We are in the midst of replacing our kitchen countertops and in the process are also taking out the old cooktop and putting in a new Kenmore Pro 6 Gas Burner. Our old cooktop was a 4 burner with the downdraft ventilation system in between the 2 sets of cooktop burners. The 6 burner unit from Kenmore eliminates the flush mount downdraft and forces us to consider either a ceiling mounted hood or go with a telescoping downdraft vent. Unfortunately I thought I was going to only have to spend about $1700 on the cooktop but now we are looking at an additional $900 for the telescoping downdraft since the hood is not feasible for the island configurement. Without much of a choice, we went with the Kenmore Elite downdraft ventilation system so that our cooktop can function properly.
Choosing a downdraft ventilation system - A downdraft ventilation system is designed to draw gas fumes downward. Downdraft vents are used most often when overhead hoods or venting is not a practical solution. As in our case, if you have a kitchen island with a cooktop, you are probably going to have to get a downdraft system unless you already have a hood system in place. The two types of ventilation are flush-mount and telescoping. The flush-mount downdraft vents are often built into the range or cooktop (like with our Amana) or right into the countertop itself. They carry vapors and fumes downward, out through the base of the cabinet and out the ducting. Experts say that the flush mount vents are less efficient than the telescoping or overhead models. You would rather not have the heat "pulled away" from the cooktop, but whatever works. The telescoping downdraft ventilation systems are what you see in many homes, especially those with gas 6 burner cooktops located in the middle of the kitchen. They extend into the air (only when needed) and then disappear behind the cooktop when not in use. The salesguy I spoke with at Sears mentioned how efficient these are compared to the flush mount style. Great for larger pots that sit higher up on the cooktop. The one drawback to the telescoping vents is that they take up space in your cabinet below the cooktop and some people say they are noisy. I can't imagine anything being any noisier than my current downdraft ventilation, but we will see once it's in place. In terms of price, the telescoping downdrafts are $500 to $2000. Overhead hoods will probably cost you more plus you may need to reconfigure your ceiling or ducting to get them in place properly. What are the top brands - We found Frigidaire, Electrolux, Kenmore, Broan, Maytag, Bosch, GE, Whirlpool, DCS, and Thermador. Which brand is best? It's hard to say, talk with your installer or certified salesperson and see which one fits and works with your current or new cooktop setup. Downdraft ventilation reviews - Want to read up on what others have to say about these systems? We found dozens of owner reviews and comments on websites like Epinions, Buzzillions, MySears, Gardenweb.com (forum), and of course at Amazon.com. You can find them at Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, or online at sites like Amazon.com. RECOMMENDED - We suggest shopping at Amazon.com whenever possible since they have a nice selection of top brands and often give you competitive pricing options. Worse case scenario, read the pros and cons for different downdrafts as posted by actual owners. You can browse the best selling downdraft ventilation systems here.
Best Downdraft Ventilation:
The downdrafts that we looked at our the 36" variety to fit our cooktop. The 30 inch downdraft ventilation systems are also available from most manufacturers. I saw only stainless steel options, so not sure what else is available. They tend to come with high end cooktop units which feature stainless steel materials. The quiet remote blowers are ideal to keep the noise levels down. Get one with multiple speed controls so that you can have the blower perform at the right level. Multiple blowers are available on some units. Check out the top rated downdraft ventilation systems online here. Compare prices, see specs and features, and view photos to see what they look like fully raised.
Downdraft Vent Installation:
Installing a downdraft ventilation system is probably better left for the professional. With our kitchen remodel, we are having a local countertop company lead the project and they have an electrician who will be doing the downdraft ventilation installation. Sears had recommended that we use their install crews, but part of our deal with the countertop company was that they would install the cooktop and vent system as part of the total fee. The entire project was actually purchased through Costco, so I am hoping with their customer service reputation, that is anything goes wrong we are in good hands. Our contractor has assured us that installing the downdraft systems is not hard and since they are templating the countertop to fit the downdraft and cooktop, everything should fit smoothly and function just fine. I will update this review after we have had it installed for a few months and see how things are working out.
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