I'm on my second MA. Both were custom. I think I did see demonstrator models in the stores, but that was about things like the continuous switches, rather than size and shape.

The function is excellent. I don't think you can go wrong. I had some problems with my current one which came from poor communication between the store and MA, and then dealing with a scratch. They fixed it, however, and in the end, everything was fine and I love my hood. I don't think you'd be likely to have similar issues. I didn't on the first one.

What in particular are you unsure of?

I can't remember if you're short. If you are, you might want to put remote switches in. Everything else is "right". Baffle filters on an angle (though not steep, like in a commercial kitchen), halogen lights in the front with good light flood of the stove and minimal shadows, continuous switch for both the blower and lights, all wrapped in a lovely exterior.

If you're using an internal blower, it's not ultra quiet. Because it pulls well. I don't find the sound annoying. Some fans are awful. My MA's haven't been (the first was 600 cfm, the current is 1200, which is really dual 600's). One doesn't have to shout over it, though when I have the 1200 cranked up, I can't hear the doorbell. I can hear the TV, though. :)

I keep having this silly vision of you going with your cardboard hood and putting an insert in it. :)

Have you considered getting one from proline hoods? They are online only, and may be a rebadged version of a more generic product (I've seen them sold under a few different badges). For some reason, people on this forum don't like them, but my experience has been great. The hood I bought was less than half the price of the nearest 600cfm hood at my local appliance showroom, and it's 1000cfm. Works great, well made, installation was easy (handy man did it for $120 including running the duct to the outside) and customer service has been excellent.

I have pictures posted in my other thread in the kitchens forum. If you are curious about how it looks, feel free to drop me a line or take a look at the posted pictures

LOL, plllog! You remember my cardboard hood mock-up? Yes, my craft skills, limited that they are, were put to the test when I built this:

It did help me realize that an island hood would be too big for our modest kitchen and that the best solution was to move the cook top to the perimeter.

That hood was long ago recycled. Besides, I'm quite sure a cardboard hood is a bad idea, now matter how great the blower motor would be. :)

I had forgotten you have a MA hood. I'm glad to hear you're happy with it and your previous one. We can't go with an in-line or remote blower, unfortunately, but after hearing the fan noise of the VA, Wolf and a mesh filter Zephyr, I'm quite sure that the noise level of a MA hood will be acceptable, especially compared to our horribly noisy pop-up downdraft.

What has me hesitating is the fact that I will be buying it without trying it. All should be fine but it's the "what if" that has me hesitating, especially since it's a big ticket purchase. Rococogurl suggested I see if I can find a MA hood owner in my area who's willing to let me come see the hood.

I am short (a bit less than 5'4"). I have test driven hoods in show homes that are 34" above the counter and haven't had a problem reaching the controls at the front. Does MA offer a remote feature? That would be worth checking into. Thanks!

Thanks, sonny_h, for the suggestion since that's not a brand I'm familiar with. However, it would again be buying one without seeing it and without as many glowing reviews, I'd be even more hesitant. I will look for your kitchen pics, though! Always love to see kitchen eye candy.

Lisa, I have great craft skills and have always admired your hood. :) Though I'm not surprised that you've recycled it, and it does fail the non-combustible test. :) I knew you'd decided against the island, but that doesn't mean I can't imagine your mock-up against the wall with baffles and lights!

The controls for the hood, assuming they haven't changed things in five years, are dead simple. No electronics or anything. Just continuous controls with knobs. If they don't have remote knobs as an option, it's certainly something the electrician can do. You could probably even do it on a wand, but better to have knobs in the wall or deck. Since you haven't had issues, I'm sure it's not a problem. You just have to be able to twist a knob, so it takes another inch than pushing buttons.

If you ask ModernAire, they might be able to set you up with someone who has one.

Seeing if you can find an owner near you is a great idea, of course, to ease your mind.

Thanks, plllog! I'm still chuckling that you remember my craft project. I think it was more a result of dogged determination that mad craft skills, ("mad" is an apt description). DS1's friends were very impressed with it, after giving both it and me very odd looks, that is. One of them was very disappointed when I took it down.

Gooster shared a photo of the underside of his/her MA hood so I could see the position of the lights and the knobs. I tried out the same kind of knobs on the Wolf hood and found them easy to use, however that hood was only set 30" high. I am short (or under-tall, take your pick) but I have long arms so that helps. Maybe I'll go back to the dealer and crouch down a bit and see how easy it is to use the controls. I'm sure I'll get odd looks but hey, I'm used to it. I'd stand on my head if it helped me make the right decision. :)

And I will definitely ask about a remote option, just in case. Thanks for the suggestion!