I have no idea about the Kobe. But, I do own an Imperial and I will offer my thoughts. One thing I'm not crazy with on my Imperial is the capture, so I would suggest avoiding going smaller. Another thing is the sheet metal which warped and made the unit appear crooked. The hood wasn't constructed as great as I expected it to be in light of the high cost. Overall, it has worked well but I feel very meh about it bc I feel like it doesn't justify it's cost. So, it's the one appliance I purchased for my remodel that I can't recommend.

An inadequate front to back depth may force you to cook the major effluent generating foods on back burners.

kas

Do you have a Costco membership? The NXR range hood they sell is a rebadged Kobe (24" deep). They also sell the coordinating chimney cover extension. Might be something to consider as middle ground between price and function. I have no affiliation with them but feel like I've been promoting them a lot lately! (I like a good deal!)

So the original question is whether to get a 24" deep hood with baffle filter or a 20" deep hood with mesh filters?

If so, the answer is very obvious: get the Kobe. 20" depth is way too small to capture smoke and heat from the front burners and baffle filters are better and easier to maintain than mesh ones. There is really no comparison.

"should I get the toyota or the mazda? oh well, I chose the bmw" :-)

Got a good deal, so it made the decision easy. That and the inspector put the kibosh on the duct run a chimney hood would've used.

Good choice Eric! I have a Prizer, and love it :)