3 ovens & microwave: Crazy? No? Yes? Maybe?

[Irishsea]

I’ve just finished the epic “MN Kitchen lessons learnt”:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/1554664-The-MN-lessons-learnt-kitchen-thread?messages=100&pg=1

Naturally it’s a fantastic treasure trove of ideas, it’s just unfortunate that I ordered our kitchen last weekend! I have already bugged our kitchen designer with about a 100 additional questions. My latest dilemma is the microwave – this came up because DH & I just realised that we haven’t allowed for it. We have a bank of 6 floor to near ceiling cabinets which are integrated fridge & freezer, two units with a built in oven each (identical ovens) and two units that will be a sort of pantry with drawers for food and shelves to hide away toaster, mugs, nutribullet, glasses etc. The microwave won’t fit in there with everything else. So my solution was to change one of the ovens to a combi microwave and heating drawer (so that it lines up) or a double oven, single oven & combi oven (but it doesn’t quite line up).

The island has the hob and sink so no room there.

We’re a family of 4, but do like to make lots of pizza for endless teenagers entertain, plus we do the Christmas meal for extended family of around 12 - 16. Are 4 oven type things a good idea? Or go with the single and combi oven? Or stick with the two single ovens and get rid of the microwave.

Gah! I’m PANICKING about getting this right as we’re stuck with it for the next 20 years!

I would definitely have a microwave somehow. We use ours all the time - even just for defrosting reheating tea etc.

Do you really need two full ovens?

I have a single oven and convection microwave (combo) and it works fine

The combi is large enough for a roast. Buy the largest combi you can find.

Aside from the island do you have any food prep surfaces?

Could you have it fitted into the sides of the island?

I have a single oven and compact combi oven, the only thing I miss is a heating drawer, which I have had before but stupidly didn't think I'd need with two ovens. I don't cook in the microwave but I use it a lot for heating things.
So I'd go for option 1.

You can get full size oven with microwave function. Siemens do them

I was going to suggest the same as napqueen - I was browsing Rightmove earlier and saw a similar thing and thought how clever it was.

We're going for one full-size oven and one oven/MW combi. We don't have a MW right now and I barely miss it but I think if we did have one we'd use it occasionally.

To be fair I am a bit agog at a kitchen designer who did not mention it to you 😲

Napqueen that could be the solution. It should fit in one of the the drawers under the single oven.
The island is 3x1.2 so plenty of prep space (I'm use to something much smaller)

Wheresmyphone I think it was mentioned but I dismissed it by saying it would go info the pantry. Technically it still could but DH thinks it will 'look all wrong'.

Do you use a microwave a lot now? I'm thinking if you forgot it it can't be that important! We rarely use ours, and I doubt I'd bother with it if I were doing another kitchen.

Yes we have just had one put in the island, works well.

Yes we have just had one put in the island, works well.

Do you use a microwave a lot now? I'm thinking if you forgot it it can't be that important! We rarely use ours, and I doubt I'd bother with it if I were doing another kitchen.

I thought I could live without the microwave but then I remembered it's nearly porriage season. It's also handy in general and I think I'd miss it if I didn't have it.
I'm worried you lose a lot of space with the combi microwave/ oven. Think we're back to the original two single ovens. Thanks for all the input.

We have 5 at home and sometimes cook for a dozen, including different dietary restrictions which increase the number of dishes we need to produce. We have a double oven range and a large capacity microwave. I hate to have to do without the microwave and have replaced it as quickly as possible when it's died. I don't think a 3rd oven would add anything and would rather have the extra cupboard space.

How much do you use the microwave? We moved and didn't have a natural space for it, and haven't missed it at all. I use the hob for anything I used to use a microwave for.

Microwave is the healthiest way to cook veg, warm up tea so yes I'd say you need one!

Microwave is the healthiest way to cook veg, warm up tea so yes I'd say you need one!

It depends what sort of stuff you cook/eat I guess! I haven't had one for 10 years and haven't missed it at all (honestly that's not true, someone bought me one of those lavender heat cushion things and I couldn't heat it up!)

We didn't have a natural place for one when we did our kitchen. We put sockets in the back of a dresser with doors type cabinet and hide the toaster, blender and a caravan size microwave behind the doors. I think this fits the traditional farmhouse style of our kitchen much better than having these things out on display.