Vent A Hood...We love ours. Does a great job containing odors, grease, etc., and is ever so quiet, even on high. It’s easy to clean, too.

Love my Kobe range hoods. Do check your local codes, if you will be pulling permits. Anything over 400 CFM (I think 500 for some, if no fireplace etc) requires make-up air, which is insanely expensive.

Is it possible to have a high CFM and be quiet?

Your ductwork has the biggest effect on hood noise. If the duct going from the hood to the outside is too small you will have more noise and less efficiency. That is why 2 people will have the same hood, but it is noisier for one than for the other - the ducts' sizes are different. What is the diameter of the duct that will go from your hood to the outside? A good hood will require an 8" or 10" diameter duct.

Try to get a hood with baffle filters not mesh (the mesh ones get clogged with grease easily which blocks the exhaust). Try not to get a flat hood, despite how cool they look. They don't exhaust as well as a canopy-shaped hood. If you are going to spend all that money on a hood, you should get one that works rather than just for looks.

Regarding Vent-a-Hood mentioned above. Pretty much everyone agrees it's a very good hood. However, many people feel it is harder to clean than a hood that has baffle filters that just come down and get put in the dishwasher. The Vent-a-Hood has a box casing that has to come off and that casing has sharp edges and nooks and crannies to clean. The wheel of the blower also gets greasy and that is harder to remove and clean. Make sure you see this hood in a showroom, and have the salesperson show you how it comes apart to be cleaned.

Thanks for all the info. I looked up the Vent-A-Hood. They are pricier but my coworker said she has gone through three hood fans recently under $1000 each and thinks its worth to spend the extra.

I think our duct is about 6" wide but goes directly through the wall outside so is short. I will have to take a look tonight. Unfortuneatly, I don't think we can change this now.

On the plus side, I do like the looks of the chimney style.