We will be putting in a BlueStar 36" range top with either 6 burners or 4 burners and the griddle, not sure, but leaning toward the griddle option at this point.

The single wall oven will be in the island, so all BTUs are from the range top only.

My wife HATES the look and style of the stainless steel range hoods, so we are going to have a custom cabinet built around the blower/hood.

So, please offer up any suggestions as to what I should even start to look at. I don't need specifics on CFMs or anything, more just on brands to look at as I don't even know where to start with this appliance.

Thanks,
Phil

1. The hood is much more expensive than I was prepared for, but up to this point we had only done a small one with mesh filters.

2. Size. Wider is better, in both length and depth. Since you are doing a built-in cabinet you'll be getting an insert, and I think those are typically wider than a lot of the chimney style hoods. Regarding length, some will tell you to have 1-2 inches extra on either side, which would mean 42" for a 36" range top. By the way, our location limits us to a 36" hood, which is why we're particularly concerned with depth and CFMs.

3. Noise. External blowers, particularly if you add a silencer, are generally quieter than an internal blower. I think in-line blowers may also cut down on the noise, but I'm less sure about how those work. Also, make sure the duct work is large enough (don't try to have a high CFM blower with a 6" duct). Finally, if you get some models and are trying to make a decision, another value to look at is the Sones, which actually measures the noise level.

4. Filters. Many seem to think hoods with removable baffle filters are the best. Otherwise I think you want to look for removable filters that are dishwasher safe and fit in the DW if you don't want to hand wash.

5. Brands. Modern Aire. They get high marks on this forum, but they seem quite pricey (to us).
Abbaka. People seem to generally have very good reviews on these and they have a lot of insert and custom options. If we were doing a cabinet, I would investigate them. Vent-a-Hood: Many people think these are too loud, but some people are happy with them.
Best by Broan and Broan. These typically get good reviews. Best is the top line, somewhat better materials, more options, etc. We're looking at Best because we need a chimney style hood.
Wolf, Viking, BlueStar, Miele, etc. all have their own hoods. I would bet the people putting in your BlueStar know about the custom insert options for all these brands.
Zephyr & Kobe - You will also find good reviews for these two brands.

Abbaka and Modern Aire are more custom, so you need to talk to someone about them. For the rest, try AJ Madison. You can go to their website, choose cabinet insert range hoods and browse through about 94. http://www.ajmadison.com/b.php/Cabinet+Insert%3BRange+Hoods/N~32+42949 60474

I see the recommendations from Samana, and I appreciate that.

Thanks,
Phil