Is your cooktop in the island? Do you have the option of doing a built in microwave with vent above or a hood. I would start by going to a kitchen appliance store and asking them what your options are. Then go to another one and do the same. No two people give you the same advice.

We have a microwave/ vent and I do not like it. It does not actually vent to the outside and seems to be no more than a weak fan if we have any smoke that needs to be handled. I am not sure if the contractor installed it improperly or if this is the norm. I am harping to get a hood vent and have it installed in the future and ditch the microwave vent. Good luck

Hi Sage,

I think you may receive a better response on the Appliance Forum.
Best of luck, MJ

That's kind of what I was thinking. In the last kitchen I redid the old cooktop was a Jenn Air downdraft, which I replaced with an over the cooktop microwave / vent combo that hooked up to the existing vent to the outside. That seemed to work reasonably well.

If the Jenn Air is a cook top not a range yes you can replace with a new cook top and telescope vent. You can reuse the piping to outside. We did this in our last house from a JA to a Thermador with a telescope. It was certainly an improvement for the venting.

Many thanks for all your help. I think it would be much easier for everyone to help if I get a picture of my current cook top; and I will start posting in the Appliances forum as recommended. See you all in the other forum.