The built in microwaves are getting common in stoves and ovens. When purchasing a new oven for your home to replace an old one, or just remodeling a kitchen, a built in microwave should be considered. The first thing a shopper will find is that they are more expensive than buying a stand alone model.
Yet, they are often big models that are useful to cook large dishes and large pieces of meat. The identical size in countertop microwave ovens are not that much cheaper. The real low priced stand alone models are small-scale and only good for reheating or cooking frozen food.
So it is important to take comparable microwave ovens when looking at the costs. The first place to start is with the wattage of the oven followed by the cooking space and then the additional advantages of the oven. But price should not be the sole reason in determining a purchase.
The stand alone model will usually win out on this issue. However, in many kitchens, counter space is at a premium. The kitchen is the most used area in a home, and if several people are using the kitchen, space is quite important. Sizable microwave ovens occupy plenty of space. Not just the space of the oven, but also space to swing the door open. You will find limited places to have a stand alone microwave since they need to be located near an outlet.
A built in microwave oven comes in different heights for a cook. A stand alone model will always be the same height as the counter top, while the microwave in a stove has many options as to the height and installation of the microwave. Both the placement and the space issue mentioned above should both be thoroughly examined before buying one. The value of these factors can only be determined by the particular buyer's requirements.
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