I don't think any installers will have much experience with either hood choice. They install mostly Broan and other builder grand hoods and if they work in a high end area maybe Best by Broan , Wolf, and Viking.

Anything other than the most common brands they will need to read the instructions. My poor kitchen guy had to read the instructions a couple of times over for every appliance in my kitchen.

Google gardenweb kobe. There are plenty of owners here.

@sarina: I have had the Kobe RA02 for about 8 months now. Being an engineer, I did the install myself, although the chimney cover is still not in place, as I need to redo the crown molding behind it (procrastination is the name of this game).

Overall I like it, but that doesn't say much, as my previous ventilation was just a fan-in-a-ceiling-hole. The quiet setting is quiet, but the other two are noisy; without previous experience, the "sones" numbers don't translate well into actual noise levels. Otherwise, on High, the hood is pulling out all the smoke and airborne grease steaks in a cast-iron skillet produce. You will have to open a window or install a MUA to help it pull all that air volume.

The baffles need scrubbing every month or so, but that's a very small price to pay for not having cabinetry and walls smeared in grease.

The model you're looking at is a little more elaborate, as it has some sort of electronic control. The RA02 is bare-bones, just two rotary switches.

Thanks for the input! Really I have to do Make up air ? I thought that was for very heavy duty hoods?