If you don’t have enough cooking space in your kitchen to put the different types of ovens that you have then you may start asking some important questions: Can you stack your ovens? Can you put toaster oven on top of microwave? Can you put microwave on top of toaster oven?
Simply put, it is better to ere on the side of caution and avoid putting toaster oven top of microwave oven UNLESS, there is sufficient clearance between the two. You can achieve this using a simple shelf.
The manual for the microwave or the toaster oven should give you the required clearance specifications for the ovens.
Also, if stacked, you must not attempt to run both appliances simultaneously as this can cause overheating and eventually damage either or both of your ovens.
In this article, we will discuss the dangers and hazards attached to stacking your microwave and toaster ovens and how you can avoid them. We will also learn about ways that you can safely stack.
Can You Put Toaster Oven on Top of Microwave?
Usually, it is better to create different spaces in your kitchen for your microwave and toaster ovens since a toaster oven runs very hot on all sides.
But when you have no alternative, you can put the toaster oven on top of the microwave oven using a shelf or by ensuring sufficient clearance.
If you have the extra clearance space in your kitchen, you should consider putting the countertop microwave and toaster ovens in different places as they are safer separate than stacked.
But when they are stacked, you should ensure that you have taken some precautions to prevent kitchen hazards in your home.
Precautions to Take While Putting Your Toaster Oven on Microwave.
Ensure that There is Enough Ventilation
All ovens require counter space to ventilate and let out heat. This is particularly true for any device that uses heating elements such as a toaster oven.
A toaster oven generates radiant heat from all sides. A microwave, on the other hand, runs fairly cool.
When heat is trapped around either of your microwave or toaster ovens, it can weaken the coating on your oven and damage it.
If you suspect there is heat damage to the coating then you are witnessing a fire hazard.
Therefore, before you place your toaster oven on your microwave oven, ensure that there is enough space around the oven.
How much is adequate space? Well, that depends upon the manual itself. The legs of a toaster oven can give about 3-5 cm of clearance. For safety, you require a higher clearance than this.
Do Not Place Your Toaster Oven Directly on Your Microwave
If your toaster oven has long extended feet that meet the minimum clearance requirement as per the manual, then it is fine to place ovens directly on your microwave oven, but if not, you might have to get a heat-safe underlay for it.
Items like an insulation sheet can be great for putting in between both ovens. This will reduce the amount of heat that seeps in from the other to cause damage.
If your toaster oven comes with extended feet, try to keep them on. This will help create enough space between both ovens and avoid any friction that might result from laying them directly on top of each other.
Take Your Toaster Oven off Your Microwave When You Want to Turn the Toaster Oven On
If you have both stacked for storage purposes, then you can use the microwave without any issue. Since a microwave does not radiate a lot of heat from its side and the clearance provided by the toaster oven legs is sufficient.
However, using a toaster oven is a different story.
Simply put, do not turn on your convection toaster oven without taking it off your microwave oven if you do not have sufficient safety precautions installed first.
Create a fresh space to move either the toaster oven or the microwave to when you want to turn your toaster oven on. This is because the toaster oven is much hotter than the microwave oven and can damage the top of your microwave oven when it is on.
Do Not Turn on Both Ovens at the Same Time
If you have taken only the minimum clearance requirement into consideration. Then do not use both appliances at the same time.
Meeting the minimum clearance for the toaster oven means that the clearance is only suitable for the use of the toaster oven.
When using both, that would require you to have a bit higher clearance for safety concerns.
Plus, both kitchen appliances have high-powered wattage and this can cause a spark or damage to your socket. It can even trip your circuit breaker if the combined usage crosses the amperage rating.
Do Not Stack a Bigger Toaster Oven on a Small Microwave
This doesn’t apply to size or heat generated, but also weight.
This also applies if you are not using a dedicated shelf and instead of using a safety heat resistant mat instead.
Before you choose to put your toaster oven on your microwave, ensure that your toaster is not heavier than your microwave.
Excess weight can cause weight imprints on your microwave oven and can cause it to press in.
Potential Risks of Putting Your Toaster Oven on Microwave
Below are some of the damage that can result from stacking your toaster oven atop your toaster oven
Oven Paint or Protective Coat May Begin to Chip Off
In this case, it can be caused by either of two things. Excessive heat from either of the ovens can heat up the protective paint on the oven.
This makes the paint extra vulnerable and any small impact causes the paint to melt off, especially when it is not heat resistant.
You can avoid this by leaving open spaces all around the ovens, and allowing enough air around the ovens when either of them is on.
Putting your toaster directly on your microwave oven can also cause friction and abrasion which can chip off the paint atop the oven.
Anytime the toaster shifts, both appliances are in danger of losing their protective coatings.
You can avoid this by putting a protective later between both kitchen appliances, this will reduce the abrasiveness and any chances of the paint chipping.
The Microwave Can Cave In
Always check the weight of both kitchen appliances before putting the toaster oven on top of the microwave.
The weight of the toaster oven must be lesser than that of the microwave.
Otherwise, the toaster oven weight might cause the microwave oven to begin to cave in from the top, this might end up damaging some of the microwave oven’s interior parts.
It Can Cause a Fire
If there is no adequate ventilation, the excess heat from the toaster oven can cause a spark or fire after continuously damaging it from the outside.
Also, ensure that you don’t plug both ovens into the same power source.
Alternative Spaces to Put Your Oven
Shelves
A shelf is by far the best option for stacking. You can choose to design or buy a custom shelf for your oven.
Drawers
You can put the oven in a drawer: most times, kitchens have drawers where appliances can be kept, and you can put your microwave oven in one of them
Built-in
Most microwave ovens come with trim kit options. If you find that you have run out of space for your oven, you can choose to get a trim kit and install it against your wall or inside a cabinet.
That way, your oven will have a suspended space that won’t take up too much visible space in your kitchen
Appliance Cart
You can get a wheeled appliance that you can bring out and tuck away into the crevice of your kitchen when done using.
An appliance cart is a need and a handy of using and stowing your appliances away.
Conclusion
In this article, we talked in-depth about whether you can put a toaster oven on top of a microwave or not. A toaster oven may generally look smaller than a microwave oven, but it runs much hotter.
Therefore, when stacking it on top of a microwave, we recommend you use a small shelf that meets the clearance requirement for proper ventilation.
Alternatively, if the legs of the toaster oven are long enough and do meet the clearance requirement, then you should try to put a heat resistant or insulation underlay in between both appliances.
This will help to reduce the heat from the toaster oven and the chances of damage to either of your ovens.
FAQs:
1. Can you put things on top of microwave?
When a microwave is not in use, you can store items on top of it. The microwave's top is a perfectly safe, flat surface that can be used for storage. However, exercise caution regarding the weight of items placed there, avoid obstructing vents, and remove items before turning on the microwave.
2. Does the top of a oven get hot?
Yes, the outer top of an oven can get hot. This is because the oven is heated from the inside, and the heat radiates outwards. You should always use an oven mitt when handling something that's been in the oven, to avoid getting burned.
3. How much space should be between cabinets and ovens?
There is no set standard for how much space should be between cabinets and ovens, but it is generally recommended that there be at least 24 inches of space between them. This will allow you to easily access both the oven and the cabinets.
4. Should oven be flush with cabinets?
In an ideal world, an oven installed properly would be flush with the cabinets. When the oven door is closed, the door and handle should protrude no more than one to two inches from the cabinets.
5. How do you fill the gap between an oven and countertop?
If there is a height difference between your stovetop and the counter, use a silicone material. Silicone is more malleable and conforms to the shape better. Utilize stainless steel gap covers to match a metal stovetop seamlessly.