dimensions: 600W unit. 450H hole.

In case it helps, our Neff (E-Nr H5642N0GB/04) fits in a 600mm wide hole 390mm high hole. Those dims include it's separate bezel so the actual microwave unit is smaller. 

 

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I think I have found my microwave, one of these:

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/cooking/microwaves/kenwood-k23mss15-solo-microwave-stainless-steel-10100868-pdt.html

Took the fascia plate in, offered up and it works OK. And the feet are in the right place to fit my current rails. But I will need to offset it slightly to allow the door to open comfortably, so have gone for a 30mm narrower width than expected.

£150 reduced to £70 and I can get another £10 off by TopCashback, plus paying with Curry's giftcards bought under Morrisons PetrolSaver (7.50 off fuel), with a reward Amex card.

60% off. Cool.

If the interface doesn't work well for my mum, I will go for this one, which is more and does widgetty-doodah types of cooking rather than being just a solo, but also fits.

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/cooking/microwaves/kenwood-k23cm13-combination-microwave-mirror-finish-19394353-pdt.html

Thanks for the help.

Ferdinand

 

Edited by Ferdinand
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Since you hav this resolved now my post is meaningless in a way.

 

It is however worth noting that a built-in microwave is designed to ventilate from the front while freestanding ones ventilate from the top. What Baumatic have done is created a frame to fit a 45cm slot and slotted  in a freestanding microwave  into this space. The spare space around the microwave is meant to serve the purpose of the ventilation gap. In practise,  this is a workaround at best. I have seen blown carcases where humidity from the oven was constantly fitting the shelf above the oven and caused water ingress into the carcase.

 

Further this approach leaves you with a smaller oven than you could fit in using a microwave designed for a 45cm cavity. These are obviously at a much greater cost.

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1 hour ago, ryder72 said:

Since you hav this resolved now my post is meaningless in a way.

 

It is however worth noting that a built-in microwave is designed to ventilate from the front while freestanding ones ventilate from the top. What Baumatic have done is created a frame to fit a 45cm slot and slotted  in a freestanding microwave  into this space. The spare space around the microwave is meant to serve the purpose of the ventilation gap. In practise,  this is a workaround at best. I have seen blown carcases where humidity from the oven was constantly fitting the shelf above the oven and caused water ingress into the carcase.

 

Further this approach leaves you with a smaller oven than you could fit in using a microwave designed for a 45cm cavity. These are obviously at a much greater cost.

Indeed, and thanks for the reply.

Our main cooker is a range (ironically you can see it reflected in the built-in oven door), and we do not use the microwave for anything more than say 10-15 minutes. And the previous one was also a standalone in the cavity :-). 

Just measured, and the unit has 60-80mm of space each side, and 100mm top and bottom, around the Microwave. The limitation may be on adequate vent-space at the front. The previous one was there for 8 years, though.

But at this price it is almost a disposable.

To be clear - the Baumatic is the warming drawer, and a separate unit.

Ferdinand

 

Edited by Ferdinand
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It has always struck me as "poor" that a "built in " microwave is nothing more than a free standing one wioth a front plate put around it. It loks like that rather than a proper built in one. I get the feeling when we come to choose our new kitchen that for the first time have a "built in" microwave, that I am going to be very dissapointed with the offerings.

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You could also consider buying a "standard" microwave and then get a purely aesthetic front plate laser or water jet cut to cover the surrounding hole incorporating fixing points, vent slots etc. The finish on the stainless plate is usually bang on and you just peel off the protective film.

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