Ideally the microwave and oven unit would be a wall unit by themselves so it's only the hood fan above the stove for a more 'high-end' feel.

Am considering that (under counter) but is it very inconvenient to use?

I have a microwave over my stove. Have done it that way for years. It seems like the perfect spot. I have never had an issue with using the gas range or with large pots at the same time either. If you have spacious kitchen and can allow the extra room to have a special hood over the range instead, that is a nice look, but it is purely aesthetic to do so.
The above mentioned ideas are all good too. You have to just use the space you have to decide.

Judy, I have an undercounted microwave and love it. It is a drawer that opens into the room instead of a door. Cons - no turn table but we use it to reheat only, don't use it to cook.

The way I see it a microwave above a hood is b*ttugly. Then again, I'm dutch. ;)

Before recent remodel our microwave was over cooktop. It's a pain to use when someone else is using cooktop.if two people will use kitchen keep that in mind . I'm happy with new location in wall over oven.

Microwaves over ranges are such a bad idea. It's inconvenient to use both appliances, and the vent in a microwave is terribly inefficient. People use real vent hoods in high end kitchen because that is the only way you can get proper venting for serious cooking (which includes boiling a pot of water for pasta).

No to microwave over stove. i always think about just the logistics of having the burners going and trying to do something in the microwave or if the kids want to use it. Plus they suck at exhausting. If you are using a gas stove they are not approved where we live.Hood fans are so pretty now they are like art.

I couldn't agree more s/ soberg above. If you cook and need proper venting, the microwave will not do the job. I've dreaming of a hood for a long, long time.

They really suck, Patricia. I suffer with the poor exhausting every day!

I have the microwave above the range now. It's terrible. Not because the microwave is in a bad place - actually it is very convenient. But because of the poor exhaustion. It really does make for a greasy mess if you cook at all.

New house I will be going hood with exhaustion to the outside.

Here's an easy microwave install - you can use the table top model. Many manufacturers also make kits to give them a more built in appearance. So you don't need to do the drawer under the counter.

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We had the microwave over the stove until we did our recent remodel. I always hated it because it was a big black spot, it constantly needed to be cleaned because it caught all the grease vapors from cooking and all it did to vent was recirculate the air back into the kitchen.

We did a stainless steel hood over the stove when we did the renovation so we could exhaust it to the outside and because I think the SS hoods look a TON better in a kitchen.

We only use the microwave for popcorn, coffee & leftover reheating so we put it in our island behind doors. Cleaner look and it functions fine for us.

My vote is hood over the stove and microwave elsewhere.

Hood over if space allows. I am not a fan of the the hood/microwave unless there is no other option.

We also prefer hood over the stove!

It's hard to answer not knowing how large your kitchen is. You also don't mention how many people use the kitchen. In a small kitchen, if you are happy using the microwave over the stove, it can be a space saver. Most of the suggestions above are for larger kitchens. If you have the space, a microwave drawer is wonderful. For families with children or an older person, I recommend a microwave drawer or counter level microwave located away from the main stove.

Microwave or range hood over stove? Range hood, absolutely.

1.) Better look - there are 100's of designs available, to fit every kitchen style from the traditional to the ultra-modern.

2.) Better ventilation - there's no comparison between a "microhood" with a paltry 100-300 CFM blower and typically 1 or 2 small filters, and a full-size range hood with a 600 / 800 / 900 / 1000 CFM blower, and 2, 3, or even 4, much larger filters.

3.) Noise level - microwave hoods tend to be very noisy (5-8 sones is common), whereas you can find full-size range hoods that are much quieter.

In case you're wondering how a more powerful range hood can be quieter:

* A more powerful blower running at a fraction of its capacity tends to be quieter than a less powerful blower running "at redline".
* Larger filter area = less resistance = less turbulence = less noise.
* A full-size range hood offers more room for the engineers to shape the airflow and minimize the noise caused by turbulence.
* Engineering solutions like suspending the blower in a sound-absorbing plastic chamber, so noise & vibration is insulated from the rest of the hood, are possible in a full-size hood, but can't be done in the very limited space of a microwave/hood combination.

4.) Lighting - modern range hoods typically offer 2-4 lights, with options available for halogen, fluorescent, and LED lighting, so you can match the light color (cool / warm) to the rest of the lighting in the kitchen.

So... design, ventilation, noise, and lighting - 4 solid reasons to use a range hood rather than a microwave over the range.

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Hood it is :-) !

Hood yes, but question the "sones'. Geez they can be loud. I'm very disappointed in the one I bought. (Windster) Its low isn't a whole lot different than its "high." Looks nice, though.