I am looking to remodel a higher end home, and really would like a cooktop facing out into the family room. What I am not particularly interested in is having a huge hood blocking coming down in the middle of the space, blocking my view of everyone and everything. I am taller at 6’2″ and I love to cook. The reason I want to have my cooktop facing out is to be involved with my guests and family, but I am afraid a regular hood will minimize that engagement. I would like to get a 4 top gas burner with either grill or griddle… or both. Wolf makes one I am interested in with all of the above.
I see alot about ‘downdraft’ hoods which really intrigues me, but I have yet to really see anything about how well they perform. Big name manufacturers make them like Viking and Wolf, but I want something that is going to work. I know that there are always tradeoffs, and I am willing to make some, but filling my house with smoke from a grill or inadvertantly forgotten crepe is not one of them. I love the idea and the look or lack there of. But I don’t want to install something that will not at least do a decent job of evacuation. I know that the grease is a big culpret as well, so how well do these actually do… guess as in percentage of what a big overhead hood would do in the same situation?
If you know of a place to get information on this subject, I would be glad to hear of it!!
Thanks
Replies
""""If you know of a place to get information on this subject, I would be glad to hear of it!!"""""
try posting the same question in the general disscusion folder.
i do recall that FHB had an article about them in the recent past so its probably worth looking through your back issues
its in issue no:149
good luck
I am taller at 6'2" and I love to cook. The reason I want to have my cooktop facing out is to be involved with my guests and family, but I am afraid a regular hood will minimize that engagement.
Can't help you with the downdraft. The one I tried was noisy and ineffective. Our hood is 80½" off the floor, 3'x4' over an island with a remote fan. Works great and is out of line of sight. Solves our (and your) problems.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
In our last house we had exactly what you describe, a peninsula with cook top and a down draft "hood." Our's was a Thermador gas 4 burner with middle griddle or grill. The hood wwas a separate unit at the back, full width of the cooktop and would raise up about 6 - 8 inches about the surface and did a great job of drawing in smoke and fumes, best at the rear. Large sauce pans, higher than the vent opening, were a bit of a problem. but would still drwa off most of the smoke or steam. Some of the newer ranges with big burners will put out a lot more heat, needing more ventilation, than my old Thermador, which is a consideration I can't address.
We bought it a while back in 1984, but it worked great. I really liked that the fan blower and motor were on the end of the duct, which could mount on the roof or a wall. Mine went down the crawl space and wall mounted. It was very quite.
In our current house we have a Viking imitation commercial range with large overhead hood. It also works great (not what your talking about), but I can't stand the noise - it's two speed, mild roar and jet aircraft taking off. Of course I don't admit to cooking, but it's really annoying when I'm sitting on my butt in the family room watching American Choppers and the wife's cooking with the damn fan on, you know what I mean. I'm thinking of looking into getting just the Thermador motor/fan unit for the end of the duct to quiet it down.
Only problem, don't know if they still make it, but I'd buy one again if seeking to do what you planning.