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Best Island Hood for $1000?
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Posted by hesomist (My Page) on Fri, Nov 20, 09 at 15:02
| This is my first post on the site! I have $1000 to spend on a stainless steel hood for a 36" gas cooktop that's on my island. I think I read somewhere that a 42" hood would be best for a 36" cooktop, but I'd like to stick with a 36" hood if possible.
What's the best hood I can get for my money?
P.S. No need to discuss pros and cons of a cooktop on an island. :-) I've heard them all. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Best Island Hood for $1000?
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| Yes, you really want a 42" hood on a 36" cooktop, especially on an island. You ideally want one at least 24" deep, 27" would be better. Do you have a grill? Do you often pan-fry, sear, or use a wok? I'd recommend against the "thin" ones, especially in your price range, as you end up with the double-whammy of a geometry that doesn't help with capture and a blower system that is often not up to the task. If you answered "yes" to any of the questions above, I don't think you'll be able to get reasonable performance from anything under about $2,000 for an island. Even the low-end Kobe and the like are coming in at $1,500 and above. In the $1,000 price range, even if you answered "no" to those questions, I would expect that you'll be cleaning grease off your kitchen on a regular basis. Given that, I'd say that "best" is, within reason, what you can get at the price from a reputable dealer that you like the look of, is not objectionably loud on "full" (you'll need it), and can easily clean the filters in your dishwasher. |
RE: Best Island Hood for $1000?
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| Thanks for the feedback, sfjeff. My wife and I historically haven't cooked very much, and don't think we have ever pan-fried, seared, or used a wok. We don't have an indoor grill either. We've lived without a cooktop/oven for nearly two years, though, and we're hopeful that we'll cook more when we're in the new house (February or March). We still have the option of going with a 30" cooktop, but we're afraid it will look puny on the 90x36" island. Maybe we should stick with a 30" cooktop and a 36" hood in order to find one closer to our price range? |
RE: Best Island Hood for $1000?
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| Unfortunately, island hoods are just more expensive than wall-mount hoods. It sort of makes sense when you think that a wall mount can just bolt to the wall, but an island hood as to hang from the ceiling, and not swing in the breeze. Still frustrating on the pricing though. There typically isn't a big difference in pricing for similar hoods going up or down 6-12" in width. In my opinion, the amount of "stuff" you need to catch doesn't change a whole lot between a 30" and a 6-burner 36" -- you probably will, most of the time, cook the same things on both, about the same way. The difference might be an additional simmer or keep-warm going. Six burners still doesn't give me three arms and eyes to deal with more "active" pots going at once. If I were in your shoes, I'd get the range you love with a hood that will at least pull some of the nastiest stuff out that fits your budget. If you, one day, get a big bonus check and it is important enough it you, it is a lot easier to upgrade the hood, than the range. You can make up for a less-than-ideal hood with some cleaning; you can't make up for second-rate burners. |
RE: Best Island Hood for $1000?
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| sfjeff...great advice all around! |
RE: Best Island Hood for $1000?
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| One thought I had at lunch, would be to install at least an 8" duct. That way a less-powerful hood will be working against less back pressure (losses in the flow through the duct) and may perform a little better. It also may sound a bit quieter (less flow noise up the duct). Even if the hood only has a 6" or 7" outlet, you can run a reducer from the duct. |
RE: Best Island Hood for $1000?
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| Thanks so much for the advice, sfjeff!!! |
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