I've never heard of AKDY, so that makes me wonder. But between these two, I would avoid the glass one. Wouldn't enjoy cleaning it in the least.

It's impossible to say without seeing the rest of your kitchen. I will say that I have glass, and cleaning is NOT an issue.

There is only 12 inches of counter space on either side of the range. The island will be 54x48 inches. cooktop/oven is 30 inches wide. 12 inches of counter space on either side of the oven and 24 inches of space along the back.

there's VERY limited choices at this point since the kitchen cabinets are sitting in my garage waiting to be installed now

Current proposed layout

Errant - you don't have to clean your glass hood? That's surprising. Even my SS hood needs cleaning periodically. If it were glass, I'd definitely have to clean it more often.

Of course I have to clean my glass hood, but it's not more difficult than any other hood I've owned. In fact, it's probably easier, since I do it more often (because dust is more visible).

Neither. And not that layout either. Crap import brand with lies for CFM rating. There isn't enough room to have an island cooking zone.

What brand would you suggest? As for the island - it's too late to change it so we have to work with it. all the reviews i've seen for these hoods are mostly positive. Everyone who has installed them seems pretty happy with them, the only complaint people seem to have in common is it's a bit tricky to install.

Merk, sophie is not one to mince words, but all the advice I have ever seen her post (for years) is right on. I have never heard of that brand, and I've done plenty research. That is a red flag to me.

Well then how about this one? http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Vantage-Island-Stainless-GVCI-36/dp/B006VJ90FK/

Setting aside the terrible island placement (Sophie's tone is harsh, but she is right), neither hood is a good investment. A flat-bottomed hood cannot capture smoke and grease the way a canopy-style (also called pyramid-style) hood can. This issue is even more glaring in an island installation where there are no surrounding upper cabinets to help corral the smoke. People buy flat hoods cause they look cool and mod - if that is more important to you than the exhaust, then go for it. A lot of people do.

Keep in mind that the hoods you've linked have mesh filters instead of baffle filters. Mesh filters are a pain in the neck. They get clogged quickly with grease, and when they become clogged, they prevent the hood from exhausting. That is the reason why baffle filters are preferable. But with a flat hood, you can't have baffle filters. Also, hoods with baffle filters tend to be more expensive.

I am always amazed at how people want to cheap out on the hood. They spend so much money on the kitchen, but for some reason they believe the hood is at the bottom of the list to spend money on. Then when they live with it--the noise, the poor exhaust, the smoke and grease going everywhere except up the hood, the mesh cleaning issues--they're, like, oops.

Oh, sahmmy, I researched hoods like crazy and bought a flat bottom. Still to be installed. I hope it works better than you're indicating. It must, at least, be better than my old OTR micro-hood, right? Worried now.

I appreciate the advice from everyone, but so far everyone has just said 'those suck' and haven't give me an alternative. Is there a particular brand that I should look at? What about the 2nd hood i linked in my original post? Isn't that a baffle filter?

As for cheaping out on the hood - it doesn't seem like it's something that should cost that much. It's a tin cylinder and a fan.

It also seems less crucial to me since the last several years I had no vent at all and that was working ok. So the vent doesn't really seem that important to me and it does feel like somewhat of a decorative piece.

That being said, if you have a particular brand/model of hood you can recommend and it's not too expensive, I would consider it. Or at least a website that has a good selection.

https://www.houzz.com/products/akdy-ag-z10a3-is-european-stainless-steel-island-mount-range-hood-30-ductless-prvw-vr~15926466

Is that style of hood (aside from the brand) what you are suggesting?

And your suggestions for layout - while i do agree with it in general, is also a little bit extreme. People do manage to cook in less than perfect conditions. If you had seen what the kitchen looked like before, than this layout, no matter how bad you think it is, would still be an improvement. So i agree your suggestions would be better, i disagree that the current layout is as horrible as you are making it out to be.

Funkycamper - like I said, the issues with a flat hood are worsened in an island placement with no cabinets on either side to contain and shepherd the smoke and grease up the exhaust. Do you have island placement?

The mesh filters issue has been discussed many times on the Appliances Forum. If you are willing to wash the mesh filters frequently, or even every time you cook something greasy, then the mesh filters will work. Baffle filters don't have this issue. Of course you need to clean baffle filters occasionally, but unlike mesh, their effectiveness is not impeded if you don't.

Funkycamper - what size is your exhaust duct? Buehl pointed out above that the OP's linked hoods specify a 6" diameter duct. A good hood will need an 8" or 10" duct. Go smaller, and you constrain the effectiveness of the hood. Hoods using a 6" duct are noisier as air is forced through a small space.

On the Appliances Forum, our exhaust expert, Kaseki, has posted about flat vs canopy shaped hoods. You can post there and get his latest thoughts on the subject.

I'll see if i can find a baffle filter hood - the mesh filter issue i can certainly see how that would be an issue. I found one so far that appears to be similar the first one i found http://goo.gl/rIEU1E - unfortunately i can't find any user reviews for that particular model

Oh, sahmmy, not an island situation. The recommended duct is 8" and will be maybe a 6-8" long straight shot as it vents straight out the wall. I did read a lot on the Appliance forum and saw that baffles were preferred but didn't read that mesh filters needed cleaning as often as you're suggesting. We rarely cook anything greasy so maybe we'll be OK. It's a Zephyr that I found for a steal and it's not returnable at this point. My extremely slow remodel means that we're well outside the return date. Fingers crossed it will work OK for us. If not, as there is no cabinetry around it, it would be easy enough to replace with a pyramid style down the line if we are dissatisfied with it.

Our current OTR Micro is rarely used because it's so noisy but even it vents fairly well when we do use it since it's still a short, straight shot out the wall. I intend to follow the recommendations I read on the Appliance forum to turn it on 5 minutes before you start cooking to create air currents and wait until about 10 minutes after cooking to turn it off. The floor model was almost silent on low so, if it's anywhere near as quiet in my home, I think it will be easy to implement that rule and use it more often and more appropriately. So I have to believe we're still better off than the noisy OTR, right?

Thanks for the additional info.

" I did read a lot on the Appliance forum and saw that baffles were preferred but didn't read that mesh filters needed cleaning as often as you're suggesting. We rarely cook anything greasy so maybe we'll be OK. It's a Zephyr that I found for a steal and it's not returnable at this point"

Funky, we got a Zephyr hood with mesh filters 18 months ago, and just ran them through the dishwasher for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Even then, it was just because the bossy light came on. I think it is based on fan time, not mesh clogging, but not sure. Anyway, we don't fry much, either. We're very happy with the performance. We did get a deep one, for better capture from the front, but decided to get a 36" wide one over a 36" cooktop. So I don't think baffles are the be-all and end-all, though I'm sure they perform well. We are only in that house 6 days a month now, but even if we had to wash them every 2 months instead of 18, I don't think it would be too onerous. I guess we'll just let the bossy light tell us when it's time.

Errant, you are probably a better cleaner than I am (most people are!), but what I meant about cleaning glass was that I get streaks on side one, then do the other side, then see different streaks on side one, then back to side 2... well, you get the picture.

Right, you have to clean the glass more often - that's the point! Grease, etc., will show up pretty quickly on a glass hood. I wasn't even thinking about streaks.

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Regarding the layout - Sophie is absolutely correct! However, if you check Merk's other thread, you will discover that s/he's not willing to change the layout, regardless of the functional and safety issues - several people have tried to talk to him/her about it. (I was going to suggest something similar to Bpathome's suggestion, but when I saw the way the thread was going, I decided not to waste my time. I even had a layout started...) [In Merk's defense, part of the problem is cabinets are already ordered/in and another part is lack of trust in the contractor installing the Kitchen.]

Bottom line - the layout is staying as-is. The best we can do now is help find a decent hood for him/her.

[Be aware, though, that if I were considering a house with a Kitchen like that, I would drop my offer b/c I would know it would have to immediately be gutted and redone & I would be factoring the remodel cost into what I would be willing to pay for the house. (Now, if you were willing to turn that island...)]

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So, this statement made me wince:

"...It also seems less crucial to me since the last several years I had no vent at all and that was working ok. So the vent doesn't really seem that important to me and it does feel like somewhat of a decorative piece...."

*sigh* Most people who say they never had or use a hood usually are surprised when they finally have a decent one. They didn't realize how much grease/steam/fumes/odors/etc. were actually staying inside the house.

My parents do not have a hood and it's amazing over time how much gunk has built up on the ceiling & cabinet above the range, the walls, etc. (My mom never fries anything or browns meat - too much fat for her - so it's not the grease. )

Any time you cook, grease and moisture are released into the air (think browning meat or boiling water for pasta). Any dust, animal fur/hair, dirt, etc., that lands on a damp or greasy surface will stick. Over time, this creates a "gunk" build up - unless you clean your walls, cabinets, ceiling, frequently - very frequently. In addition, odors sink into materials such as curtains or upholstery.

A decent hood - properly sized, installed properly, and with enough CFMs - will remove the vast majority of grease and moisture. It also removes smoke and cooking odors. Dinner may have smelled great while it was being prepared, but it definitely doesn't spell great later that night or the next day!

From experiences here, I think Zephyr or Modern Aire would be the best for you. I suggest posting on the Appliances Forum asking them for specific recommendations. Let them know budget is a concern.

Here's the range hood FAQ from Appliances: Overview of vent hoods

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Just to add my experience - I have a Vent-A-Hood and it's amazing that when I'm browning meat (yes, I eat meat!) and I step away from the cooktop, I cannot smell the cooking meat! In our old Kitchen with a builder's grade hood, I used that (very noisy) hood all the time - and I could still smell cooking odors throughout the house.

Thank you, Lori_intheNW. That's good to hear. Cleaning the mesh a couple times a month wouldn't be any big deal to me, if needed that often, but I hope they fit in the DW to make that task even easier. I got a 36" for a 30" range to assist in the capture area. I'm not sure how deep it is. If it ever gets out of the box and installed, I'll find out. :)

Zephyr is the brand that a friend of mine, a CMKBD in the bay area, recommends regularly. They are a better price point, too, over Modern Aire hoods. They used to only offer baffle filters on their hood insert models but last time I looked (after I bought my Modern Aire hood, of course) I saw that they had started offering wall and island hoods with baffle filters.

Merk, a cheap hood will be noisier, especially with a smaller vent pipe. The material quality and construction may also be suspect. So it is more than just a "tin cylinder and a fan."

I don't want to mix up thread discussions, but just to clarify - i AM open to different layouts, but the cost and lack of trust in my contractor make me very hesitant to change things. However the layout cpartist made with the island turned sideways I think might be a viable option since I don't think it will really require too many changes, other than maybe an additional 2-3 cabinets. And i think we can handle that additional cost since they are all prefab cabinets.

As for the hood - beuhl - this might be a case of ignorance is bliss. If I don't know what I am missing, i won't miss it. I don't mean to be flippant or to dismiss your experience. But i think that statement is the literal truth in this case. If I didn't have any problems previously without a vent, why would i suddenly have a problem now with just a mediocre vent?

I did see some zephyr's in a showroom and they are very nice. But they are also 3-4x the price of the other hoods. Which is even less of an option if we do need to buy some additional cabinets.

frequent cleaning or noise could obviously be an issue so going with a baffle instead of a mesh filter would be good. If i can find one with an 8 inch duct i'll go with that, but so far, at least the cheaper ones, all have 6 inch ducts. Most of the reviews for those cheaper vents though are all positive. So either they aren't as bad as you think, or maybe those people also don't know what they are missing.

...or they're fake reviews. More and more evidence is coming out about the growing problem of fake reviews - reviewers being paid to post positive reviews. There are even companies now whose sole purpose is to post positive reviews for any product (at a price, of course)!

I've come to even distrust book reviews on Amazon!

I've come to even distrust book reviews on Amazon!

Oh geez I hope not because that would mean all the reviews about my book would be false. I can promise I didn't write any of the reviews on my book.

merk, have you looked at Kobe? They are supposed to be a decent hood but at a price that is less than Zephyr. They are made in China, which is one reason for their lower cost but it seems that they are still a decent product. And I think they come with 8" venting but I'm not sure since it's been a long time since I researched them.

I used to also wonder what the big deal about venting was. We didn't use our pop-up downdraft for our island cook top often because at low speeds, it really didn't remove smoke or cooking smells and at high speed, it sucked the gas flame out. Back then, cook tops didn't come with automatic re-ignition so I never knew this had happened until I smelled gas. Not good! Even on high, it still didn't remove all cooking odors and smoke. The newer pop-ups are supposed to be better - they also rise higher so that helps them fight physics (smoke rises) but even so, they aren't as good as hoods.

I started to learn about the importance of proper ventilation from GW and from my friend, a CMKBD. So we bought a good hood this time and I'm so glad we did. It works so well that I've never needed to turn it above low speed. I can't smell what's cooking on my induction cook top unless I stick my nose over the pan. My hood is 600 CFM but I think I could have gotten away with 400 CFM and saved the cost of MUA. If I had stuck with gas, I'm pretty sure I would have needed 600 because gas adds combustion fumes to the mix. Oh, well.

We'd already ordered our hood before we did the tear out but once I saw how much disgusting yellowed grease was on my kitchen valances, I was so happy that I had spent the money on ventilation.

There were reports on the news not that long ago about purchased
reviews on Amazon. I thought it was about products, though, not books,
but I could be wrong.But I have faith that the positive reviews about your book are correct.

You should look up ventahood.com

You will find a wide range of hoods and as far a ventilation they are the leaders. Read why CFM makes a difference and confirm the qty of blowers installed and noise. NOISE is huge and overlooked at times bc people just look at size and CFM numbers

Thank you for the suggestion, although I don't really like the style of any of the island hoods they have.

Did you finalized your island range hood ? We're closing a home this Friday, need to install vent for our gas cooktop. Could you pls see this pic (kitchen) and suggest.

there's no pic attached - we bought a hood but the contractor hasn't installed it yet. We went with this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GI3E680

havent installed it yet so i can't really say anything about it. I appreciated all the advice everyone here gave. But one thing I've learned about the people who give advice here - they are VERY dedicated to these topics and so for a lot of them, anything less than 99% perfect is garbage. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. But in our case, since we've NEVER had a kitchen with a working vent in it before, even if this vent sucks, or i guess i should say doesn't suck, it won't really matter much to us. That's why we went with an less expensive hood.