You can improve your existing hood performance by increasing the duct diameter and cutting a bigger hole, etc. A new micro can be $100 or less. Maybe find a new spot for it.

It's feasible. The instructions I have seen require attaching to the wall and the cabinet- they are very heavy.

Most people here would tell you not to make this swap; I am one of them. You have an externally vented hood. Make the most of it and get a hood that works. The OTR microwaves available for the most part are gigantic beasts and don't provide very good ventilation.

If you are willing to show us the rest of your space, maybe someone could provide some ideas on microwave placement. For what it's worth, I had that same corner microwave in your photo and it served me well. I'm happy to be replacing it for a drawer microwave in the renovation, though!

Flexible ducts are a fire hazard in vent hoods and are against building code. You should upgrade that at the same time that you get a better hood. That also gives you the option of increasing the duct diameter which should do wonders for hood effectiveness

Just to be clear we are not looking to increase performance of the existing hood, it’s adequate - just that we are not considering taking out a really powerful great hood to put in a microwave. I have lived with an OTR microwave/hood that was vented to outside, and it wasn’t my favorite for several reasons - but this is a very small kitchen and I’m considering it as a compromise.

Oh the range and space is 30” wide it’s the space between the top of range burners and bottom of the existing hood.

"it’s the space between the top of range burners and bottom of the existing hood"

Ah. The installation manuals mention a minimum of 30" between the cooktop and the overhead cabinet so with 33"+ you're good.

IMO, anytime the question is OTR microwave, the answer is always no.

@crcollins1_gw: "IMO, anytime the question is OTR microwave, the answer is always no."

Fortunately, the market answers "yes" and Best Buy has 183 models to choose from.

To each his/her own.

A microwave over a gas range is a bad idea. The bottom of the microwave should be no lower than 30 inches. If you put your microwave that high it is in the nose bleed section and can be dangerous removing heated fluids. I agree with crcollins1_gw- Never OTR microwave.

And Home Depot has 89 models to choose from.

There are several reasons why you may not want to use an OTR Microwave over a gas range. Just because you can, does not mean you should. All of the hoods I have installed mounted to the top cabinetry, including OTR Microwaves. Although some models do come with a brace that is mounted to the wall. This may have been older models, so just be sure and check the installation guide before you commit. I do understand space constraints, so as long as you are aware of the cons of doing this and you are ok with it, then go for it.

As long as there’s at least 30” between the cooking surface and the bottom of the cabinet directly above it, AND the depth of the adjacent cabinets doesn’t exceed 12”, this model should fit your needs quite perfectly:

Samsung 1.8 cu. ft Stainless Steel Over-The-Range Microwave with Sensor Cooking

Samsung OTR Microwave Installation Instructions

Thanks all - still mulling it over, as I said I’ve lived with an OTR microwave in the past and disliked reaching up, trying to clean it etc but we are trying to decide if the trade off of counter space would be worth it. I wanted to add a toaster oven, and there’s really no space. I’m not asking you to decide for me, just wanted to know if I could actually install one here without renovating the kitchen.

I’m leaning toward no - and just replacing the microwave that’s dying with a Breville compact soft close, but still thinking about it.

Prior to considering the OTR solution, I was looking at multifunction microwave toaster ovens (some are also air fryer etc something I have no use for) but they seem to get very poor reviews for their high price and a separate microwave and toaster oven seems best.

"[I] disliked reaching up, trying to clean it..."

Me to. The solution was one of these microwave lids. I got one and except for the glass turntable (removable for washing) it keeps the oven clean.

Just to give some perspective, when I first lived by myself, I was renting a space with a tiny kitchen. I decided to hold off on buying a microwave until I came onto an application that required it. Turned out, for the entire 8 years that me and later my wife lived there, we never quite felt the need.

It takes some effort adjusting to the lack of a microwave. But it's not that difficult. Things are maybe different if you have young and impatient kids.

Yeah... I lived without a microwave for most of my life. But we do use it now for heating leftovers and warming meals ordering from a local meal service. We don’t need anything fancy but this one has started throwing the GFCI when we run it and has other issues so we want to replace it. Anyway we’ve decided against the OTR option even if it’s feasible to install - we will just get another compact one and have it on the counter.