You'd be much better off with 600 CFM. 300 CFM is kind of wimpy for a pro-style range.

I'm pretty sure the manufacturer's specs for that model suggest 300 cfms. You may want to check that. The manufacturers recommendations should be adequate unless you generate significantly more smelly greasy smokey cooking by-products than the average kitchen cook.

We have a 42'' 600 cfm VAH hood over our 36'' Dacor PGM gas cooktop at our lake house. As I've posted on multiple occasions, I find it barely adequate for moderately "aggressive" cooking--searing, high heat sautes, etc. It's easy to overwhelm it with smoke. I can't imagine going with a 300 cfm hood if you have any interest in real ventilation.

I also find it noisy and difficult to clean. I think many appliance companies push VAH hoods because it's the only one they sell.

Based on that experience we went with a Modern Aire custom liner in our main house kitchen renovation. I am incredibly impressed with it: see my recent posts on this forum if you are interested.

I think it really depends on how long the duct run will be and the number of turns. If you have a relatively short run and do not do a lot of smoky cooking, then 300 cfms would be more than enough. If your duct run is long or has turns, get the 600 cfm unit to make up for the loss of power.

I have the VAH 600 cfm over my 36 inch GE Monogram with grill and and I am amazed at the ventilation power of this unit. I only have a 4 foot run with one 45 degree turn so the blower power is more than enough even when I am using the smoky grill and several burners. I especially love the Sensasouce technology which will incrase the blower speed automatically as the amount of smoke or heat increases. I put this on in the morning and it cycles on and off as I am boiling water or making eggs etc.

The 600 cfm unit has 2 300 cfm blowers. The left side has a high and low speed as does the right, giving you 4 possible speed adjustments. The right blower has the sensasource on it. If I use the left side and put the right fan (the sensasource side) on low, it will either it jack up to high speed or turn the right side off depending on what you are cooking. I think it is great product.

I do think it is quite a pain to clean but since I only clean the blower wheels every 3 months, it is something I can deal with.

Good luck. Ventilation was one of the hardest things to decide on as I had only room for an 8 inch duct and had already bought the range with a grill. Everyone told me that the 600 cfm unit was not enough. Luckily, it works great and I highly recommend it. FYI, I think the sensasource is only available in the halogen model.

We have 600cfm VH over 36" gas range and have pretty much identical experience to cleo 2007's above post. We do some pretty heavy stirfry and panbroiling on front burners, as well as grilling, and with a few exceptions when grilling the hood does fine. On VH's advice and this forum we went with a 42"X27" size which also may help, so you may want to look at a 36"X27". When you watch smoke and steam rise from the front burner from a side view, it curls at the front lip and then is drawn up into the hood--I don't know if a 24" depth would have the same capture capability. 27" also can have warming lights which have proven very functional with a high shelf riser.

Thanks for all your helpful responses. We have a 90 turn and a 5 foot run, not too bad. But I stir-fry and brown meat A LOT, so we'll go with the 600 CFM.

I think you're absolutely right to go with the bigger 600. I have a 440cfm Broan Allure over a Kenmore/WP gas range with two PowerPlus burners, and I constantly have grease drifting over my counters alongside the range. I do a lot of high-heat sear-roasting and frying.