Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Oven vs. microwave

[Berrins (Berrins]

We have both and use both regularly.  We have an undercabinet microwave 
installed under the stove; this has it's pluses and minuses.  
Minuses- gets hot on the arms and face to use the microwave while the stove 
is in use, grease from the stove builds up on the microwave, difficult to 
have two people using them at the same time.  
Pluses- the micowave has a fan and light on the bottom, meaning we don't need 
another one over the stove (the light especially is a very nice touch), one 
cook can do multiple tasks easily (although I worry about microwave leakage), 
more counter space with the microwave up.

On using the common house oven; several issues with this have already been 
mentioned (cost to the community, inconvenience due to distance, conflict 
with common house events and those cooking ahead for community meals); I'll 
add one more.  It takes at least a half hour or more for our big, commercial 
grade ovens to warm up.  That can be a big inconvenience and is also a waste 
of money (and resources) for just one family.

I'll end with what I wrote before re: kitchen design.  Other people will 
eventually be living in your house.  You don't need to put in any appliances 
in your kitchen (well, except those required by code) but should plan the 
space so that future occupants don't have to completely rebuild the kitchen 
to put in what are, for some people, relatively basic appliances.  For 
example- put in shelving where a future dishwasher and oven could go or plan 
an upper cabinet size that could easily be replaced with a microwave (or 
convection oven) and a shorter cabinet.  These may slightly constrain your 
plan but shouldn't cost much, if anything, extra.


Roger Berman
Pathways Cohousing
Northampton, MA
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