Can the Kaboodle oven cabinet be used for a microwave?

Question

I am in the early stages of a kitchen design for a new build and hoping to install a custom side-by-side appliance bank at approximately benchtop height for accessibility and would love some feedback on my configuration plan.

Instead of a single tall tower, I want to install two 600mm Kaboodle Oven Cabinets side-by-side on top of two 600mm base/drawer units. This will house:

Cabinet 1: A standard conventional wall oven.

Cabinet 2: A Panasonic 34L 4-in-1 Convection Microwave using the NN-TK81KCSCP Trim Kit.

The Panasonic manual specifies a minimum depth of 533mm and requires a full-height rear ventilation path for the air fry/convection functions. Since the Kaboodle oven cabinets are 540mm deep (including the door) and 688mm high, I have a few specific plan details I’d like to run by anyone with professional experience:

For ventilation I plan to pull the entire two-cabinet bank forward by about 30–40mm so the microwave ducting doesn't hit the wall. I’ll then use Tall Pantry End Panels to hide the "chimney" gap against the wall from the sides.

To fill the vertical gap above the microwave trim kit, I’m planning to use a 600mm 1-Drawer Panel or other filler panel. I will have a space cut within this panel to mount a recessed aluminium ventilation grill.

I’ll be using the Heat Deflector Strips from the Kaboodle Oven Tower Pack on both cabinets to protect the finish.

My Questions:

Has anyone else used the standard Kaboodle oven cabinet for a large convection microwave like this?

Does this plan sound safe and achievable?

Is a 30–40mm rear chimney gap sufficient for the convection heat, including a ventilation grill recessed within the top filler panel?

Are there any concerns with the structural weight of the two cabinets sitting "mid-height" on base units?

Any advice and feedback from the experts or anyone who has done a similar benchtop level convection/microwave oven cabinet using Kaboodle would be greatly appreciated.

EricL · Answer

Hello @rangaroo

The technical team at Kaboodle have sent a response. They have recommended that your enquiry be forwarded to the local Bunnings In Store Kitchen Expert in your area as Kaboodle are unable to provide design advice around appliances.

However, they have made recommendations in regards to your other questions.

Has anyone else used the standard Kaboodle oven cabinet for a large convection microwave like this? - We don’t recommend the Oven Cabinet be used for convection microwaves as a general rule, because all manufacturers have different clearance requirements. It is essentially up to the customer/ISKE to determine whether the appliances they are installing are suitable.

Does this plan sound safe and achievable? – This is for the Bunnings ISKE to determine.

Are there any concerns with the structural weight of the two cabinets sitting "mid-height" on base units? – Our base cabinets have a standing weight limit of 100 kgs on the base panel. The legs can take up to 200kgs collectively (four legs) together. Our concerns would be based around how they are planning to keep the appliances stable when the product is in use if required.

Other than that, they have not made any other suggestions in regards to your plan. My best advice is to speak to your local stores in store kitchen specialist and your kitchen installer to determine if it is safe to install your convection microwave.

If you have any other technical questions about the Kaboodle cabinetry you can call them direct - Kaboodle Customer Service team - 1800 666 078.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

EricL · Answer

Hello @rangaroo

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your kitchen renovation.

Please allow me to try and answer some of your questions.

Just to clarify, the Kaboodle 600 oven cabinet is 560mm deep, even its internal space from front to back is 560mm. The oven cabinet does not have a panel at the back and is open. This technically allows you to use an internal space of 550mm with a 10mm gap between the appliance and the wall. With the oven cover strips placed over at the front of the cabinet it would generally come to around 580mm. This is in line with the standard Kaboodle base cabinet depth with doors attached. The extra few millimetres are provided as a gap between the cabinet and the doors.

The standard Kaboodle benchtop is measured at 600mm in depth and the Kaboodle cabinet underneath is 580mm. This leaves you with a 20mm benchtop overhang in front of the cabinet.

The 688mm you are referring to is the vertical internal space of the cabinet, but the exterior height is 720mm which is what I would recommend measuring when putting cabinets together.

I don't see any issues with the first cabinet where a standard conventional wall oven is being installed. However, I still recommend making sure that your oven has the proper gap at the sides, top and the back for proper ventilation.

I'm sorry but I am not familiar with the Panasonic microwave oven you are referring to, I recommend double checking the space requirements for your NN-TK81KCSCP Trim Kit. I also recommend contacting the manufacturer or supplier in regards to spacing and ventilation requirements of the microwave unit.

The oven cabinet is rated for use with a standard oven and is tested and certified to the stringent requirements of the Australasian Furnishings Research and Development Institute (AFRDI). In regards to the weight, it should theoretically work as the single drawer cabinet is sometimes used in on oven tower configuration and placing the oven cabinet above it should be fine. Please note that the oven tower assembly is supported with the oven tower side panels.

However, if you still need that 30mm to 40mm space it may be necessary to order custom panels for the sides along with a custom cut benchtop for the top cover. I've forwarded your query to Kaboodle for the rest of your questions. As soon as we hear back from them, I'll let you know. If you are coordinating with your local stores in store kitchen specialist, I recommend asking them these questions as well.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Nailbag and @Noyade for their recommendations.

Thank you for your patience.

Eric