grovej66,

Yes, it through the floor vent. My kicthen is on the 2nd floor. The builder already built a 6" vent on the 2nd floor. The deep of my cabinet is 22.5".

@Jeff Cormier, I would be interested to hear the result of the issue you had with a bowing front. We just got ours functioning today, and the front is scraping just a bit as it raises and lowers. It appears that the black box inside/behind the front panel has a large gap from the back panel, causing the front panel to bow outward almost 1/4". I don't see any way to persuade it back in place. I can't finish the install of the cooktop until we resolve this, which will keep our kitchen reno at a standstill. Curious if anyone else has had this issue with the front bowing outward? Thanks!

Has anyone used the Cattura downdraft with a 36” Wolf Range?

yes, i bought it but am looking to sell it as the dealer won't refund me. It is a beautiful piece of work, but when taking away old range, the contractor found a duct system in the wall that was hidden and so I switched to a hood instead. Still in box, brand new.

Don't ever buy anything from Yale Electric.

Michael what are you asking for it?

Michael, we are interested in the Cattura downdraft.

Hi! Can anyone please comment on using the Dacor Downdraft and Dacor 36 inch Pro Range? I see there is an option for a 1000 cfm blower.. This will be new construction in FLA on a concrete slab over a garage . Is this overkill?

We are looking to put downdraft in peninsula. Apparently Cattura has redone downdraft so that it can vent straight down below and in crawl space, which would save the whole cabinet for pots and pans. I am assuming that this option takes care of all the diy done above. Also can someone please explain the difference between the flex blower and inline blower with the Cattura downdraft. Thanks.

We purchased a 36” Catttura for our Thermador Freedom induction cooktop in November so I can’t say how effective the Cattura would be with a gas stove. For my own cooking — including steak in a cast iron pan and Wok stir frying, the Cattura is surprisingly effective at venting the steam and grease outside.

HOWEVER, it is a pain to clean, especially if you are short like I am. A canopy vent with spring loaded baffles that go in the dishwasher is a million times less work to clean. We would have had to cut cabinets and move recessed lights to put in a canopy vent so went with the downdraft.

To clean the Cattura, you have to grasp the top edge of the front panel and pull it upward to unhook it. This is hard to do because the metal is flexible. Sometimes it requires a bit of jiggling before both sides release.

Inside, between the front and back panels, are two very small mesh filters that supposedly trap grease; they can go in the dishwasher.

In reality, much of the grease sticks to the inside of the back panel just below the light. A visible grease smear appears after a couple weeks of use (I cook breakfast and dinner daily and always turn on the vent), which means I have to remove the front panel and wipe the back wall at least twice a month.

Also, putting the front panel back in place is not easy; I find it hard to align the 4 hooks with the slots on the front panel. And if you don’t align them perfectly, the front panel won’t sit fully flush and will get horribly scratched as it retracts. This happened to me.

Another problem with my Cattura is that the blower had to go in the cabinet below the cooktop. Since the blower required metal supports, my cabinet can now store only 12” pans.

@shaun_osborne do check with the latest Cattura specs. I installed mine with a standard transition (sold by Best) directly under the unit, through the floor and connecting to an existing duct run (I upgraded to 8"), including the 8" flex blower. No need for a custom transition (mine connects to an opening on the bottom of the downdraft--just as shown in their online installation guide). There are maybe a maximum of three 45-90* bends (all rigid, taped, and dampened under the blower) between the unit and exiting the house. The total run is probably ~10'. With this configuration, the unit works really well, and is super quiet except for the highest setting (which still isn't bad). I can get by with setting the fan on ~2 for most cooking, and 4 is needed only when I have multiple pots simmering/boiling simultaneously (paired with a Bosch induction cooktop). The installation was hard, and I ended up using a specialist installer-- we worked together on it as I had designed the cabinets, etc. There were a few hiccups, but we got it done and I'm very happy with the result!

@Melanie Coo We just got our Cattura installed and it was also scraping because of that black box bowing out the removable panel. My hubby unscrewed the black cover (4 screws - hard to unscrew and easy to strip so be careful.) Inside, there was a poorly positioned wire preventing the black cover from fitting tightly. He adjusted the wire and then the box fit properly. He enlarged the screw holes on the black cover a bit, so they lined up when the cover was held flush and we screwed it back on. Now it works fine.

landrillo2, did you ever hear an explanation of the difference between the flex blower and an in-line blower? We will be installing Cattura 30 in.; and venting out the bottom into a basement area that can easily be ducted. We plan to put the blower in the basement.

Looking into the Cattura 36 direct down vent with with in line blower? Anyone know if this would work with a different brand blower eso one that doesn’t cost $700?!?

Patricia,

I did find out the answer, but since we changed our kitchen design, we are no longer going with a down draft, and I forgot the answer. However, at the time I called technical support for Cattura (Best) and they were super easy to reach and very helpful. They explained the differences and said that the 2019 models could vent directly down without some of the DIY fixes you might have read about. I believe I only needed the inline for our kitchen. I also ended up printing out the complete installation instructions. See http://www.bestrangehoods.com/store/products/productdetail.aspx?id=ed0eabcf-cf4e-468c-a20e-d8c10e54e7bc

Thanks for the help. Between your link, youtube, and other documentation, I think we have a plan. I ordered the parts and we'll figure out some way to put it together. We are using the vent to the bottom, through the flooring to the basement, and then an in-line blower and ducting to the outside of the house.

Patricia Berglund how did that turn out? We are getting ready to do the same thing and I'm trying to figure out exactly what parts I will need. Did you go with the Flex600 cfm or something different?

We have an open ceiling in the basement, so we were able to go directly through the floor and mount an in-line blower in the basement and vent to the outside. Because of the cfm rating, we also installed an air intake vent which automatically opens when the fan is in use to equalize air pressure in the house.

We have had the 40" size and this is our 3rd blower so far. I love the look of it, but the propeller is made of plastic and gums up. The bearing is ultra-cheap (no ball bearings in it at all, just the inner ring, grease and the outer ring. If I could find a third party blower I would be happy, but caveat emptor, this is made to break down.

Can vouch for this. Had been on budget constraint, and an island kitchen with electric stove. Now I have a gas stove with Cattura and its a great experience. Houzz forums had suggested Cattura, and its worked very well for my home. They have a great customer service as well, they give free troubleshooting and guidance on getting it installed.

Considering this due to our cooktop in front of window. Induction cooktop. Hated ourJenAir gas range with built in downdraft. My husband fries foods (empanadas anyone?). How does it do venting grease. I’m a function over form gal considering putting a big overhead vent for this reason

I fry foods and the cattura does a decent job if the cast iron is on the back burner and the downdraft is on full power. A giant overhead I’m sure would be better.

I have a 36" Cattura downdraft for a couple months now - I need to clean the filter, however, I can't figure out how to get the front panel off - any ideas? I searched internet, youtube, and look through the manual. Nothing clear on how to remove the front panel to clean the filters- can someone advise?

So YouTube videos it looks to me like there is a little metal switch on the side bottom of the downdraft that you switch up position

You lift up on the front panel and pull toward you. There are “hooks” on the back that hang onto two tabs in the center, two posts on the outside edges, and along the bottom it’s simply a lip. It should come off pretty easy, though mine always requires a little shimmying and a decent pull.

Jumping in on this thread as it seems to be revived. We are remodeling and have purchased a 48" range and the 48" best downdraft. We're hoping to vent straight out the back and down under the floor into an ample crawl space. Between the countertop fabricators, contractor, and cabinet makers they aren't sure exactly how the downdraft will install behind the range. Does anyone have pictures of the installation of the downdraft unit behind a range and how it fits into the countertop and how the cabinet fits around it to hide the ductwork (again, going straight out the back to a motor under the floor)? We've picked out expensive stone countertop, and I'm terrified it will be cut incorrectly for the downdraft and there's really no going back from that.

Thanks Mikecron, so descriptive!

@landrillo2, how did your installation go? The peninsula set up with a range is what we're planning to go with. Trying to figure out difference of flex vs inline blower. Thanks.

We are currently building a home. We will have a 36 inch induction cooktop and want to go with the 36 inch Cattura. I have a few questions as I am not super familiar with construction/electrical things and I want to make the best decisions for installation (also my builder and his subs have never installed a downdraft system). So, my questions:

1. All I need to purchase for this is the Cattura and a blower (assuming HVAC guy will get duct work and electrician will take car of electrical components), correct?

2. My plan is to have the blower installed under the cabinet/floor (we will have a finished basement). Any reason to not keep it simple and take the duct work under the floor and exit it out the back wall of my kitchen to vent under my back deck flooring?

3. I should insist on 8" duct work, correct?

4. Which blower do I purchase (flex or direct)?

5. Anything I have missed?

Thank you for reading and responding.

So glad to have found this revived thread. We have purchased the 36” with 600 cfm blower and remote button. No one knows how to install it here so we are trying to be as knowledgeable as possible. Ive gathered that my granite fabricator should be cutting the cooktop hole the downdraft hole as one hole the depth of the cooktop plus downdraft not two- this begs the questions, what supports the back ledge of the cooktop? Our kitchen is on the second floor of our home so we put the 8” duct in the only joist space it could go due to plumbing/electrical in the others- we will need to vent out the side, make a 90 degree turn towards the back cabinet (in barstool area) where the blower will live, then a 90 degree turn down into the floor, and finally a 90 degree turn to the final 6’ run to the exterior vent. The only other option would be to change my kitchen layout and move the cooktop more centered in front of the barstool area then we could vent out the back into the blower and then turn down into the floor and turn to run to the exterior vent. Would love to hear thoughts from those who’ve installed these before. The photos provided above have been extremely helpful thank you.

See my post above, you have the same vent path out the side (into the cabinets in front of the barstool area like I did), then a 90 turn into the blower and then another 90 turn to continue out the side of the house. I made a 8" square box out of sheet metal with a hole on top and a hole on the side to make that transition inside the cabinet. A 90 degree elbow bend would have taken up too much vertical space to fit below the blower. This is also on a second floor, but our island is connected to the exterior wall. Let me know if you have any other questions.

So if I’m reading your post right- you vented out the side of the downdraft (yellow), the blower is red, your square box adapted is green allowing the first turn, then rhe blue is what I’m imagining you go over into the next cabinet where you can connect to the 8” that sits between the floor joists.

Can you explain how the back lip of the cooktop is supported since there’s no countertop there?

Did you install the remote button?

Thank you by the way- your photos are so very helpful.

Correct with one exception - the blue line doesn't return into the floor, it continues to the right out the side of the house. For you, depending on where you duct in the floor lies, you could just continue straight down from the blower into the floor to plug into that duct. We didn't do the remote, we just use the button on the side of the unit.

If I recall correctly I had a custom 19" x 2" rectangle-to- 8" round transition piece made by a local fabricator to make the connection to the side of the unit. I think you can order one from Best as well. Their documentation is very good.

Thanks so much for this terrific info! We’re remodeling and would prefer a wall oven under a cooktop for a variety of reasons but and are trying to keep the cabinet depth as tight as possible. It says the 30” downdraft is 2-1/2 deep — does it need more clearance in front or behind than that or is that it? I can’t find that info on the documentation. Also, it would likely be side vented straight to the outside. Does the blower make noise or only the downdraft itself? Ie Will we hear this if the vent is in use and someone is sitting outside next to where it exhausts? Really grateful for all the info!

This sketch is based on my research and reading and some mock up. Mine isn’t installed quite yet but we are close. As long as you have 2.5” in front of the unit that should be plenty. And that’s to the front of the countertop, not the front of the cabinet. Based on what I’ve learned, the blower makes the most noise. Make sure before you purchase your blower that you have enough space for the required vent size between your floor joists or wherever you’re running the vent- that was my limiting factor and I could not accommodate the larger vent required for the external blower; in fact it was a tight squish to get the vent for the in line.

Such helpful information, Ashley. Thank you!

Ashley or Jonah, you seem pretty knowledgeable on this unit. Can you please advise on preferred venting approach for a 48” range w Cattura downdraft on an

exterior wall under a window and over a crawl space? Could we just vent directly outside? That seems to easy. Thanks!

Depends on your code- IRC 2015 requires the outside vent be at least 3’ from a window I believe. You have to just dive into the cattura manuals and also thoroughly investigate your framing structures to know if and where you can run the vent. What size blower you want/need also plays into factor since that dictates the vent diameter.

For the best information please call the technical department for Best and speak with Chuck . He has been with company for 20 years. He always recommends the PF6 blower which is far superior to other blowers. He has helped me with my project which is being installed currently.

Yes! We loved ours. I just wrote a response on another thread about our experience: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5535995/wanted-honest-reviews-of-best-downdraft-ventilation-units

Thank you so much this is so helpful. I am renovating a kitchen and have a question on the downdraft. Really want to move the induction cooktop to the center island. I have nowhere to vent out without major reconstruction that I just can’t add to the to do list. Does this brand offer any charcoal or any method that is effective although I understand less effective without venting outside?

We do all of our heavy frying and cooking outdoors on the gas grill.

They do offer a recirculation kit, I believe it uses the toe kick.

We’re really stumped as
to where to install the control. It’s separate but not a remote.

The remote up down button? ypu coild put it insode a cabinet. I had a flase front below my cooktop so made that into a flip out and hid the button in there

We installed ours right next to the downdraft itself. You can see it on the right side in the photo I uploaded earlier.

Thank you all SO MUCH for the detail in this thread, it is an absolute lifesaver. Does anyone have experience with getting the Best Cattura serviced, and does it require removing the oven in front of it, if you have one there? That seems like a pretty significant disadvantage, although probably still worth it considering the space saving this allows. Much appreciated!

I have beeded to have it serviced- our original one was slightly bowed and has a very slight squak going up and down, customer service was outstanding and they replaced the entire unit. Yes they did remove the cooktop but that is a very easy thing.

Worst decision I made in my entire remodel. Downdraft is virtually worthless on 2 lowest settings and almost always needs to be run on high. Even at that, completely worthless for anything cooking on front burners, forces all your cooking to just the 2 back burners. Then, even on the back burners, and on highest setting, so much goes above the vent and out into the room, you have to cook with lids and constantly work to catch smoke and steam. My advise, extremely costly vent solution that provides extremely poor performance. In addition, you have to clean after every use and really difficult to clean efficiently. It looks cool but such a huge dissapointment.

@Kara Barkley, I'm also tryin to installation 48" cookto 48"

I have the 48" in an island with a 48" Capital Culinarian gas (propane) range. It performs well in all but the most extreme conditions. I have tried other venting solutions and this is the first time I have one that works! I was advised that it would not work with a restaurant-style range, but found an installer quite knowledgeable about airflow and had him work with Best to find the best possible configuration for the duct work. It paid off!