I have a Jenn-Aire in my island. I like the range (dual fuel) just fine, but don't like the downdraft much, as it pull the flame toward it when it is on. I just don't use it much.

You've discovered all the options - Jenn-Air and Dacor make that only ranges that work with a downdraft, I believe.

If you can't put in an island hood, your best bet would be to put your range against a wall and go with a regular hood. Cooking in an island is not all that it's cracked up to be :-) People think they want it so they can look at their guests while cooking but in fact, most of the time is spent prepping not actually standing at the range. Using your island for prep work or serving is a much better use.

Hmmm... thanks weissman and gharborwa. Gharbowa, I should have stated that all-gas is my preference by far. The dual-fuel isn't really going to work for me.

Weissmann, Unfortunatley I just don't know what else to do in the range-placement department. I have a, let's call it 'broken U' shape with a bay window at the bottom that seems where a sink pretty traditionally needs to go, in any event, there's no place for a hood there. On the long wall there's a pass-thru, so no place for a hood, and on the broken-U wall is the island. Boxed out. As we're still under construction, we still have little more than a room so in theory I could change things but I just can't see how. I think I am just *stuck* sticking that stupid range in the island. Believe me, I have little intention of looking at guests while cooking (one's attention is always distracted with grabbing things). But I just can't figure out another way.

I am open to any other ideas! But it sounds like I am going to be completely boxed-in by the Dacor and JA. Does anyone have any personal experience with the gas slide-in w/downdraft JA? What I read on the web didn't sound good -- lots of complaints with the downdraft breaking. Any experience with the Dacor?

Many thanks mavens...

Have you thought about putting a cooktop or range top in the island and then a wall oven elsewhere (possibly even under the cooktop). That will give you more downdraft options. Although you have to be careful if you put the oven under the cooktop and you have sufficient clearances for the downdraft.

Weissman has a great idea about splitting the functions -- if you can get it in your price range -- but I'd like to comment on downdraft venting with gas cooktop/stovetop. A downdraft vent will pull your flame making one side of your pot/pan hotter than the other. For me gas was the upgrade I was looking for & was so much better than electric I was willing to tolerate it for a while. I laughed & told my husband it was like cooking on a hybachi griddle, I'd move the food around to insure even cooking. However, with our kitchen renovation I now have an overhead hood & am soooooooooooooooo much happier.

Good luck.

I thought about it ....:) Not sure how far it gets me though. It seems to get me a higher bill, right? And probably less space for an oven than a range. But, I suppose, it might solve the downdraft problem.

I know sometimes people argue that if you buy separate cooktops and ovens, you can apportion cost where quality matters to you. Thing is, I cook and bake in equal measure (a lot of both), so I'm not sure I need that allocation-freedom. And I'm guessing buying oven and stove separately just makes for 180% of the price and yet *another* decision to make?! So many decisions and things to buy.... sigh. So I was trying to make things easier by just selecting a range.

I don't really have a wall to put the oven into other than under the cooktop. Though I suppose I could off-set it in the island...

Does anyone have an opinion as to whether I should jump ship to that other option; just nix the range? I guess it depends whether that Dacor is just the most fabulous machine ever seen this side of a "CC". Again, anyone have any experience with the Dacor ER30GI? If it's great, then I suppose I could short-stop all these decisions by just appreciating the abbreviation of my choices.

Thanks for your input.

-aliris, panicking.

Weissman -- well, thanks for the thoughts about that hood. I guess the thing is, I grew up with no hood at all and cooked for years and years with either none or a dysfunctional one, and I'm not particularly aware of many ill-effects. The occasional fire-alarm tripped here and there, lots and lots of nasty grease up high it is to be admitted -- is that the utility of hoods? I bet if you had a functioning one that gunky build-up might go away? See, I don't even know! Pardon my ignorance, please.

So that's why I haven't been overwhelming eager to force space for this thing which there's no obvious place for without more hair-pull-designing.

*However*, with the non-availability of appliances and a plethora of accolades for the hood, maybe I should revisit that decision not to re-design. I suppose one could even come close in cost to redesign and reconstruction if one didn't then have to get super-expensive appliances. Not quite sure how the cost-benefit would work out by redesigning. But I hear you saying just functionally, not cost-wise, it would be wise.

sigh.

Thanks again for the thoughts. I really appreciate all! I'm having a bit of a hard time with all this. And you-all seem inordinately versed in this!