Hood vs Over the Range Microwave

This is one that sales people often don’t get right. The fan part of an Over The Range Microwave (OTR) is never going to work as well as even a cheap hood fan. There are two things on OTR’s that spoil their air draw. One is that the CFM rating of the fan is usually not what is actually being sucked. The reason is the somewhat convoluted way the air has to flow through the inside of the OTR thereby reducing the overall draw. And second, they do not draw well from the front of the unit. All the suction of the OTR is at the back where the opening is. Even when you remove the filters you will often see the cavity where the fan is located is behind the filters rather than just above. This means that even if the OTR draws OK from the back burners on your stove, the steam and smoke from the front burners will end up in the kitchen rather than outside. Consumer Reports has a nice article on this topic called Hoods Trumps Microwaves. See them for specific advice about what to look at when shopping for a hood or an OTR microwave.