Unfortunately, aesthetics call for small hoods; capture and containment call for large hoods. If you only boil water or your household contains persons with low sensitivity to smells, a smaller than recommended hood may be ok. However, for most cooking applications and smell sensitivities, you will need a hood that collects the fumes and removes them.

This calls for a hood that overlaps the array of pan widths by nominally 3 inches on the outside. More precisely, it has to overlap by the expansion angle of the effluent, increased for expected transverse air movement due to drafts and movement of people. Islands have the additional difficulty that there is no backsplash continuing up to the hood to help capture.

Flow rate (cfm) is determined by several factors, including effluent output from the maximum number of burners to be used at once, along with keeping velocities in the hood high enough to not let the rising effluent curl out of the hood before it can be pulled up the ventilation duct. Also, the duct has to be sized to keep the grease vapor moing fast enough to get out of the house and not coat the ducts.

In my opinion, you should use the largest island hood Wolf makes or use some other supplier's equivalent in size. The exhaust fan rating depends on duct geometry, but because exhaust fans are rated at static pressure, and you will need quite a bit of flow, I wouldn't use one rated lower than 1200 cfm. You can always turn it down for light cooking projects.

I will have the largest Wolf hood over a peninsula with an induction cooktop and an induction wok cooktop. My fan will be 1500 cfm rated. I expect it to pull 900 cfm actual, although this is somewhat of an estimate as the pressure loss vs. flow of the Wolf hood is not documented where I can find it.

Note that large flow systems used with sealed up houses require appropriately sized make up air systems. As you may observe, the cost of a pro-style range is not limited to the cost of purchasing it.

kas

Awesome response from kas !

I am installing a 48" Wolf too and all *I* know is that I was advised to match width of the unit AT LEAST for best induction. Smaller will result in smells and problems.

Wolf reputation is mega-heat and high function. Perhaps you only needed a smaller range?

kas: nice post. This question comes up so frequently on this forum, it's too bad there isn't a vent hood FAQ that folks could just get referred to instead of relying on kind souls like you to repost repeatedly.

vent hood FAQ

Here is a link that might be useful: vent hood FAQ

Consider the Miele for a minimalist look with great functionality. Our hood is hanging out in space and I wanted it to "disappear" as much as possible without having glass that would accumulate grease and need constant cleaning.

This is from before we were finished but it shows Wolfie and Miele together.

Edlakin

Thanks for the link. I notice that the source of this information is somewhat older than some recently published stove effluent measurements and theory. Do you know if the FAQ can be edited, and by whom? I'm thinking the FAQ overview could stand to be supplemented by a more extensive description.

kas

As Kas says, you are fighting two competing requirements, one for functionality and one for looks.

You don't mention whether your range will include the charbroiler or not, but if it does, you will need more capacity... and since this is in an island that will increase the exhaust requirements for the reasons stated by Kas.

FWIW, we are installing the Wolf 36 inch 6-burner rangetop along with the 42" Wolf Pro Island Hood, with rooftop-mounted 1500 CFM blower and Fantech silencer. I expect this to do a very good job and it will also, IMO, look quite nice as the Wolf hoods are really quite attractive (though costly).

The Miele hood shown might work fine with the smaller range in the picture, but I don't think it would work very well with a 48 inch range... and I don't think Miele makes hoods that are 54 inches wide, which is what you really need.

The nice thing about the Wolf Pro Island hoods (and others) is the pent roof baffle design, which aids in capture of the exhaust gases.

Kas: I'd second the notion of upgrading the FAQ, and I'd nominate you!! I've never gotten more in depth info than from your posts. If you're ventilation-obsessed (TVO?) then that is fabulous stuff.

Thanks for the vote clinresga. I need to know the process for updating a FAQ, who to contact to do so, or a URL where that information resides. I also need time, of course, but unlike a thread reply, a FAQ upgrade can be planned, constructed, and polished until it meets one's standard, however marginal, of content, clarity, and style. I admit to not yet exhaustively searching GW for this information, but would be happy to accept any hints.

TVO kas

Seems that the FAQ FAQ is on the FAQ page as a FAQ. I must have overlooked it. So now I just have to find the time.

kas