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jcoxmd

Hood plan-not perfect, but good enough? (X-posted in appliances)

jcoxmd
13 years ago

I just can't make myself pay 3K+ for a Modern Aire insert with inline blower, which would be custom sized for my 40" Lacanche Cluny. (The bid went up $1300 to have a "canopy" instead of a flat hood, so this is actually not ideal anyway.) I do like to cook,I do plan to use a wok and possibly get the grill plate eventually, and this is the first time I will have had ANY type of ventilation in my kitchen, other than a window! (In other words, I'm likely to be impressed with anything, but would like to have something effective.)

I have limited wall space on one side of the range, and so my KD wants me to use a 42" hood. My contractor is building a drywall/plaster surround. We are planning to mount the bottom of the hood at 30".

I am looking at using a Best by Broan 33" insert in a 42" liner, bumping out from the wall to cover the front burners. I realize the width of the insert is less than optimal, and that without having upper cabinets I will lose some effectiveness. I am hoping that increasing the power of the inline blower (planning 1100 CFM, Lacanche advises 600-900) will make up for the shortcomings.

Below is the rendering. Any thoughts? Will this be OK?

{{!gwi}}

Comments (11)

  • karen_belle
    13 years ago

    We're getting a stainless steel Zephyr 42" canopy, and it only cost $1200 for 700 cfm I think. Not sure that would be enough for your Lacanche.

  • plllog
    13 years ago

    The "effluent" spreads out from the burners. Most people recommend a hood that's 6" wider than the range. I'd rather have less power and a wider catch area. It's not that often that one uses all the burners at once, but anything you have on the edges of the range is going to miss a little. A strong blower like that could help by sucking the rising steam/particulates backwards, but, personally, I'd rather have the bigger hood.

  • John Liu
    13 years ago

    If you took care to do your frying and other smoky vaporous cooking on the center burner, that might compensate for the hood size.

    Can you locate the blower remote from the hood, use 8'' ducting, and keep the ducting nice and straight, to get the best flow with the least noise?

    I used a friend's kitchen where the hood (34''?) was a bit smaller than the 36'' cooktop, was a sleek "flat" design rather than a nice deep funnel, and didn't have 1000 cfm either. I forget what we were making, but the burner was on full blast and something was searing and smoking vigorously. The hood worked semi-okay if I kept the fan at its noisy maximum. It didn't work as well as I'd have liked but, well, we were making a lot of smoke. The setup was fine for all our other sauteeing and frying. For anyone not into incinerating food, it was adequate.

    I don't remember your layout so well, but it looks to me like a 48'' hood might be a head and eye hazard since the projecting corner would be so close to the doorway. (?)

  • jcoxmd
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks all!
    Yes, John-any wok cooking would be on the center burner for sure. My HVAC guys are checking on code for where the vent can exit the roof, but we're trying to bring the duct straight up through the roof, with an inline blower in the attic space.
    Next life I'll have a bigger hood.

  • John Liu
    13 years ago

    You know, I am sort of remembering the original thread on your kitchen, at least the first one I saw.

    I recall your goals were pretty cool - something about a big French range in a small apace. Since then, I've been away from the forum for awhile, and don't know how things have developed. Is there a layout thread you can point me to?

    Sorry, I'm trying to get re-motivated on my space, and thought that seeing how some cool kitchens have progressed might help.

  • jcoxmd
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I'm impressed you remember!I had actually been wondering what happened to YOU and what I remember as a serious chef's kitchen! I ended up working over the phone/internet with a KD whose blog I like, and have a layout that works for me (but I've been a little sheepish about posting...no prep sink or permanent island....) I found so many opinions on layout overwhelming, while I find answers to specific questions indispensable. I did end up moving the dog door that I thought had to stay, and trashing the sink cabinet I thought I had to keep. My range decision was made for me when I found the Cluny on Craig's list, and my cabinet decisions were made when I realized my (ex) accountant had forgotten about my 2009 self-employment tax. (Hello, Ikea!) The kitchen is all ripped out, new HVAC and plumbing are in...so I think it's really happening! I'll post when the floor is in-right now I don't think anyone would find pictures encouraging. Not layout, but here's a link that helped me get a little further with my planning-

    Here is a link that might be useful: finishes in kitchen

  • John Liu
    13 years ago

    Hmm, bad accountant, hope you showed him out the dog door. I think it is coming back to me - there was a dog door in a corner cabinet, a door to the yard on the other corner, stairs to the basement, you were interested in some special sort of hutch/cabinet. Or maybe I'm getting mixed up. Bet it'll be great when you are done, what a find on Craigslist!

    I got discouraged when the threads on my kitchen plans got lost, and around the same time got buried in a car project, started spending time on a Vanagon forum, also got cooked out by the holidays, went on a diet, didn't have much use for a kitchen for awhile. But that project is done and hunger has reasserted itself, so it's back to planning the kitchen. And maybe even starting it this summer - err, assuming the dust from my company being acquired settles gracefully, as I expect it to, will find out in a couple months. Actual expenditures are on hold until then.

  • bmorepanic
    13 years ago

    jcoxmd, I'd love it if you posted what you came up with - the curiosity is killing me. Just front it with a statement that you're not looking for layout comments, you've already committed to it.

    fwiw, given that I'm no expert at it, but built a similar hood, I think your hood plan will work just fine. It's the size of the liner that counts as the capture area, not the insert unit.

  • jcoxmd
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Just for you, bmorepanic: (NOT LOOKING FOR LAYOUT COMMENTS, thanks!)
    {{!gwi}}
    Everything's a compromise, but I think it will all work out. I had initially planned to move the entry to the pantry (that's the top opening on the west wall) and put a french door fridge in part of the current opening, facing into the kitchen. BUT...even with moving the electrical panel I was inches shy of having enough room (and the walls are all the original brick, so they are staying.) So I needed a place for the fridge, and that changed everything. The fridge will be visible from the living area, but I actually think seeing the Big Chill from there will make me happy. I have room for all food storage and small appliances in the open pantry, and that existing cabinet in the corner is tall and spacious so the upper open shelves will be for our glasses, mixing bowls, tea-making supplies, etc-things that are used frequently. (There is a high open shelf that wraps around over the fridge-this will be for display of the less practical of my daughters' pottery. I will have to remember to dust up there!) We decided to put low open shelving in the blind corner area by the range, too-this will hold pressure cooker, cast iron, griddle pan for Lacanche, etc. The curved piece will be a tiny bit shorter than the other cabinetry (that's an Ikea drawer unit in the center) and will have different doors and counter, trying to create the look of a kitchen dresser.
    Covering the window on the west wall was a tough decision, but on looking at the details of the construction that window was originally a back door. (The first owner's brother lived next door on that side, and apparently he also built the house immediately behind my kitchen . Could have been a polygamous thing, I don't know.) The windows had all been replaced in 1982 with cheapie aluminum single-hungs, so the historical society was fine with me "darkening" the exterior of the window and then covering it up from inside. It was not a pretty view. I'm replacing the other windows in the kitchen to match the wood windows on the rest of this floor of the house.
    The sink is the Ikea single domsjo, which is surprisingly big in person (looks more useful than my larger double-bowl wit the two small sides.) And we have taken off the doors to the walk-in pantry so it is more included in the "kitchen proper,"(there is an old wooden casement window there which is cute) and are putting the microwave on a shelf there, as well as a rolling island we can bring into the kitchen as needed. I still may end up with a small Boos or something, but couldn't commit to a permanent island when I looked at our traffic patterns.
    Hope that satisfied your curiosity!
    Bmorepanic, can you give me details about your hood surround? Is it drywall? Any concerns keeping it looking clean?

  • bmorepanic
    13 years ago

    We're sounding really similar in some ways about ikea. I like your plan and want to see how the cabinets above the doors turn out.

    Did you know you can put a rev-a-shelf double 50qt trash pull out in an 18" ikea base and still put the small drawer over it?

    The hood is covered with blueboard and veneer plaster - it's very simple - all the drama is in the lines. The hood works well enough that I don't have the cleaning concerns that I had before the kitchen was usable. I vacuum it. But sprinkle on grains of salt cause its only been in use for about a month

    I have a zephyr insert and liner. The liner proper is about 30" x 24" and the insert is 10 x 22" with the blower at the top of the hood. The outside of the hood is about three inches further and we built it out 2". This works really well, no more food smells through out the house. No more smelling the oven cleaning, either. It works well even tho its closely bordered by two small windows that are open most of the time.

    There's only two things I wish I had done differently - not including buying the hood instead, that goes without saying! I wish I had made the bottom trim a little thinner. Going the roof was not an option and the duct work only runs about 6 feet, so I decided against a remote blower. I wish I had spent bigger money to get a quieter blower.

    Why I'd just buy one the next time is because I would have been just as happy with an alternate look and would have cost less - I more than paid for a cheng hood by the time everything was done.

  • John Liu
    13 years ago

    I looked at your colors/finishes thread. Sounds like it'll be very attractive and harmonious. Great color on the range. Great idea with the separate-looking "hutch" (dresser).

    Down the road, a French door, lightwell, or light tube would replace the natural light from the closed-in window. Historical society permitting, of course.

    I have the island issue too. Sometimes I plan on having one, other times I think I'm trying to squeeze too much into the available space. At this point I think I've given up on an permanent island.

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