Hi Martha,

I'm in the exact same boat as you. I really, really need that hood (my vintage stove is filling my home with undesirable gas, besides making an icky mess on the painted wall behind the stove). And I think I'm looking at the same style as you (the one like klb has?). For that vintage looking style, I've been able to narrow it to the MA, the VAH excalibur, and one by Rangecraft.

I'm hearing such mixed things about performance and cleaning (and paint chipping!) of the VAH, and I think I'd prefer to stick with old fashioned baffle technology.

I have no idea how Rangecraft compares in price or performance to MA. In the affluent Bay Area, I was shocked to find that the closest MA dealer is in San Jose. What? Nothing in San Francisco?? I spoke with one appliance store that said they do not carry MA b/c they are not high enough quality (they prefer VAH).

Just a few days ago I did a search on appliances, and I found what were probably all the posts ever discussing MA. You've probably read them too! Klb discusses hers, and the upshot re: perfromance was that it certainly works better than a ho-hum hood, but she still gets grease, etc. on high surfaces, and she gets a grease drip down one back corner that needs regular wiping. I think she also said she wasn't doing heavy "grease producing" cooking either (which I am!).

So that made me think that the MA falls into the "style over substance" category. A lot of my kitchen has turned out to be style over substance, but I really don't want this uber expensive hood to be likewise!

I wonder how redrange is doing with hers?? I don't know if she is around here anymore...

Soooo, keep me posted on what you find. I have a gut feeling that the Rangecraft will be as expensive as the MA. But I also have a feeling it might perform better.

I need a hood! I need a hood! I need a hood!

Tell you what? I can't handle this decision anymore. YOU decide for both of us. I'll just get whatever you get!

:-)

francy

I have also been looking at Modern Aire. This thread on the appliance forum might help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Modern Aire

I sent an email to redrange, who has a drop dead gorgeous red modern aire hood. She kindly replied super fast. Here is what she wrote:

Hi!

I haven't quite figured out just what it is that Modern Aire does as a
company, since the installation instructions listed the shell/hood part as
Abbaka, and the motor/blower itself is made by Thermador.

But anyway.

I got one with an external blower and something like 1300cfm (can't remember
the exact #)--the blower is mounted outside the house. I thought it would
be quieter. I don't know if it is or not.

I've never done a hugely smoky meal, but things got pretty thick with some
fried chicken the other day, and another day some rib eye steaks. Those
were the first times I turned the blower above the low setting, and it took
care of the issue with no problem.

Since having the hood, I've never set off the smoke detector. The house
smells a lot nicer now than before we had it--there's no smell of meals past
lingering in the air.

I can't say whether the hood is better or worse than others for the money,
as I've never before had a hood at all. A fair chunk of the cost was for
the pretty hood/shell itself, which doesn't need to do a whole lot more than
to look nice. Obviously it's the separate blower inside, by Thermador, that
determines the effectiveness of the thing. That, and be sure to take
everyone's advice and buy a hood that's six inches wider than your stovetop.

Because of the high cfms, I had the builder install make-up air vents in the
house--one in the kitchen and one upstairs, which was the only other
feasible place we could find. When the blower runs, the vent upstairs does
draw in air--my builder and I tested it, and the little flap in the air vent
opened when the blower was turned on--so obviously the blower is sucking air
from anywhere it can get it. The blower does seem to work best when it has
plenty of easy air available. Sometimes I crack a window just to give it an
even easier time.

I haven't cleaned the thing yet, but it's got those baffle filters that can
be put in the dishwasher.

So, that's all I got! I'm sure if you search on people's opinions of
Thermador blowers, you'll get the information you need. And if you do order
from Modern Aire, clarify what company is making the blower---they might
have changed since I bought mine.

[end of email]

Now I wonder who has a rangecraft...

Francy

Hope y'all don't mind me jumping in here. I just put in my order for a Modern Aire PS-26 54" hood, 1200 CFMs, internal blower. After reading this thread and the linked thread, I hope I ordered everything I need, especially after the price quoted (DH says his first car didn't cost as much as this hood!). I remember doing some research when I first started looking over a year ago but not nearly as intenstive as that found on the above link. I do know that DH has discussed w/ GC and ventilation guy the fact that we will need to have some provision for make-up air.

When I first got a quote (last May), it was for a 1000 CFM; this year they dropped the 1000 and listed a 1200 CFM and the price had gone up a few hundred $. This is one of my big splurges and I have been saving for it for a while because after seeing it on this forum, knew I had to have it to go over my 1936 Chambers C! This forum has made me tooooooo TKO!

Hey farm: yowza--54"? How wide is the Chambers? I don't think I've ever seen a biggie--do you have photos you can post?

I've got a 1955 O'keefe and Merritt. She's slowly poisoning us though, so I've got to get that hood! And style wise, the choices are so limited...

Here is my girl! (sorry to hijack martha, but I know you love old stoves!)

she needs that MA hood! (Or rangecraft??)

:-)
francy

Francy - Love the O'Keefe & Merritt - was looking for one when DH and I found the Chambers and fell in love. It is a 6 burner, griddle/broiler, double oven. I know I've posted a pic on here before but cannot find (I think it was an "unfitted kitchen" thread). DH is out of town and he's the one who helps me post pics; he also has the laptop that has the pics of stuff in the house. I may have one at work--will try then. I think marthavilla also has a Chambers?

Francy:

You have me ROTFLMAO! You want ME to handle this crazy-making range hood decision for the both of us?? No! Of course you don't. You just want me to giggle at the thought of that all night! :)

At any rate, I'm 100% with you on the choice of vintage range hood styles. I, too, have been looking at the MA, VAH and Rangecraft. Seems to me that VAH's Excalibur will be the most affordable and that Rangecraft's will be the most expensive. From what I've been able to gather at this point, Modern-Aire is somewhere in between the two, but closer to Rangecraft in cost.

At first, I was all set to go with the VAH, but then I started reading all the not so good reviews and that's what led me to check out the other two. My guess is that the vendor who told you they don't carry MA because its quality was not high enough was just talking poppycock because s/he doesn't carry the product.

Because I'm close to Rangecraft, which is based in NJ, I should do better on shipping costs with them than with Modern-Aire which is based in CA. Still, I get the impression that, even with reduced shipping costs, Rangecraft will cost more. Plus, if I don't know much about Modern-Aire's performance, I certainly know even less about Rangecraft's. BTW, Mamadadapaige has a Rangecraft. The model is called the "Taconic" and, like the rest of her kitchen, it's a real beauty at that! It would be great if she would join in this thread and give us a review of her hood. Meanwhile, thanks for sharing that email response from Redrange ! (That means a whole lot, especially since her drop dead gorgeous kitchen was my inspiration to get my own red range.)

Mahlgold: Thanks for that link to the Modern-Aire discussion on the Appliance forum (and especially for your email!) The information on it is excellent. It also tends to lead me back to Modern-Aire. For sure, I will be contacting MA in the morning to see if I can work with them directly.

Farmhousebound: I was delighted to see your post arrive while I was writing this one. Your sharing that you've now ordered a PS26 just gave me added incentive to try and nail down this MA PS26 as the crown for my Aga. I know I'm in damn good TKO company when my design choices are in sync with those who have drool-worthy vintage stoves like a Chambers Model C or an Okeefe and Merritt. Woo hoo!

No, Farmhousebound, my grand old dame is not a Chambers. She's a Smoothtop -- a 1920's manufacture of Vulcan. BTW, the Smoothtop was featured on pg. 40 of the Old House Journal's "Classic Kitchens" issue (April,'08).

I have the 54" Tradewind liner in a custom wood hood that my cab guy built. Mine is 1400 cfm and has baffles and remote blower ( Thermador ) and inline silencer with neoprene rings .

I spent months looking into hoods. We do lots of stirfry and have the deep fat fryer. This is what I know. You want the Thermador blower, no other brand will suck as well. You want baffles, they are quieter than mesh and they are a breeze to clean. You HAVE TO HAVE an inline silencer if you want the quiet and the neoprene is the thing that prevents vibration. My cooktop is 36" wide and the fryer is 12" wide and they are 6" apart on the countertop. My hood is exactly at the same width. I haven't had one drop of grease anywhere on the surrounding surfaces...not one drop. The wood hood and the walls and the open shelves are all pristine 1 1/2 years after install. Only dust. So that is what you need at least , I couldn't do anything wider. It is very deep also to the counter but not 27". We have no HOGS at all since we have this hood. Heat,Odors,Grease,Steam.

Good luck ladies...and Francy don't you be puttin' all the responsibility on Celeste ! :)

Well, if Martha and Farmhouse are getting the MA, then I want it too!! But I think this could be a good way to make a decision. Martha picks my hood, and then I get to pick something for her kitchen (Hmmmm. What''s left to do? Do you need a tapmaster? I just told buehl to get one. You get one too! See? Easiest 2 decisions I've made all night.!)

If Rangecraft is more, then no way can I get that one.

Trailrunner: I can't remember what your hood looks like (though I have seen your kitchen photos in the past). Could you perhaps post a pix? I think I will probably have the best luck getting the vintage look with something like the MA--my luck so far with custom cabinet types has been abyssmal. But I would love to see yours! Only the hood though. No corn quiche. Gawd: seems like you basically cook my every single favorite food on the planet!! I want to move in with you!

:-)

francy

Hello there! I do have a Modern Aire hood, and have posted comments on other threads that you've probably already read, and which francy has summed up. My primary reason for going with the MA was because I loved how it looks, and it DOES look great--it always gets the first compliment when people visit my kitchen. But I'm definitely happy with the performance, too. I was getting a little grease drip in one corner at the back of the hood, although it hasn't been a problem lately so maybe I finally got the baffles cleaned up! It does a fine job sucking--when I am cooking anything smoky, you can see the smoke curving back in and up the hood. It must do a pretty good job, because I don't end up with much grease on stuff (francy, maybe that was some one else's complaint?)--not even on the spatulas etc. I have hanging on my backsplash. Not that I'm frying chicken every night by any means. All in all, it does everything I would expect it to do--I haven't been disappointed in performance at all.

Here are a couple pictures. In the side view, I tried to get a picture of how the smoke pulls up, but you can't really see it too well.

Good luck with your decision! :)

{{!gwi}}

{{gwi:1427515}}

OH wow...KLB somehow I had forgotten or missed seeing your kitchen....what an absolutely wonderful space ! I love that you have "stuff" in your glass cabs...so do I....so did DH's Grandmom in Meridian MS . That is what they are for :)

I need a utensil holder too....I just keep putting it off. You have convinced me . I just love everything in your kitchen .

Hey Francy here is a pic of the hood. I have lost the ones I had showing the steam going up...my computer died a while back. I can take more though.
My cab guy also ended up being a JERK but he did a good job on this, I think.

And because you asked SO SWEETLY...here is a pic of Pogne de Romans, a French Orange Flower Bread ...it isn't corn !

Hi Klb. So glad you chimed in here. In looking at your photos, I'm realizing now that you're the proud owner of yet another one of my inspiration kitchens. (LOVE that kitchen!) Yes,I had seen your previous comments in some of the MA posts and, of course, the hood looks fantastic. But it's also comforting to hear that you resolved the dripping grease bead problem with some baffle cleaning. :) I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is the right purchase decision for me and that I'll be able to make it . . . soon!

Hi Klb!!! Your hood was my inspiration! Love seeing your pics again as it just reconfirms my decision for the MA hood and I just love your kitchen. The hood I ordered is almost like yours--powder white, 4 bands, but no rail in front (they just wanted too much for that piece!). I went back and forth between matte white and shiny. Talked it over with DH and he says that since the porcelain on our Chambers is not real shiny he thought the matte would look better--hope I made the right choice because yours looks great. Any thoughts?

Wow, this must be inspiration morning on GW! Caroline, every time I see your wood enclosed vent liner, I remember why I kept wrangling with the cab company KD about wanting a "clean, spare, mantle hood." I was probably subconsciously channeling your hood! At any rate, with the KD doing head-scratching and ID on vacation, I'm ditching them both on this matter and in hot pursuit of the MA PS26 all on my own! Thanks much for the Thermador blower advice. I do need to get clear as to whether or not I will go with an inline blower or internal blower. (See? It's these kinds of little details that make my head swim!) Would I want the neoprene silencer in any case or only if I go with the inline blower?

And you know I'm lovin' that bread, btw. When are you coming back here . . . . November???

francy - sent you an e-mail (actually 2) - please let me know if you don't receive. T.

Thanks for the photo trailrunner!

Inline blower or internal blower? Oh ack. I didn't know about that choice...

Klb, I'm impressed that your untensils on the rail stay clean. That is a ringing endorsement, as far as I'm concerned. I would love, love, love to be able to hang things like that behind my stove. But I never imagined it could possibly stay clean. I wasn't even going to get the pot rail, b/c I figured anything I put on it would get dirty. (Oops--sorry I misquoted you re: grease landing on things. Can't remember who that was...) One unrelated question that I've been meaning to ask you FOREVER: where did you get your hanging basket? I love the curves to it, and the vertical banding. Never seen one like it!

Re: convincing TheHusband. We had the following odd conversation last night. Bear in mind that TheHusband doesn't like to spend money on anything. As an example, I just bought a cheap 10 dollar pizza peel. He stared at it, and said, "But do we really need this thing..." So anyway, last night, after a dramatic pause, he put forth the following: "I'm thinking of buying a bathroom scale. What do you think?" Me: "FIne. [deep breath, crossing fingers] I'm thinking of buying a 2000.00 hood. What do you think?" TheHusband (who once said that a hood shouldn't cost more than 500 bucks): [pause. pause. pause.> Fine."

OMG! I think he only said that b/c it has been a hard year for me, and I'm so totally KitchenDiscouraged (and ChildrearingDiscouraged, etc.) He is clearly desperate to bring a smile to my face. So I'd better order FAST!!!!!!!! Or he'll change his mind.

So what's the deal with inline vs internal blower??

francy

Hey Celeste. I am pleased that you are able to use the info. I can hardly wait to see your finished kitchen.

I am somewhat confused as to your question about the blower. There is the remote blower( roof mounted or outside wall) and the one right in the hood over the cooktop. The inline silencer is for the remote blower. You have to have the silencer if you get the remote blower. That is if you want the quiet aspect it involves. It is 3 ft long and the same diameter as the vent pipe ,that is hard pipe NOT FLEX. It has neoprene lined fittings on each end of it. There are good pics and descriptions at the link below.

I am coming back Oct 22-Nov5 so I KNOW I will get to see you !! c

Here is a link that might be useful: info on in-line silencers and blowers

The question was basically whether, IYHO, an internal blower (to be mounted on the roof in my case)is an "essential" or whether you think one can live peaceably with only an inline blower. My GC insists that a roof blower is unnecessary. (But, then again, we are talking about a reno discussion that is occurring in NYC where we have a higher than normal tolerance for all kinds of loud noises of city living. LOL!)

Ok. I'm on the run now. But will read your link when I get back later. Thanks!

OK I was mixed up . there are remote blower ( roof mounted) and inline blowers. I like the remote for that reason. it is way up and over there. Also then you have the inline silencer between you and it. I really don't know about the inline blowers...so can't comment. I will look at my link (duh) and see what they say too. c

Ah--I found it!

Yesteday I misquoted klb as saying she had grease on top of cabs after using the MA hood. Wrong! I've been reading so many hood threads this week. It was actually a complaint about the Vent a Hood (600cfm), in a thread comparing VAH to baffles.

Again, my apologies to klb!

I can only imagine how often Brangelina are "quoted" incorrectly!

:-)

francy

I had not realized that the active version of this thread was here on Kitchen, not on Appliance.

I wanted to clarify the issue of blower types. First, (patting self, kaseki, breezy, edlakin etc on back), the thread that malhgold linked to in her first post (the third one on this thread) has a ton of information including detailed discussions of the different types of blowers, advantages, disadvantages etc.

It also includes what I think is the single best post anywhere on GW on capture area and hood performance from kaseki, which I think anyone who is as obsessed with ventilation as I am should commit to memory.

Having said that, there are three options: internal, inline, and external blowers. From a performance standpoint all can be equal: for same ducting and cfm rating all should be roughly equal in ventilation. The big difference is in noise levels. Obviously the inline blowers (which are typically mounted in an attic or other unoccupied space) or external blower (usually mounted on the roof or an exterior wall) greatly reduce motor noise. However a substantial part of hood noise is airflow related and more dependent on baffle design, duct size, and cfm rating. Still, if noise is a priority, a remote blower will always outperform an internal blower. That is even more true if a silencer is used, as trailrunner notes.

By the way, on the subject of which brand of fan to use: I don't know the Thermador line but I would strongly suggest consideration of the Fantech line of blowers and silencers. They are "industry standard" and are, for example, Modern-Aire's choice for an inline blower.

They are often rebranded. In particular, the Universal Metal Industries blowers and silencer that trailrunner linked to are based on the photos almost certainly a Fantech FKD blower and LD silencer resold under their name.

Our LD10 silencer is 42'' long and about 18'' in diameter--much wider than the 10'' ductwork we are using. It's pretty much huge, but I hope it's worth the hassle of mounting.

I had decided to follow up with MA regarding klb's issue of grease dripping from the corner. From inspecting mine, I can see how excessive amounts of grease could run from the baffles down the ledge at the back of the hood and then down from the corner of the hood. I thought this was an extreme situation but figured I'd ask the MA folks what gives. I got a reply from Jeff-about a page of single spaced information!!--within six hours of emailing him. To quote a portion of Jeff's reply:

"As far as grease running down the bottom of the filter and out of the hood, I have heard of this happening but only in cases with customers whom deep fat fry their meals or cook with extremely fatty foods. [Some people] allow the residue to build up to a point to where it bleeds out of the hood which is the lowest point. If the filters are cleaned on a regular basis upon noticing buildup this will not occur. My hood has been in my home for a little over a year now and we have washed the filters two or three times at the most."

Based on my hood, this is the Mercedes (Maybach?) of hoods. Totally solid design and construction, incredibly responsive customer support, from a small American-based company that does nothing else. They give straight up advice on design, blower choice, and configuration. I cannot imaging a better source for a hood.

Aw, thanks for all the compliments on my kitchen! Its always fun to visit threads with vintage-ish kitchen themes--always lots of good pictures!

trailrunner--LOVE your kitchen, and I'm jealous of how tasty the output from your kitchen looks compared to the output from mine! (I'm suddenly very ashamed that I publicly posted a picture of a hot dog smoking on my fancy range....) I do like having the utensil bars installed--my kitchen is teensy and is especially cramped on drawer space, so it really helps to have a handy place to stash spatulas, etc. Fortunately I use all that stuff fairly frequently, so they don't have too much time to collect grease (I don't want to oversell the MA hood--my kitchen isn't TOTALLY grease-free!)

farmhousebound--I'm sure either the shiny or matte finish on your hood will be great (lucky you with a Chambers!) My hood is color matched to the range, which was easy enough since the range is a standardized RAL color. The sheen was a bit of an unknown, though, but the guy I worked with at Modern Aire (might have been Jeff, I can't remember now) recommended some standard-ish sheen (something like "80%" if that's how sheen is measured) and it is a good match for my range--pretty shiny, but not glaringly shiny.

Yay, Francy--get that hood ordered before DH has too much time to think about it! I haven't been following this board quite as much in recent months, but I have stopped in enough to see you have gone thru some agony with the countertops (following agonies of old regarding the brother-in-law made cabinets!) so you deserve an easy win! Its all coming together beautifully, though :) The hanging baskets are from Crate and Barrel--although I bought them quite awhile ago so they may not be available anymore. (and no worries about the misquote--I'm sure I've posted enough questions and complaints on this board, I can't remember WHAT I've complained about anymore!)

clinresga--thanks for following up with MA regarding the grease drip issue--good to hear that I wasn't the only one with the problem! Although now I feel doubly ashamed---not only am I using my fancy new kitchen to roast weenies, but I'm a terrible housekeeper, too..... :)

Thank you,Clinresga, for that most encouraging pair of posts! I'm thinking some of this ventilation stuff is finally starting to sink in. But, gee, gosh, golly-- have I have been confused! I'd read that "Modern-Aire" thread before but, apparently, was just not ready for it. Now, though (and after read number 3), I'm catching on. So much so that when I go back and look at the question I asked Trailrunner about external, inline and internal blowers, I have to laugh. Anyway, I've now figured out that, as much as I think I would want an external, roof-mounted blower with silencer, I can settle for a simple internal blower and be quite happy after all. Again, thanks!

BTW, take a look at your email inbox. I just sent you a note.

marthavila: you're a ventilation expert now if you actually read through that other thread! Seriously, you now know more about hoods than maybe 99% of hood buyers.

So...you're making good choices. If you go with the MA, ask Jeff Herman any and all questions that might arise and you'll get great answers and info. Hope your hood buying experience is as good as mine was.

Thank you very much clinresga! It is a loooooong walk over to the appliance forum (and I just kicked off my street shoes), so appliance talk often gets going over here. I'll go back and read the thread you mentioned. Re: blowers, one of the MA owners here said her blower is labeled "thermador." Has MA changed blowers in recent years?

klb: hot dog on the Lacanche!!!!!! Bwahahahahahaha! I LOVE it! Thank you for posting it. It makes me feel a litle more normal. Ah, the hanging baskets, and the Wesco breadbox. No longer available for me I guess. Lucky you for getting the good stuff before it disappeared! Now, for goodness sakes, go clean your baffles! :-P

Martha: To complicate things--are you sure 600 cfm is enough for your AGA? How many btus' is the AGA? And how do the AGA folks pronounce AGA anyway? And have you looked at the AGA hood? It isn't as snazzy looking as the MA though, and probably just as pricey.

:-)

francy

WOW everyone has been busy posting fabulous info. klb: I just don't post the pics of the smokin' hot dogs!!! I can't tell you how MUCH I LOVE your kitchen...gives me goose bumps.

Now to the ventilation and capture in my instance only. The 1400 cfm that I got was indeed Thermador. All their smaller sizes are not. That is what they told me when I ordered. Renaming of brands is , I think , real common. I got the 1400 for several reasons. I knew that I was going to be doing lots of greasy messy stuff...DH and his wok :) and the deep fat fryer. I knew we were not going any wider than 54" even though that was not 6" over on each side. I worried and debated and finally said OK this will have to do. Luckily it does. The air flow and the depth of the unit and those fabulous baffles all combine to capture everything. I have posted before that we have no grease anywhere even when I deep fry chicken. I am so glad I guessed right! Industry standards are great but I had practical matters to consider and thank goodness it worked out. As to the grease dripping from the baffles. We had that at the very beginning since DH and I had no idea of how much goop was going on our walls before and was now bening captured. I looked up and saw this yucky stuff running down...gross ! After that I never let the baffles go more than a week. I throw them in the dw every Sunday night. The whole area is as clean as it was when it was installed. It takes less than 5 min to wipe the edges.

I am SO looking forward to seeing Celeste's AGA and hood and Francy's hood !! How exciting to still be making choices and getting new things... sigh...no more remodelling here . c

Of course, leave it to my pal, Francy, to yes-- COMPLICATE things! :) (And just when I was starting to relax!)

Ok. Since you're publicly challenging me to reveal what I've learned so far, (heh heh) here goes: Total Aga 6-4 BTUs (that means, when running all 6 burners at max capacity at the same time -- a highly unlikely occurrence for my cooking patterns)is approximately 60k BTUs. With that, and applying the basic CFM formula of 1.5 x BTUs, I come up with a 650 CFM requirement (which I'm pretty sure Aga suggests as well for the Six Four.) But, who manufactures a standard venting system for 650 CFMs? So, for me, the decision becomes -- what are my cooking conditions and how do I routinely cook and how likely is it that I will ever need above 600 CFMs? Well, when I consider these answers:

(1)I've got a whole wall of windows in my galley kitchen in an old house. That means, the place is not "tight" on air and, in the worst case scenario should it become necessary, I can open a window just like I've been doing the past 20 years here!

(2) I'm a single cook in the household and, while I fry/stir fry, I don't do it a whole lot. Maybe 3x a month? And, yes, as I've started to encounter a few senior moments here and there, I admit to having been distracted enough to walk off and let a pot start burning (but, but not a whole lot. . . at least not so far!):)

So, my guess is that I can probably get away with the 600 CFMs. Plus, the vendor I've been talking to makes the same claim about MA's 600 CFMs that VAH makes about theirs: a 600 CFM vent hood is equivalent to a 900 CFM. But, I confess, Francy. Since you've raised this question, I've already been motivated to put a call into Aga tech services on this for confirmation.)

Now, let's see, what are the other questions?

Aga is pronounced like this: Ah Gah

And, yes, I have looked at the Aga range hood. It's actually manufactured by Independent (another very reliable, well-regarded ventilation specialist) and it's actually quite nice. But, imo, it's not quite as nice as the MA PS26. Plus,Aga only offers it in stock sizes: 36" and 48". Given that my range is 39" in width, I'd have to go with the 48"x 24"/1200 CFM hood. Yet, with MA, I can order the ideal size: 45" x27" and (hopefully) only 600 CFMs.

BTW, for all the CFM enthusiasts out there, I do understand that it's better to err with CFMS on the side of oversizing rather than undersizing. Also, that an increase of CFMs may not terribly increase my bottom line costs on this purchase. Bottom line? It's my intention to get advice from both Aga tech services and MA tech services (and my pocketbook) and to have an informed resolution of this issue before placing the order!

Ah--that makes sense. I just had it in my head that something like the AGA must be (at least) one of those 95,000 monster cookers. How odd that they don't make hoods to fit all their cookers. But, the MA hood is way prettier than the AGA hood. I was just causing trouble! I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to spend all this time obsessing about hoods with people. No one in my "real life" would tolerate this for a second.

And hooray: I was pronouncing it correctly!

I'm really unsure about cfm's for my O'keefe and Merritt. I am not totally sure about the btu's. Some vintage stove restoration places say one thing, some say another. I *think* each of the burners is around 12,000 (though the guy who did mine adjusted some as high as he could). The griddle is 9 or 10. The oven is, I think, 20. The boiler? I have no clue. Are broilers less than ovens? Then I'll guess 15? Soooooooo, that's around 95,000 btu's. Which of course are never going all at once.

But add to that the "mysterious methane element." As soon as I turn the stove on (any part of it), TheHusbnad starts gagging and coughing, and acting like I'm plotting to gain access to his life insurance policy (which I AM, but that's another story). So that makes me wonder if we should go even higher with the cfm's. Or, since we don't run the whole shebang at the same time, would the calculated cfm's be sufficient?

I don't want to mess up such an pricey purchase! On the one hand, since we have NO hood (and have those disgusting, greasy, tacky, fuzzy, dust covered walls behind the stove, and DGTFDC ceilings above the stove, and DGTFDC dishes on the pot rack next to the stove) ANY good hood is going to change my life! But for top dollar, I want to get it right. I guess I should start planning my filed trip to San Jose (only MA dealer in my area). I'm taking a removable section on my stove with me to get a color match. It's BIG! I hope they don't think I'm a kook, but there is no small removable part.

Caroline says, "How exciting to still be making choices and getting new things." *grin* That is one way to look at it!! I"ll have to try that perspective. I'm one of those types who lies awake at night, agonizing over making decisions, especially big purchases and house decisions. So I have not had much "fun" during this process. But I promise to try to think of all this as "exciting" rather than scary, stressful, confusing. Oh ack. Where's my zantac. Or is that xanax. Ot BOTH!!

:-)

francy

francy...that was somewhat "tongue in cheek" ! I can only envy you since I don't have to do this again LOL. I'll just watch you girls and enjoy the fabulous outcome and sleep well...I had my share of sleepless hood worrying nights 2 years ago ! And the question is "Where is the WINE ?" c

After panicking about my finish selection (I had chosen matte white) and getting some input from others, I have changed to the shiny white. My sales rep contacted MA though and discussed with them my concerns about being too shiny and sent them a pic of my stove. They advised that their shiny is not real glossy and that thought it should do fine--they are familar w/ the finishes on the old stoves. I could have tried and sent some type of sample for a color match, but no way am I messing around with my stove. Francy--you are so lucky to be close enough as to be able to visit and get a good color match! I was told should be around 4 weeks or so before delivery - hopefully DH will be around to help me post pics when it gets here and then the wait begins before it gets installed.

So, I'm learning that there's still room to refine my hood knowledge! I now have it on good authority that I should be ordering a 1200 CFM blower, with 10" duct, if possible. Not because a 600 CFM won't do the job but because --as the GW CFM enthusiasts have already clearly argued -- you can't go wrong with oversizing, but you sure as heck can go wrong with undersizing. 1200 CFMs is way more than I will need to get rid of typical smoke, grease and odors. But it will allow me to routinely run the blower on low. Especially since I don't intend to install an inline or external blower, the more powerful internal blower and bigger duct will help considerably with the ease of air flow and noise reduction. This makes sense.

And, Francy, now it's your turn to explain stuff. Pray tell: what does DGTFDC mean? BTW,I'm delighted to hear that DH is down with the hood program. Woo hoo! And just imagine, as you lay awake on the west coast each night, "agonizing over making decisions, especially big purchases and house decisions, , I'm over here, on the east coast, doing the exact same thing -- only 3 hours ahead! I say we just intend that this hood thing is one kitchen reno decision we both get right the first time up to bat!

On running the hood on low, I would like to pass along a couple tips. You need to start the blower a couple minutes before you ever start cooking and on high. Then when you start cooking you can lower it but the worse the stuff you are cooking the greater the speed should be. You don't want the grease to stop anywhere in your duct work. It has to have a way to get out. The higher air movement is what gets the particles away. Also continue to run several minutes after cooking , on high , to clear all of it out. Hope this does not add to any stress but wanted to be sure you had all the info. c

marthavila: sounds like a good decision based on good advice. All the cfm junkies on GW are nodding their heads.

Both changes will reduce noise: the duct upsizing reduces the airflow turbulence, and as you note, the larger blower may run at a lower speed with same cfm output as a smaller unit running harder. The latter is particularly true if you do have a continuously variable fan speed control so you can "fine tune" the blower to what you're cooking.

I have a somewhat different take than trailrunner however, on the issue of airflow speed and grease handling. In general, the concept of a well-designed hood is to trap the grease before it enters the ductwork. Once it's in the ductwork, all is pretty well lost, especially if the duct run is at all long. Much of the grease will end up on the duct walls, never to be removed again.

As a result, different hoods use different systems to trap grease. There is the Ventahood "squirrel cage" system, which uses a centrifugal fan that theoretically flings the grease particles into the fan housing, where it is trapped, while the air continues up into the ductwork.

There is the mesh filter system, which is similar to what is used in most (barely useful) recirculating hoods and UC MW/hood units. The air flows through a metal mesh that is supposed to trap the grease particles.

Then there are the baffle systems. These use a system of alternating U-shaped baffles that force the air to make two abrupt 180 degree turns before heading out the duct. At each turn, the grease particles that fail to negotiate the tight turn are trapped by the baffles (and shameless bias--the polished stainless steel baffles on our new MA hood are gorgeous! Almost too pretty to hide under a hood).

High airflow speeds likely do not increase grease trapping efficiency: I could imagine that overly high airflow might even facilitate more grease making it past whatever filter system is being used.

The reason that high cfm are desirable is not so much to whisk grease out the ductwork, which is unlikely, but to exhaust as much of the fumes/smoke/odor/grease from the temporary confinement in the body of the hood before it can spill back out of the hood into the kitchen. The combination of large capture area, a deep hood, and a high cfm blower should give maximum f/s/o/g evacuation.

But totally concur with trailrunner's advice about starting the hood early and letting it run afterwards. Definitely will help.

Just tried the hood out for the first time as electrician just wired in a temporary switch. Don't have the variable speed control in yet but am able to run our Fantech FKD 10XL with silencer at full blast (1266 cfm at 0 inches static pressure). It is way quieter running full out than my 600 cfm VAH hood at the lake is at the lowest setting. That, plus the construction, the totally cool baffles, the lighting, the remote switching, etc etc make me one happy hood owner.

clinresga: you are so right....the grease does stop at the baffles...I don't know what I was thinking! Not I guess LOL. I should have remembered my own HOGS ...it is pulling the HOS out and the G is on the baffles.

I am so glad you like your hood ! That is so great. Congrats. Can you post a pic ?? c

Yes, Clinresga. Pictures, pictures, pictures! We want hood pictures!

BTW, I also found out that I don't need a hood that is 27" in depth. On my range, the cooking area is only about 21" in depth. Even with a large pot on the front burners, a 24" hood ought to be sufficient for the capture of those HOGS or FOGS. lol!

Martha: DGTFDC = disgusting, greasy, tacky, fuzzy, dust covered

Which are the adjectives that describe the wall, ceiling, plus hanging racks of pots, pans, and utensils near my unvented stove.

So you've jumped up to 1200cfm's? That's what I think I need to do, given that the gasses pour out of my vintage stove from the big hole where a stove pipe used to be. TheHusband is not getting this at all though. He already balked when I raised it from 400 to 600cfms! Maybe I can get him to read some of the info threads.

farmhouse: I can't remember-how many cfm's are you getting?

Thank you again clinresga!!

:-)

francy

Uh oh. No balking hubbies allowed! Tell him that the cost differential between 400 and 600 CFMS is no big deal. (Then cross your fingers that he'll relax and let go and not think to ask about the difference between 400 and 1200 CFMS) Or, right -- enlist him in getting educated as to what this hood talk mumbo jumbo is all about. After all, once you get past the initial speed bumps, learning about this aspect of kitchen design and product function actually gets to be a bit of fun!