Nope, you're not overthinking! These are exactly the things you should be thinking about!

There is one MW that opens like an oven...Bosch maybe??

Maybe you could have a pull out platform/shelf underneath it.

Or, consider a MW Drawer.

What about finding a space for a drawer microwave?

How would a drawer microwave work for warming up, say, a sippy cup of milk? Would it spill?

No spilling in a MW drawer. I reheat coffee and tea with no issues at all. I have never even had a spillover in this microwave. Not sure if there is something about it or it just hasn't happened to me yet. I have had it for about 10 months now and still love it.

Drawer MWs automatically open and close softly so there is very little jostling. No more than the jostling of a countertop MW when it's opened/closed.

You give it a gentle tug to start it opening (or use a button) and give it a gentle nudge to start it closing.

Are they a standard size? What is the ideal height for them to be at? I'm playing around with my layout...

But I'm also still curious if anyone has a microwave with landing space only to the left of the microwave, and how workable it is...

We have a microwave in a pantry cupboard at eye height and have no problems with only having a landing space on the island across from it. I feel like everything you heat in a microwave you immediate use. Either to eat right away, or to combine with something else in the kitchen (like, say, melted butter). I did NOT want a microwave drawer because my experience with microwaves is that they have pretty high failure rates, no matter how expensive. And those drawers are expensive, so i didn't want to be bound by a built-in size for the rest of the life of the kitchen. If this one breaks ($70, 4 years ago), we can just replace with another cheap one.

I agree with H2O2 about failure rates in microwave compared to other appliances in kitchen. With that in mind, we are going with open book self like opening in tall cabinet. We will place a regular counter top microwave in it instead of built ins. There will be landing space to left but opening leading to breakfast area or kitchen is to right so it will be easier motion to walk with cup of milk or coffee to right. There will be counter across from microwave in case it needs to be dropped.

We have a microwave drawer and love it. You don't need to worry about things spilling in it. It opens and closes very smoothly. That being said, it is on the side of the kitchen that we don't really use for food, it's more of an office space. We take out the food and turn around and put it on the island, even though there is counter above it. (No real reason, it's just where we put out all of the food when we are prepping.) It's not a problem. They come in three sizes (the exterior, the insides are all the same) and you place them just below the counter. We then have room for a very large, deep drawer below it. Good luck!

Sometimes I think that we go a bit overboard in trying to hide the fact that a kitchen is...well, a kitchen! I know that most have open concept kitchens that are seen fully from the family/LR of the house. But in the end, it's our kitchen and unless one has it only as a trophy and for re-sale value, it must be practical and functional for meal preparation as well as attractive.

Because of this, I prefer a trash can that is NOT in a cabinet - don't want the extra bother of opening a door when in the midst of cooking. I have one of those outrageously expensive Simply Human stainless cans with a foot opener and also a perfect place for it at the end of a cabinet run. It functions beautifully and looks attractive and clean.

When I started planning my kitchen remodel over a year ago, I fell into the GW obsession of ALL appliances being totally hidden and cooking tools as well. Well, I quickly realized that in a kitchen the size of mine, this was impossible. I was able to get the pots of cooking tools off the counter and in a Rev-a-Shelf pull out with canisters for them on top, and a shelf below for oils/vinegars/cooking wine and I love that - no dog hair on the spatula! But my toaster oven is right out on the counter as is my small microwave and my enormous, very heavy KA mixer. Also my electric kettle. And they all need to be for ease of meal preparation. It's a kitchen!!!

If such things truly bother one, then perhaps the old separate kitchen/separate LR would work better. All these pantry doors, appliance garage doors to open to just make toast and a cup of tea! Not in my house!

How would a drawer microwave work for warming up, say, a sippy cup of milk? Would it spill?

No. I've had full cups of coffee, tea, bowls of soup, etc. No spills. It's a very smooth mechanism.

As for failure rates, we had ours in our condo for 6 years, used it daily for 7 months out of the year and never had a problem.

They sit in a cabinet right under the counter. They are all made by Sharp and all are 24" wide. If they say they are wider, it just means they have a "kit" to make it appear wider. Here's a picture of my mw (on the left next to the fridge) that I had in my condo.

Sharp makes two kinds now. The one like in my picture above and one that has a tilt out display and is "sleeker". Here's alink to it.

Because of this, I prefer a trash can that is NOT in a cabinet - don't want the extra bother of opening a door when in the midst of cooking. I have one of those outrageously expensive Simply Human stainless cans with a foot opener and also a perfect place for it at the end of a cabinet run. It functions beautifully and looks attractive and clean.

So how is that different, especially since the Simply Human one I had years ago always jammed? I'd rather open a drawer especially since it also makes it easier to sweep things from the counter right into the trash.

If such things truly bother one, then perhaps the old separate kitchen/separate LR would work better. All these pantry doors, appliance garage doors to open to just make toast and a cup of tea! Not in my house!

And that's why we all design our kitchens for how WE use them. Glad it works for you that way, however with my DH who is fond of leaving his coffee pods, papers ripped open, martini stuff, dog stuff, etc on the counters, I'm thankful for having cabinet doors to hide it behind so I don't have to constantly look at it.

I have my microwave without a landing area. Well, there's an island behind it and if I ever finish my project, there will be a spot next to it but it's been 2 years so I feel that I can safely say that *I* don't need adjacent landing space for a microwave.

Mine is a countertop model in a finished cubby in an oven cabinet. It's above a speed oven which shares the lack of landing space. I cook big stuff in that oven (well, as big as you can fit in a 24" oven) and have no issues using the counter behind me as a landing spot.

As long as we're talking trash, I have decommissioned my trash cabinet. Some kitchens don't have a spot for a can but damnit mine does so why am I secreting trash away like it's valuable? :P

Open cans baby, all the way.

(My family turns the trash cabinet into an icky pit in no time.)

I had a MW with landing to the left and island just behind it. Honestly, I never had a problem, in fact, I never gave it a second thought. For the most part, I used the island as my landing spot. In my current kitchen I have a steam oven that hinges on the right, landing spot on the left, and almost always use the island right behind as a landing spot. HTH.

"...my experience with microwaves is that they have pretty high failure rates, no matter how expensive."

Actually, my MW Drawer has outlasted all my countertop models by at least 4 years now! It's been going strong since early 2008 -- over 9 years ago! It's used every single day, several times a day, year-round. Well, there was one that lasted longer, but it was not used that often and it was huge compared today's models - it was a Montgomery Wards MW Convection oven. It did last about 10 years, but, as I said, it wasn't used nearly as often as our MW Drawer is used.

Note, though, that I did not buy cheap MWs b/c I happen to like the bells & whistles -- I use them all the time. My countertop models cost around $300, as I recall (it's been a few years!) My 30" MW Drawer cost $800. So if the MW Drawer lasts another 4 years or so, I will have "broken even" with 3 countertop models at $300 lasting approx 5 years each. (Not all lasted that long, btw. I had at least one that only lasted 2 years b/f it died - I think it was the Panasonic that didn't last long. The Sharp & Amana, as I recall, lasted around 5 years each.) After that, I'm ahead of the game!

.

.

"Because of this, I prefer a trash can that is NOT in a cabinet - don't want the extra bother of opening a door when in the midst of cooking. I have one of those outrageously expensive Simply Human stainless cans with a foot opener and also a perfect place for it at the end of a cabinet run. It functions beautifully and looks attractive and clean."

And our dogs would quickly figure out how to open it! That's what we had in our old Kitchen and our dogs learned how to step on the foot pedal to open it! (They've also figured out how to open child gates, btw. Fortunately, the current version we are using for them requires the use of an opposable thumb, so while they know how it's done, they can't open it!)

In addition, that can was always in the way.

With my current trash pullout, I can leave it open and toss things in -- something not as easily done with the old standalone version. You had to actually remove the top to be able to use it that way.

I have to second CPArtist -- how is having to step on it to open it any different than doing something similar with a cabinet?

.

.

Yes, we're all different and we all use our Kitchen differently. If you don't like having an open Kitchen, then don't! Personally, I like them somewhat open so I'm not isolated from everyone else while I'm cooking/baking. I don't like feeling as if I'm a servant who is kept out of sight -- that's my feeling about closed off Kitchens. Your feelings may vary.

Cpartist, you should have returned your faulty Simply Human trash can. I've had mine now for 10 years - so has my DD. Both still work perfectly and hers must endure the "delicate" touch of her DH and her two boys!

I sweep most things directly into my kitchen sink. If it's other stuff nearer the trash can, I can sweep things directly into it, too. If one is doing a new build or has such an enormous kitchen that one is not limited to a small under--the-sink trash can, then a built in might work. I've just seen far too many that ended up overflowing (no one empties a kitchen trash can just like no one replace the toilet paper roll!) and there was a smelly mess inside.

I don't like anyone in my kitchen when I'm cooking or doing the last preparations for a meal. It's very distracting to me. And I do NOT feel like a servant, shut away, but then that's me. Interestingly, my DD feels the same way - shoes everyone out of her kitchen to the LR - says she cannot cook and also be the charming hostess. She's the only one of her friends with a separate kitchen, but then she's also the only one of her friends who truly cooks and does it very well. She's a total foodie...

I had a Simple Human butterfly can 15 years and 4 kitchens ago. Raccoon and large cat proof, it's still really functional even after being an outdoors can for several years.

If you are relatively young, pivoting around to put stuff from the microwave, (or the oven) onto a counter behind you is not a big deal. However, as you age, it can become more difficult and even dangerous.

We have the Bosch MW with a door that opens like an oven, per Buehl's comment above. In my experience, I'd place this into the "was a good idea at the time" category. DH was enamored of the style (new and different from our long-time swing door model, and it matched the Bosch oven beneath it). The floor of the MW interior (usable space) is ~ 52" up from the kitchen floor. The door opens outward/towards me. If I'm reaching in one-handed to grab a cup of coffee or hot water for tea, no problem. But if I need to reach in with both hands to pull out either a larger item and/or one that requires oven mitts (e.g., casserole, tray of roasted veggies), it's a very awkward maneuver to make sure I don't burn my arms/elbows on the hot door, nor put any weight on the open door. I'm 5'6" and almost need to tippy-toe. Note that in the door's fully open position, it's not completely flat. So reaching in for larger items entails almost an up-and-over move.

Sorry to go OT. This door style DOES allow us to use either the kitchen table (to the left) or island (across the aisle, just behind -- probably like your kitchen) as landing areas. Good luck!

This is one of the reasons I like my OTR MW, plenty of landing space, on the smooth cooktop (if not in use), or countertop to sides of stove.

This is one of the reasons I like my OTR MW, plenty of landing space, on the smooth cooktop (if not in use), or countertop to sides of stove

That's fine if you're tall but for most of us, it means you're reaching UP to grab hot food and lift it down onto the counter. Very dangerous, especially if it's liquid inside. There have been several times where I was taking something out of the microwave and tipped the bowl and it spilled.

Hence why I love the drawer. No reaching from overhead. Reach down, lift out and up and put on the counter right above the microwave.

If you are relatively young, pivoting around to put stuff from the
microwave, (or the oven) onto a counter behind you is not a big deal.
However, as you age, it can become more difficult and even dangerous.

I have to ask, does this mean you shouldn't have your cooktop across the aisle from your sink either since the pots that are being transferred from cooktop to sink are usually bigger/heavier than what's being heated in a microwave?

To many, for safety concerns, if this (cooktop across the aisle from sink) can be avoided, it should. That said, I've coincidentally had this setup in the three places I've ever lived -- to include 25+ years in our current home: it's been perfectly fine. I was just always super careful whenever I pivoted back and forth. Kids are grown and out of the nest, not a knick, scratch or burn on them! :)

I have to ask, does this mean you shouldn't have your cooktop across the aisle from your sink either since the pots that are being transferred from cooktop to sink are usually bigger/heavier than what's being heated in a microwave?

Probably not in that case either. I know it's easy to not think of things like aging, but imagine yourself getting less steady on your feet, or even needing a walker. Then how do you handle the hot pots, etc