There have been lots of threads on hoods on the Appliances forum. I suggest that you post over there, as well.

Thanks! I'll do that!

My criteria were:

quiet
efficient
less than $1000 (preferably less than $700!)
Easy controls
halogen lights
baffles, not screens

As I wanted a chimney style, they are more expensive, but I was still very happy with Zephyr and Kobe- lots of models from $400-900. I bought a Kobe, but I really liked the Zephyr models, especially for under-cabinet installations.

I have a Zephyr Hurricane under cabinet hood, I think it was around $400.00 I love it, lots of power when needed, pretty quiet, and very, very easy to clean. Now that's it's installed my smoke detectors have stopped going off.

muscat, I appreciate having your criteria. It is helpful.

susanilz5, Your recommendation sounds perfect! I'll check it out! For a 30" cooktop, do you know if I should get the 36" so there is a 3" overlap on each side?

I bought an under-cabinet model, Zephyr Cyclone, for $369 from a local vendor. Haven't used it yet because the remodel is still in progress, so I'm glad to see susanilz5's postive review of her Zephyr hood.

Mine's been installed, however, and looks great, but unobtrusive; we weren't going for a hood that makes a "statement". Ours is a 42-inch hood over a 36-inch range top. Yes, you should have a 3-inch overlap on each side to increase the capture area.

I have a 30" Broan. It was less than $700. Quiet and very effective.

Here is a link that might be useful: Broan hoods

mrs-mjt

My range is a standard GE Profile, not a professional style range which may require a larger hood. I have a 30" range and a 30" hood. The hood fits under and between cabinets and a 36" hood wouldn't fit in the space. It has more then enough power to handle everything I throw at it. I do cook a lot for large crowds, and my smoke detectors have not gone off since I put the new hood in last September. Usually they went off at least once a week with my old hood!
Eespecially when searing steaks in a cast iron skillet.

When purchasing a range hood 2 things you should consider when comparing hoods. The CFM (cubic feet per minute) and the sones. (sones is the noise level) The higher the sones number the louder the appliance. The larger the CFM number the better the suction power to remove smoke etc.

Hope this helps!

It's really worth installing a range hood and I am happy with my Arietta wall mount range hod from Home Depot. It cost $269 on sale.

I wrote a review of it at my blog at IKEAfans. You might have to register to see the entry.

Here is a link that might be useful: Arietta range hood fan review

The Zephyr Hurricane was my first choice until I decided on chimney, not under-cabinet style. I meant to go back and remember the zephyr model names for you, and forgot to! I think it is the best deal under $500 out there, and at least where I saw them in stores, far quieter than any of the other models with similar CFM's. I was a little neurotic about finding a good but quiet and cost effective hood, and reseached it to death.

Not installed yet but I bought a (black) 36'' Zephyr Typhoon (undercabinet). Got it off eBay--showroom installation--for $50 plus $100 shipping. It's going over a 36'' Wolf rangetop.

The back corner got dinged up a bit in shipping :( but I'm going to conceal that by altering my cab design a bit.

I was really concerned about the noise because of my open floor plan, so I bought a broan rangemaster elite ($389) and a remote blower (another $350). The blower is 900 cfms and mounts on the roof of my house so there is no noise in the kitchen, other than the sound of moving air thru the baffles. It has two halogen lights and two heat lamps.

To answer the width question...ideally, yes, your hood should be at least 6" wider than your cooking surface (3" on each side) for a better "capture area".

If you watch boiling water, you'll notice that it doesn't go straight up--it billows up, spreading several inches on either side of the pot. The extra 3" of hood increases the likelihood of capturing that steam (or grease or fumes or heat).

Thanks so much! I appreciate the recommendation!

muscat, what model Kobe chimney hood did you get? How do you like it?

I was quoted 569 for the 30 ince Zephyr Typhoon with 850 CFM's. I am told it is quiet and sufficient for under a cabinet over my 30 inch Wolf cooktop. I don't do much frying or heavy duty cooking so the salesman didn't think I needed to go with a 36. Seems like others in this thread disagree so now I am confused.
It looks very sleek.
The salesman was also pushing the Best blower if we wanted to put it in a hood. Seems much more expensive since the blower is 800 and the hood is much more expensive than a cabinet.
Are folks still using a range hood under a cabinet?

Here's another satisfied Zephyr owner. Mine is under a cabinet. Wanted it not to be a focal point, needed to keep within budget, mostly wanted it to work effectively and quietly. It does all those things.

There are may purists who have weighed in on this topic in this forum and the appliances forum. Since you are looking for a modest thing, I would go for a system that exhausts about 300 cfm (cubic feet per minute). It is recommended that the hood be wider than the cooktop by a few inches to capture the splatter and smoke effectively. But since your cooking habits do not resemble those of master chefs who demand restaurant-grade equipment, I think you will do reasonably well with a hood that's 30 inches wide, the same width as your cooktop.

Installation is critical. It's best to keep the length of the duct as short as possible, and, if it has to be bent, the change in direction should be gradual. Variations in these guidelines will cost you in exhaust capacity.

You will get less noise if the motor is installed remotely, say, in the attic just at the opening where the exhaust is dumped to the outside. But you will still get some wind noise, which can be minimized with a range hood that has large intake area. The latest Broan models are that way, but there may be others.

MAKE SURE YOU GET A REALLY COMPETENT INSTALLER. THAT'S THE KEY.

Loved my Zephyr. Unfortunately, it's at my "old" house. My new house has a lovely undermount microwave with a CFM of a whopping 315. Everytime I cook, there's a cloud of smoke all over the house. (no, I'm not a BAD cook!) As soon as I can find a way to kill this microwave without my hubby's knowledge, then I'll start my devious plan of getting a microwave back on the counter and a Zephyr back over my cooktop where it belongs. If only I can find out if it will install properly.

Man I miss my Zephyr.