First of all, check codes in your area - many places do not allow ranges in front of windows - especially windows that can be opened - fire hazard. Most likely you'll need to find another spot for a range. People do live without range hoods provided they don't mind grease, smoke, etc getting all over their new kitchens. With a high-powered range, a hood is very desirable if not mandatory.

This post was edited by weissman on Fri, Apr 25, 14 at 13:42

Have you ever used any real dedicated range hood other than an over-the-range one?

It's almost night and day the difference.

Also even your NXR if it's 30" will put out 60K BTU on max, that's a lot of heat cranking all your pans' contents all over your open concept room, if you don't capture them.

Everybody needs a rangehood but some more than others.

If you use very little oil/fat in your cooking you will not notice grease buildup on your cabinets, walls, and ceilings but you will have reduced air quality in your home.

Some will insist their mothers cooked for 50 years without a rangehood without ill effects and they have cooked for 25 years without a rangehood without problems. Then again there have been people smoking cigarettes for than long without ill effects too. When child safety seat laws were first past many wondered how we managed to raise generations of children without them.

Below in LINK is an article from the NY Times and explaining in detail the air quality benefits of rangehoods.

Certain ceilings offer problems that require a unique solution. A high ceiling is an opportunity for a very dramatic rangehood. The issue here is not that it can't be done but cost.

A properly sized hood with well matched blower will work extremely well.

A hood with an external blower and installed with a silencer in the ductwork can be extremely quiet. Again, the issue here is cost.

Here is a link that might be useful: NY Times LINK

This post was edited by deeageaux on Fri, Apr 25, 14 at 14:28

+1 What deeageaux said.

Polished copper with a plow in a window -- unforgettable!

kas

Thanks very much for the suggestions and info. I love the pics. Went to look at an appliance store and like the look of the induction ranges so might possibly go that route haven't decided about a range-hood yet but going induction will cut out some of the vocs

"I have narrowed the range options to either an NXR (Costco purchase) or a Bertazzoni. (would like your opinions on which range you would choose)."

II suspect that you may find the induction ranges more to your liking. I'd be happy to give you some opinions on choosing between a Berta and an NXR, but I'd like some idea of why these two very different stoves came to be your short list.

To illustrate where I'm feeling a little lost in how to help you: think about being asked to tell you which car you "should" buy when your top two picks are: (a) a chrome yellow FIAT 500 4-door sedan, a city cruiser with lots of amenities and a high "green factor"); or (b) a camo-painted, stripped down, manual everything, high-lift, barebones, imported four-wheel-drive pickup truck. Mention induction and its kind of like throwing a Prius into the mix.

The differences between the Berta and the NXR are not quite that dramatic, but you see what I'm getting at?

Please do not take this as mockery, by the way. I fully understand how challenging stove selection can be. A site like this can help you focus your choices and preferences.

For the induction ranges, be prepared to pay more for the induction slide-ins. THere are long threads here discussing the GE and Elctrolux slide-ins. The new Bosch "Benchmark" has just started shipping and seems to have a very interesting array of features. Somebody in another thread mentioned having one on order with delivery expected in a couple of weeks. Might be that long before we see any first hand reviews.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Sat, Apr 26, 14 at 19:26

Again check codes I believe that most if not all codes would require ventilation with a gas range/cooktop.

most if not all codes would require ventilation with a gas range/cooktop.

You'd think. But, nope. Not yet. Not for residential applications. Some local adoptions of codes do require venting, so it is a good idea to check, as you say. But most localities in North America do not require venting regardless of whether the stove/cooktop is gas or not. Actually, only some local codes even have MUA requirements and those apply only if you choose to have a hood-vent with a CFM rating above a certain level (typically, 400 CFM).

Venting is very good idea, of course, for all the reasons explained in the DOE study and the NY Times article tha deeageax cited.