Check out the hoods on the Costco website. Very good deals! If you can, try to get a hood with baffle filters, not mesh filters. Even if the hood with baffle filters costs an extra $100-150, it's worth it in the long run. The problem with mesh filters is that they quickly become clogged with grease, and impede the hood from exhausting well unless you are scrupulous about cleaning the mesh filters very frequently. Of course, baffle filters will need to be cleaned too, but not nearly as often because grease in the baffles will not impede air flow.

Thank you. I will look into that.

So brands dont actually matter that much when not dealing with a pro or pro style range?

Any difference in brands in the $500-800 range?

Things that matter (but how much is an individual preference)

• size of the hood

• quality of the steel (alloy used)

• thickness of the steel

• quality of the welds

• quality of the bends

• (exterior appearance can be ignored for cabinet inserts)

• polish

• baffles vs. mesh filtering

• baffle or mesh noise

• baffle or mesh pressure loss

• motor noise

• blade tip turbulence noise

• hood transition noise and pressure loss

• flow rate as a function of pressure across the blower (fan curve)

• fan speed control

• lighting and lighting control

Hood selection is in some ways similar to automobile selection. At one extreme, the automobile is only an appliance, and has to keep one comfortable, dry and reasonably safe during transport. The buyer will tend to not care about details such as suspension design or valve train configuration. The buyer may care about fuel and repair economy.

At the other extreme, the automobile is considered an object to interact with as it is driven, requiring several dimensions of performance that must be agonized over by the buyer to optimize cost vs. benefit. The buyer understands that, for example, safety is intimately connected with the interaction of the driver's inputs and the automobile's reactions.

Aesthetics may or may not be considerations in each case, but will be expected to add cost.

Many of the details important to the hood "driver" may be found in other hood topics on this forum. One has to expect that a demand for excellent capture and containment of the cooking plume while still achieving low noise will mean added costs, in some cases greater than that of the range or cooktop that the hood is to be used with.

For a given level of performance, costs may be reduced if an insert is used inside a cabinet front instead of exposing a mass of brushed stainless steel.

kas

Having gone cheap (due to low budget, i.e. no money), in the end it was money wasted. If you possibly can, buy a really good hood. You'll be much happier.

Thanks. Some of the very neat things are just our of my range. Ive upped the budget to the $700s so hopefully some options will improve. But a VAH wont ever be in this current house as it simply doesnt make sense for my budget or the neighborhood.

Can the take away be i dont need the Daewood or thr Aston Martin of the vent wordl, but can live comfortably with a Ford?

Leo, the Ancona wall hoods sold at Costco, with baffle filters, have great reviews. Read them for yourself.

The only thing I don't like about them is that they are only 20" deep (front-to-back). It would be great to be 24" deep, to ensure coverage of the front burners, but at your price range, it will be difficult to find 24" deep ones. Given what Costco sells these hoods at--with their baffle filters (cost more than mesh filters), longer warranties, and commercial-grade SS--a compromise for the price has to come somewhere.

I am assuming you are looking at the 30" width.

Ancona Canopy Hood with baffle filters, 430 grade SS, 775 cfms - a "Pro Look"

Ancona Elite Hood with baffle filters, 430 grade SS, 630 cfms

Im looking at 36" for my range since i wont have any side cabs to help "guide" steam, oil, smoke etc, up.

Thanks for the link.