Are you looking for the Best Recirculating Over the Range Microwave then don’t worry as we have did a complete research about the same and came up with these 9 products which are considered the best in the game.
Oh, hello there. In need of microwave that takes less space on your counter and more space over the range. I know there are some people that do not like things to be on their face and decluttered.
So, this article is the answer of all their problems. These microwave ovens are mounted over the range of cooktop and they have special ventilating system that deals with the cooking odors, smokes and moisture that comes from the range. Because you just cannot quit using a microwave. It has become aa solution to our problems. We use microwave oven for cooking, baking and heating.
So, to make things a little nicer for you these microwave ovens have a recirculating system that either vent the smoke out of the chimney or recirculate back it into the kitchen. It has several advantages over the regular microwave oven such as easy installation. Moreover, they are energy efficient.
Venting of over the range microwave
Usually the microwaves that are designed to be fit over the top of your cooking range has a really good venting. They either have a built-in venting or recirculating fan. The difference between the two is that the recirculating fan just filter the smoke and recirculate the air into the kitchen. But the better microwave with external vent exhausts the air outside through the duct that runs through the roof or outside of the wall. These microwaves fit between the two cabinets and usually have LED fixture to lighten the top of your stove. If you are thinking of buying this microwave then just be ready to say goodbye to the range hood and vent fan because both of them are replaced by this microwave oven.
OUR TOP 3 PICK
We totally value the time of each consumer who is looking to purchase a new microwave so if you don’t want to go through the whole article and you are in hurry then don’t worry as we have provided these 3 top picks from the entire list which you can purchase blindly.
9 Best Recirculating Over the Range Microwave (Comparison Table)
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9 Best Recirculating Over the Range Microwave (Buyers Guide)
1. GE 1.6 cu. ft. Over-the-Range Microwave
Category: Best over the range microwave oven that has 300 CFM speed.
Are you trying to save energy and making your kitchen look modern? Then my friend this pick is perfect for you. It is GE JNM3163DJBB 1.6 cu. ft. Over-the-Range Microwave. It is the motto of Ge appliance to bring good in your life. Whether it is cooking your food to doing your dirty laundry quite literally, it is making your life easier. This is a durable microwave that will last you a lifetime.
- Features: This microwave has two speed fans. This means it has ducted as well as recirculating fan of speed 300 CFM. It has two filters one is charcoal filter and other is grease filter. You use the charcoal filter when you are using recirculating vent. It just absorbs the smoke and recirculate the rest into the kitchen. You can stop the turntable rotation and it also has LED to provide light to the kitchen stove.
- Material: This is made up from black stainless steel. So, it is reliable and sturdy. The product itself is very sleek and will go with the ambiance of your kitchen.
- Size: The microwave itself is 29.5” in width but the cabinets should be 30 inches apart from each other. It comes with an installation manual, refer to that for more in-depth information.
2. Samsung Microwave
Category: best over the range microwave with 400CFM speed.
You don’t have a handy man to help you install a microwave. Then I have found you a perfect over the range microwave, it is Samsung ME18H704SFB 1.8 Cu. Ft. 1000W Over-the-Range Microwave. This has a great company name to stand by it. The company also provides one-year warranty and 10 years warranty on parts by magnetron. Moreover, it provides easy installation.
- Features: This microwave has four spend vent fans of 400CFM with grease filter to remove all the odor and smoke. This filter can come out with just a touch of your finger on the side and you can either clean or replace it quite easily. These fans also work quietly. This has six cooking settings that include pizza, popcorn, potato, reheat, cook and vegie. Also, six auto preset settings which will save you time.
- Material: The outer is made up of black stainless steel that provides you durability. The interior is enameled with ceramic. So, even if you spill something, it will be easy to clean. Because ceramic does not let food stick to it.
- Size: The overall dimension of this oven is 29.87 x 15.56 x 17.06 inches. If you are planning to install this machine in the cabinet then it should at least have a gap of 30.5 inches between them.
3. LG 2.2 Cubic Feet Over-The-Range Microwave Oven
Category: best recirculating over the range microwave.
Are you looking for a microwave that cooks good while looks good? It is not a bad thing to look out for a machine that goes perfectly with the ambiance of your kitchen. So, my friend I present you the sleek LG LMHM2237ST 2.2 Cubic Feet Over-The-Range Microwave Oven. It has a glass door to provide ultra-modern touch.
- Features: The most prominent feature of this oven is ExtendaVent. Most of the time the vent does not cover the whole stove. So, this microwave oven has a vent that can extend/slide out according to the size of your stove. The vent has a charcoal filter that is pretty easy to clean and replace. It has a smooth and sleek body curtsey of glass door. Moreover, It comes with 1-year warranty from the company and 10 years warranty of parts from Magnetron. Lastly It offers 4 speed fans and 400CFM.
- Material: The outer is made from stainless steel with glass door. It has EasyToClean interior with stain resistant body. You can just wipe a cloth on it to get rid of any stain.
- Size: The size of this oven is 29.88*17.94*15.88 inches.
4. Sharp R-1514 1-1/2-Cubic-Foot 1000-Watt Microwave
Category: over the range microwave oven with two speed fans.
Do you have children that like to touch everything in their reach? Then I have found a perfect microwave oven for you, it is Sharp R-1514 1-1/2-Cubic-Foot 1000-Watt Over-the-Range Microwave. The control panel is hidden behind the door and it is out of reach of children.
- Features: This oven has a versatile 14.1 inches turntable. Don’t worry if you forget your food in the microwave oven. This keeps your food warm for 30 minutes after the heating is done. It has two lights display and concealed auto touch panel which has numerous functions. There are seven food heating settings. It has a function in which it can power heat your food for 1 minute straight.
- Material: The exterior is made from stainless steel. It is easy to clean the outside. Moreover, it is durable.
- Size: The width, length and height of oven is 33.1 x 19.3 x 15.57 inches. If you want it to fit between the cabinets then they should be at least 34 inches apart.
5. Frigidaire 30″ Microwave with 1.6 cu
Category: Best over the range microwave oven with average size.
Every over the range microwave you look is big for your kitchen or it does not fit in between the cabinets. I am aware of small kitchen problems. I just found a perfect microwave oven for you it is Frigidaire FFMV1645TH 30″ Over the Range Microwave. It is a mid-sized microwave oven.
- Features: This is medium sized machine but do not get fooled by its size. It has 1.6 cu. Feet capacity and is really spacious. It has two speed fan ventilation of 250 CFM. This oven is sleek and compact perfect for your small kitchen. Moreover, it provides multistage cooking for your food. And do not worry about the food odor because grease and charcoal filter absorbs them all. And you can make this work by a single touch. There are LED present in the interior of microwave oven.
- Material: The exterior is made from stainless steel which provides strong and sturdy structure. The interior is effortless clean.
- Size: The size is 30 inches. It is perfect for people with small kitchen.
Also Read: 10 Best Dishwasher Under 700
6. Avanti 24″ Over The Range Microwave
Category: Best over the range microwave with built in exhaust.
hey there. Still confused about the microwave oven. Are you looking for a small and compact machine but do not want to compromise on the design as well? Then this is perfect for you, it is Avanti MOTR13D3S 24″ Over the Range Microwave. This is beautiful over the range microwave. And even if you a child then it also has a child lock.
- Features: This microwave is nothing like your previous microwave. It heats fast. There are two vents: ducted and recirculated. The two fans speed is 300 CFM and you can even set it to your set to your desired speed. This also has a built-in exhaust for ventilation. Cooking at night wouldn’t be a problem anymore because it has surface light in which you can adjust the brightness. This also has a child lock facility to save you from any damage.
- Material: The exterior is made up from stainless steel and the interior is enameled ceramic which helps to clean it easily.
- Size: The size is 24 x 16.5 x 17 inches. It is compact and sturdy microwave. Perfect for small kitchen
7. GE 30″ Microwave Oven
Category: best over the range microwave oven with multiple power levels.
Looking for a sleek microwave oven with all the cool feature to go with your modern kitchen. Your wish is my command. I have found GE JVM3160DFBB 30″ Over-the-Range Microwave Oven. This company aims to provide you a product exactly you desire. Hence it is a sleek black microwave with lots of features. Such as:
- Features: First and foremost, it has touch for on/off that controls the turntable operation. It has a venting speed of 300 CFM that cleans the odors, smoke and steam with the help of filters. There are ten power levels for cooking that can be programmed automatically and manually.
- Material: The microwave oven has an exterior made up of black stainless steel that gives it sleek finish.
- Size: The depth, width and height of this microwave is 15.25 x 29.87 x 16.5 inches.
8. Sharp SMO1854DS Over the Range Microwave Oven
Category: Best microwave oven with CFM of 450
Are you allergic to smoke and looking for something that clears out that clear out the cooking odor and steam quickly? In this case your prayers have been answered, it is Sharp SMO1854DS Over the Range Microwave Oven with high CFM.
- Features: This microwave oven comes with two grease and charcoal filters for the recirculating vent. It has four fans and each have a speed of 450CMF. So, it recirculates the air very fast. It also has a glass turn table of 12.8 inches which ensures that you can cook family meals pretty easily.
- Material: The exterior is made up of stainless steel. The interior is enameled to provide stain free surface.
- Size: It has an average width of 29 inches which means if your planning to install it in between the cabinets then the spacing should be at least 30 inches.
9. Frigidaire FGMV17WNVF Over the Range Microwave Oven
Category: best over the range microwave with smudge free exterior.
Cleaning the interior is separate thing. But cleaning the exterior creates problem for us especially when we lag in cleaning. So, to provide ease to this problem I pick this Frigidaire FGMV17WNVF Over the Range Microwave Oven. It is spacious but also smudge free.
- Features: This popular model of Frigidaire is a 1000watt and interior has a capacity of 1.7 cube. This is said to be an average size microwave oven but it can fit a 13*9 inches baking dish and 13.6” turn table. The two fans speed is 300 CFM which removes steam, cooking odor and smoke with the help of grease and charcoal filters. Some additional features which were missing in the previous Frigidaire ovens are disable turn table option, kitchen timer, two exterior LED for the stove etc.
- Material: It is made up of smudge free stainless steel, exterior is fingerprint resistant.
- Size: The width of this microwave oven is 29.875 inches which is average size. The cabinet space should be 30 inches to make this.
Safety tips while using a microwave
Yeah, I know microwaves are pretty easy to use once they are installed but still there are some ground safety rules that you should follow no matter what happens. These rules are as follow:
- If you didn’t already know this then this might come as a shocker but you are not supposed to heat your food without a cover or lid because microwave has ultraviolet radiation. These rays are known to be the cause of cancer.
- Do not heat your food in metal plates or container unless you want to start a fire. Also, remove the aluminum from your food before heating it in the microwave oven. Paper cups and plates can equally be the cause of fire during heating.
- Do not heat any substance in your microwave that is inflammable in nature. You are risking your life because that can cause a blast in your microwave.
- Avoid covering your vent top of microwave when heating. And do not cover any part of the microwave with metal because it causes overheating of the appliance and eventually fire.
- As I have already told you that micro waves have ultra violet radiations. So, do not use microwave with the door open because it will cause you the exposure of the radiation.
- Do not place microwave near the heating system. It will cause the overheating of your appliance unless your microwave has venting system.
How to install a recirculating over the range microwave?
There is a proper procedure of installing a over the top of microwave oven. You cannot and should not try to install a microwave unless you are carpenter and an electrician. Every microwave has different procedure but following steps almost remains the same:
- You microwave and the vent needs 20 amperes of current and 120 volts of voltage. This means that you need to install a new electric circuit that supplies 20 amperes of current to your microwave oven without sharing. Originally, microwave only needs 15 amperes of current but the 5 amps extra is for the ventilation fan. This a complicated job and the electric wires are installed through the walls. Do not install it all by yourself unless you are a professional.
- There are two ways to install your venting system. The installation depends whether you want to vent your microwave at the back of your unit which means taking duct wires through and above the walls. Or vent your microwave above the unit which requires the ducting of wires through the cabinets and the roof. The most efficient method is to vent through exterior walls. Mark the wall where you want to start ducting wires. Cut the hole into the dry wall and start ducting the wire. Also make sure you mark the reference hole for vent cap.
- If you are looking for ease to install a duct then plastic or aluminum duct are a good option because they are flexible. But keep in mind one thing that these materials can catch on fire easily.
- Now the thing left to do is to mount the wall bracket. This can be done by carpenter. Position the wall bracket into the wall. You can adjust the height of the wall bracket based on the cabinets. Make sure it is aligned. Use a drill and hole the marked points. Then screw the bracket into the wall.
- You microwave needs cables to work. So, drill the hole into the cabinets and pass the cords to the holes.
- Now with the drum roll, install your microwave oven over the top of your range.
Services required for over the range microwave oven
There is no question about that the recirculating over the top microwave over are energy efficient. But the cost you save on these ovens, is the same amount of cost you have to pay on the servicing of the oven. Following are the servicing required for your oven:
- If you have an externally vented microwave then it also may have an exhaust that takes all the air, cooking odor and smell outside of your house. Such exhaust has aluminum fans that gets greased because of the ventilation. For this purpose, you have to service the exhaust once a month. But the advantage of the ductless recirculating venting system is that it captures the particles through charcoal filters.
- But the charcoal filters use in the recirculation vent system also loses its effectiveness over time and you need to change it periodically. Charcoal filters last only 6 to 12 months. But the span further decreases if the use is extensive.
Conclusion
It is end now. If you are still reading this article then it means you liked it. And why shouldn’t you, I have put have heart and soul in this. All the product mentioned above have high ratings on amazon. And I have mentioned all the pros and cons which each product. So, that you make a well-informed decision. Neither the microwave itself nor the installation is cheap. Make sure you choose the right machine because you have to do all the drilling and holes for it in your kitchen walls and cabinets. The microwave oven that you have selected, should go with the ambiance and aesthetic of your kitchen. Have a happy shopping.
FAQs
What is a difference between recirculating and external vent microwave?
The external venting microwave exhaust the air outside of your house. On the other hand, recirculating microwave vents internally. This means the microwave vent back into the kitchen and recirculate the air. They are energy efficient as no external ducting is required.
How to know if your microwave is recirculating or not?
There is only one way to know this if there are no ducts coming out of your microwave over. And you can feel the air pushing forward in your face then the model you have is recirculating over the range microwave oven.
Can we put the microwave oven over the top of cooker?
Yes, you can put microwave on the top of cooker, electric stove or gas stove only if your stove has venting system. The regular microwave does not have any vent, so, you cannot put it above any stove. The regular microwave will get overheated and burn.
