Yes you can do that. Ovens are in a cabinet but usually they don't have doors. I also had one in my pantry cabinet for 17 years.

Yes, you can, however be sure to check for clearances from the manufacturer for putting a microwave IN a cabinet WITHOUT the trim kit. It's easy to find the clearances in their documentation for installation with the trim kit. They almost all do have clearances also for installation withOUT the trim kit, but often you have to call the service line to ask.

A bit of a pain, but to omit that step would be at the risk of a fire or some similar disaster/issue.

The last model I called on (I forget the brand - maybe GE) required 3" on each side and 1" above the microwave clear.

We had one of our upper cabinets made 16" (inside) deep and set into the wall, so that it was flush with the other cabinets in front. We used one of the small Sharp (brand) microwaves with an outlet inside the cabinet. It is a small unit, around 800w? The specs for the microwave called for 'airspace' around the unit, don't remember the exact dimensions, but we were able to provide enough. Been over a year and not a problem!

yes you can!

Thanks for all the responses and photos!

Has anyone put a micro in a base cabinet on a shelf...without a garage door built separate for it? We're making due with preexisting cabinets so we cannot build a cabinet just for the microwave..so I wanted to put in a base cabinet, and run the shelf there almost to the front of the door. Then, just open the door, use the microwave and close it and it looks like any other base cabinet.

Again, anyone put a microwave in a standard base cabinet...and a follow-up question...will a standard dinner plate fit any any size microwave?

Thanks!

slc, if I remember correctly, it was that if you put your microwave oven into a base cabinet, you would quickly tire of having to bend over to use it. Most people like it counter height or slightly higher up to eye level.

to the second question, I have a Sharp microwave that is 20.5"w x 12"h x 16"d. Dinner plates do fit.

A dinner plate may not fit in every *single* microwave; some are designed for snacks, and maybe they'd be a teeny bit smaller.

But the vast majority of microwaves will fit the vast majority of dinner plates.

If you have big dinner plates, you might want to try to be sure.

Slc, you can put the microwave in any cabinet as long as you leave enough space for the needed clearances (check the specs). When I was investigating this, there were posts from people that had placed thier microwave in a regular 24" base cabinet with a single door.

We chose to do doors that slipped into the cavity when they were opened:

Closed:

We had a smaller microwave that fit dinner plates fine but microwave popcorn bags had to have their 4 corners folded up in order to have the bag not get 'stuck' when it moved slightly from a kernal popping. It was a pain in the neck!

I have mine inside a cabinet. It seems to get hot. I have damage to the outside of my cabinet and wowonder if it is from the heat.

Microwave ovens typically need a certain amount of clearance for air circulation on sides/top/back to avoid heat buildup and for proper operation. How much and what areas of the appliance varies. You should look at the specifications in your owner's manual for your specific model. However, what you have there looks pretty tight to me for a countertop model.

There’s not nearly enough clearance for that MW. You need a smaller model.

Not enough space in that cabinet. It isn't obvious from the owner's manual, but from the specifications for the trim kit for that Frigidaire model, you apparently need 4 1/8" minimum clearance on top of the unit, 1 1/2" clearance minimum ON EACH SIDE, and 1 1/2" minimum clearance between the back of the unit and the back of the cabinet.

Obviously you should never operate the unit with the cabinet doors closed and if it gets steamy during use, let it cool off and wipe it dry before closing the cabinet doors.

As Julybean wrote, the issue with a microwave installed under the counter, is that it then becomes ergonomically dysfunctional since you have to bend to access the controls and put foods in and out. This is the reason people install microwave drawers underneath counters because the dials/controls tilt up and the interior of the microwave can be more safely accessed.

Many people do place microwaves in what are essentially cubbies at counter height or a bit above so long as there is adequate clearance on sides and back. A pull out shelf under the microwave is ideal because then one has a ledge for safety when taking and removing stuff - especially removing hot items.

We’ve had ours in a cabinet for 11.5 years. (See our pictures a few posts up.). We have no signs of damage to our cabinet. However, we built in plenty of clearance for air circulation, and never run the microwave with the cabinet doors shut.

The undercounter location works very well for our family- to each their own.