Built-in Guide

Where should the MICROWAVE go?
3
Intro
With such an assortment of microwave ovens to
choose from, which microwave best suits your
needs? Whether you are designing a kitchen in a
new home, remodeling an older kitchen or simply
replacing a current microwave, this guide should
help you through the process. The following is a
checklist of questions you may want to consider
before making your selection.
• Do you want the microwave built-in
or on the countertop?
• How will the microwave be used?
How often? Whether it will be used
primarily for reheating and defrosting,
or for more cooking, may determine
the best location.
• How often will the microwave be used
in conjunction with other appliances?
• Do you want a second oven? Have
you considered a combination
convection microwave oven as a good
solution?
• Do you need two microwave ovens?
• Do you need a microwave in another
part of the home such as a game
room, transition room, master
bedroom or wet bar?
The basic categories from which to choose are
countertop, built-in a cabinet or wall, over the range
or Sharp’s new category, over the counter.
Countertop – Sharp offers a range of microwave
ovens from compact 0.5 cu. ft. to full size 2.0 cu. ft.,
with wattage up to 1200 watts. An assortment of
features, including one-touch sensor cooking, is
available. Please refer to each model’s feature list
and explanation for details. Available space may
determine your selection. The Sharp Platinum
series is a good solution when space is tight. Big
on the inside, small on the outside, these
microwave ovens provide a smaller footprint with
a unique design to save space. Another alternative
is placing the microwave on a shelf. Most cabinet
manufacturers offer a range of options.
Built-in Kits for microwave ovens – Often
designers and users look for an alternative
location other than the countertop in order to
save space, provide greater functionality or for a
more integrated look. Sharp offers an assortment
of UL-approved kits that allow you to build-in
many of our larger countertop models into a
cabinet or wall location. Kits are available in a
number of color and material options. They
provide proper circulation when the microwave
oven is built into a closed location. Please refer to
each individual model’s operation manual
(available at www.sharpusa.com) for installation
recommendations.
Over the Range “OTR” – Locating a microwave
oven over a range or cook top provides the
additional functions of hood ventilation and task
lighting. Sharp OTRs offer the option of venting to
the outside vertically, horizontally or recirculating
when outside venting is not available. All Sharp
models are built-in ready for easy installation.
Over the Counter “OTC” – Often designers look
for ways to place the microwave oven over the
counter. The only options in the past were to use a
microwave shelf in the wall cabinet or to build the
microwave into a custom cabinet. Now Sharp’s OTC
microwaves provide a built-in-ready solution
designed for standard 24 inch wide cabinets. Each
OTC microwave is equipped with an under-the-
cabinet light that acts as a decorative accent light,
functional task light, or serviceable nightlight. An
optional Accessory Kit is available with two
stainless steel accessory bars and eight “S” hooks,
ideal for essential cooking tools.
Where should the MICROWAVE go?