My Thousand Dollar Microwave Secret

Did you know that many professional builders are opting for countertop microwaves to fill built-in microwave spaces? It’s true. I found this out when touring new construction homes and in conversation with friends that had built. Why would they do this? Because they can save hundreds of dollars!

Within the first year of purchasing our home, the original built-in wall microwave stopped working. We were grateful that the home warranty could be used, but honestly it came with a $75 deductible to change a fuse. When it happened again, only a few months later and after the home warranty expired, we knew it was time to move on. I began my search for an affordable microwave, but couldn’t find anything under $1200. So we bought a nice countertop microwave for a few hundred dollars knowing we could use it in the basement if we ever set up a movie-night space. We placed it in the spaced that looked ridiculously too big, laughed, and pondered what to do next.

I stopped into a local appliance store and told the salesman what I was looking to replace. I showed him a picture of the space and said our budget was not $1200 (LOL). He looked right at me, and I braced myself for the sales pitch. He said, “Don’t buy anything here! Go to microtrim.com and get yourself a custom trim kit to frame that out.” Me, (picking up my jaw and realigning my eyebrows) “Tell me more.”

Here’s my thousand dollar secret: Do what he said! I went to microtrim.com and was extremely happy with what I found. There may be other sites that offer a similar service, but I can only speak from experience with this one. The microwave trim kit web page is simple to follow and walks you through the process to request a quote. They offer a stainless steel finish, black, white, and true stainless steel. They can also work around many different appliance configurations. The worksheet will walk you through options, measurements, and allow you to upload a photo. It’s extremely simple and is custom to your exact microwave model.

After receiving my quote, I placed my order and waited. Turn around time was within a few weeks at that time. The kit arrived in a slim, narrow box, which caught me off guard. I was excited to install it, so of course I started right away. One tip I wish I had known before it arrived is the recommendation to paint the inside of the space black. This will keep any light-colored wood from showing. I had dark gray paint in the basement, so I got to work to keep the project moving!

As you can see in the picture below, I had to add a piece of wood to the sides of the opening. This is because the sides are flush, meaning there’s nothing to catch the screws when installing the trim pieces. Scrap wood worked well and only added a few more minutes to the install. This picture also shows how the microwave becomes centered vertically in the opening by using oven support runners, provided in the kit. I found this to be the most difficult part of the install, but it was also 10:00 at night, so that’s probably my own fault. 

Once the paint is dry, there’s a decent frame, and the oven support runners are installed, you can go ahead and lift your microwave onto the runners. The final part was simply taking the four pieces of trim and attaching them to the frame with the provided screws. The corners line up to one another making this part unbelievably uncomplicated. Can you believe something as simple as four pieces of stainless steel trim complete the look so perfectly? 

I’m extremely grateful to have run into the most honest salesperson that day. I was able to end my search for the unicorn of inexpensive built-in microwaves! The cost of this kit was under $200, literally saving us over $1000 on a fancy microwave and the install. If you’re looking for a temporary solution while you replace your high end microwave, or love the simplicity like we do, then I recommend giving this trim kit a try.

(Full disclosure, this project was completed in April of 2019. I realize that the cost of products and services has increased since that time. I have not confirmed the current turnaround time or if this trim kit would still be available for less than $200. Just keepin’ it real, friends!)