Definitely don't go deeper than your counter depth, but make sure you're going wide enough as well. The recommendation for a 30" w range would be a 33" w range hood. If you are constricted by upper cabs there's little you can do about it, but if you are considering depth and you have no other limitations, think about width as well. Good luck!

Thank you for the reply. Unfortunately, we are constricted by upper cabinets; so we're stuck with a 30" width. The only thing we have any control over is the depth.

Just out of curiosity, is there any one particular reason not to stray beyond the counter depth?

Thanks,

:Paul

Tall people tend to be clumsier than short people and might bump it. :P

I'd go with 24". That's above average depth right there.

Here is the recommendation per TOH. It will look bizarre to say the least if your hood extends beyond the range and counter depth. Asked. Answered. Do whatever you want.

"Measure it right. A hood should be at least as wide as your cooking surface, but an extra 3 inches on each side can improve efficiency. The depth should cover the back burners and at least half of the front burners, though full coverage is best. The height at which the hood hangs above your cooktop will also affect how well it works. A wall- or island-mount should be about 30 inches above the cooktop, while undercabinet-mounts, typically less powerful and with smaller ducts, should sit 24 inches above the range. If you want to place the hood higher than recommended, you'll need a wider unit extending 3 inches beyond both sides of the range and more cfm to compensate."

Thanks for the followup! I hadn't come across the TOH information before -- that was very helpful.

:Paul

Thank you Fori, for the reply ... Not being tall myself, I had forgotten how clumsy tall people can be :-)

:Paul