Under Cabinet Radio

Choosing a radio for installation under the cabinet is a fairly easy process. You'll want to be sure it offers:

The audio source you'll want to have
Radio, TV, weather stations, hook up or dock for media players, a CD player, and so forth are available. Decide which ones are important to you. Some of these devices offer a line-in for media players, others may offer a dock which may protect and charge your media player.

Good audio quality
You can look for features such as Bass boost and higher powered speakers for a more powerful sound. Some devices will offer sound effects so that you can listen in the mode you prefer (for instance Jazz vs Classic Rock) Most should offer stereo sound. Read user reviews to see what current owners have to say about the listening experience.

Size
You'll need to be sure you have adequate space under your cabinets for the under cabinet radio you choose

Style and finish
Some people prefer white, others black, and so forth.

Convenience features
Most of these under cabinet radios will offer a remote control. The radio tuner should offer station presets for quickly finding the stations you want. Some may offer 5 presets, others 10 and some 20. You'll also want to know what kind of controls exist. Can you fast forward and rewind, can you skip tracks, shuffle, repeat, and so forth?

Having a kitchen timer is convenient as well. Certainly a backlit display makes it easier to read the time even in the evenings and at night. Some displays show more information than others. If you have a media player dock, it's certainly handy to be able to view what's playing on the screen. Another important convenience in regards to the display and the clock, is a backup battery. This allows the device to show the correct time without having to be reset each time there is a brief power interruption.

After purchasing an under cabinet radio, you'll need to decide where you want to locate it. Obviously, the most important consideration with this type of device is reception. You want to choose a location where you will get good reception. Therefore, it's a good idea to power it and test it in any location you choose before you begin the process of actually mounting it.

When considering reception, you'll also need to think about interference. Some kitchen devices can create interference with the radio. The refrigerator, a microwave oven, or fluorescent light for instance. Therefore, staying away from the immediate area of these devices can be important, and you'll want to use an outlet that isn't shared with them as well.

Generally, speaking you'll also want to avoid placing the radio right next to or above a heat source, such as an oven or stove top. Finally, you'll also need to be sure the space under the cabinet will accommodate the dimensions of your new radio.

Once the location is selected, it's merely a matter of drilling a few holes and installing the radio with the included screws. In some instances, you may have to add spacers (often included in your purchase) to be sure you can read the display and operate the controls without the bottom of the cabinet interfering. Finally, you connect the cables/power cord.