Microwave Buying Guide: How to Choose the Right One for Your Kitchen

Don’t overlook the microwave oven when styling your kitchen—it can do more than microwave baked potatoes and warm up your coffee. Café microwave ovens offer features like convection cooking, sensor cooking controls, and Scan-to-Cook technology to make meal prep easier. If you’re looking for next-level customization for your kitchen, we offer microwave options that allow you to choose your style, finish, and even hardware so it will stand out or blend in depending on your personal kitchen style.

Microwaves: Main Types

The biggest consideration when shopping for a new microwave is where it fits in your kitchen. Café offers four options to fit your kitchen’s layout: built-in microwave drawers, built-in microwaves, countertop microwaves, and over-the-range microwaves.

Built-In Microwave Drawers

One of our popular microwave oven styles is the built-in microwave. Many renovation projects we’ve featured highlight our Café Built-In Microwave Drawer Oven as designers love how it looks. It fits neatly under your cabinetry without taking up counter space. Simply push a button to slide it open so you can easily remove hot dishes. And you’ll love having the choice of three finishes: Matte White, Matte Black, or Stainless Steel to complete your Café kitchen.

We love how our Microwave Drawer looks with a variety of cabinetry. From wood to painted cabinets, its style blends with any kitchen design. Whether you love modern, farmhouse, or traditional kitchen design, it suits both your personal style and your cooking style.

Café Microwave Drawer Inspiration

Modern kitchen with mint green cabinets, countertop, and decorative backsplash.

📷 @carochambers

Pale Green Cabinets, Stainless Steel Microwave Drawer
Placed under the cabinets in this stylish nook, the microwave drawer gives a modern look to this bright, cheery kitchen.

Modern kitchen with an island, white countertops, and stylish pendant lighting.

📷 @sophiamariadesign

Wood Cabinet Island, Matte White Microwave Drawer
Tucked away on the backside of this long kitchen island, the microwave drawer complements the other Matte White Café appliances.

Modern kitchen with pink cabinets, patterned backsplash, and gold fixtures.

📷 @housecosmopolitan & @thomas_visuals

Dark Green Cabinets, Matte White Microwave Drawer
This dramatic, modern kitchen features Matte White appliances and brass hardware all around. The microwave drawer is unobtrusive at the far end of the U-shaped kitchen space.

Five-Star Microwave Drawer Fan Mail

Don’t take our word for it. Read these five-star reviews from Cafe Microwave Drawer Owners.

Fantastic Microwave Performance

“The smooth drawer opening and closing is an easy to use, convenient way to get larger items into and out of the microwave. There are so many options for quick use from popcorn to defrost with great accuracy.”

Very Cool!

“This is the coolest microwave on the market!! We love that it is in the cabinets and not over the stove or on the wall under or over the oven -- a much cleaner look and gives us space for two ovens (Also Café of course!)”

Other Built-In Microwaves

We also offer the Café Built-In Microwave/Convection Oven that uses convection cooking with microwave cooking to achieve crisp, golden-brown results in mere minutes. Its glass touch screen provides easy-to-use controls and custom cycles that you can set for your favorite dishes.

Countertop Microwaves

Without a serious kitchen renovation to create a new space for one, many of us use a traditional countertop microwave. It may sit on your countertop, but it’s an eye-catching design available in three finishes: Matte White, Matte Black, or Stainless Steel, giving you options to complete your Café kitchen.

With its 1.5 cubic foot size, the Café Smart Countertop Microwave does far more than a typical countertop microwave. It connects to WiFi and offers Scan-to-Cook technology. Just scan the barcode on your favorite microwaveable foods and the microwave automatically adjusts its settings to those on the package instructions. Talk about easy-peasy snacks and meals—kids love the simplicity of it. And you’ll love how the convection cooking option browns and crisps foods as they cook.

Over-the-Range Microwaves

Complete your Café kitchen with an over-the-range microwave oven that complements your Café range. Choose your style from several sizes and styles to fit your Café kitchen aesthetic.

Our Low-Profile Sensor Microwave takes up minimal overhead space while meeting your microwave cooking needs and providing a vent system and LED cooktop lighting. Our Café Smart Over-the-Range Microwave in Platinum Glass offers a sleek, flat-front design with a 2.1 cu ft. capacity. And you can choose your finish and hardware color to match your range with our Café Convection Over-the-Range Microwave Oven.