Withhold services until he agrees to the microwave. Incidentally, all drawer microwaves are made by Sharp so it makes no sense to buy another brand (which will be priced higher). --amateur

My parents' weekend house has a giant kitchen and no microwave. It's never had a microwave, and no one misses it. If you need to reheat food, you pop it in the oven (usually under some foil) or heat in a pot on the stove top. Microwave meals have never been a thing in my family.

My parents do have a microwave at their main house, but it's only ever used for reheating and rarely, defrosting. It's actually the same microwave my mom bought (second hand) when I was a baby so she could warm my bottles more easily. I'm 32. So yeah, that microwave has had an easy life and doesn't see much action.

Edit: if you want a microwave, maybe just get a non-integrated countertop one you can put wherever (or put away). My parents' 35-year-old microwave has always just sat on the counter - they've never considered it integral/important enough to officially build it into the kitchen.

A microwave is a great special-purpose appliance. It heats up drinks in no time and can to that without making any other dishes dirty. It melts butter really nicely. And, God forbid, it you prefer microwave popcorn over kettle corn, it does that too. It also really helps for some limited numbers of recipes (e.g. it helps with making gnocchi from scratch without having to get scared about too much moisture in the potatoes).

Other than that, it really isn't all that unique and in fact there frequently are other appliances that are superior. When we didn't have kids, I never had a microwave and never missed it. So, I can absolutely recommend skipping the microwave, it you don't think you need it for one of the above use cases.

If you have the space, and you have the budget, I'd strongly recommend getting a combination steam oven instead -- in particular, if you have the option, get a plumbed model. We have a Miele XL model, and we love it. Much more useful than a microwave. And yes, in many cases it can actually substitute for a microwave. It won't do exactly the same, but it will probably make you forget that you never got that microwave.

And, if you later discover that you really can't live without a microwave, then get a cheap small countertop model. That's less than $100.

since you are under new construction I would get a wall cabinet with the lower shelf at a proper depth for at least a 1.0 cu ft microwave. it's not a hassle...it's not built in..you need them to put the outlet in the cabinet. Microwaves are pretty standard and at least on an open shelf like that is better than sitting on the counter as no one has to retrofit a cabinet in the future...... Most households use microwaves. Put it in your plan....those who don't want to use it ever, don't need to. DEFROST/ REHEAT/ MICROWAVEABLE ENTREE/ WARM /MELT./OATMEAL/COOK FROZEN VEG w DINNER....really? never?

I am not a big MW user, but on occasion do use it. It is a basic Sharp model and cost about $110. It is located on a shelf in my pantry. I had an electrician install an outlet there. Perfect spot for people who don't use MWs that often.

When I redid the kitchen 3 years ago my microwave got banished to the basement. Since then it has been used a handful of times..... usually popcorn for my DH. We have a CSO and love it.

Don't believe every crackpot conspiracy that you read on the internet.

It is perfectly fine to get rid of a microwave, because it doesn't fit your needs. Plenty of people prefer cooking and heating up foods by other means. And there is nothing wrong with that. And in fact, I personally only have very little use for a microwave.

But "negative influence on our organism" isn't a particularly useful argument. Unless you literally sit inside of the microwave while you are operating it, it's a heat source like any other.

We have that Bosch 800 convection oven / microwave and have been very happy with it. We had a countertop mw, and while the Bosch is a little less convenient since it is above the wall oven, it hasn’t been a big deal. I find there are some times when only a microwave will do, so going without one was never an option.