This should have all been thought out before the hood cover was ppalnned I will say wood hoods IMO are a really poor choice even for a proper vented system. They get grubby and they change color over time from grease and steam . With a recirculating hood this will just happen faster. Why can’t you vent outside?

Cost primarily. It would require major rework of existing plumbing and electrical to work in ducts to the outside. My only other option is another over-the-range microwave or a plain, under cabinet recirculating vent. I was hoping to make the wood hood work for aesthetic purposes.

You have to have a place for the recirculated air to come out. That’s a duct to somewhere. This is a mechanical routing issue. And if you can duct to the laundry room, surely you can duct to the exterior.

@User - I *can* duct outside but the cost is far out of our budget based on all of the reworking that would have to be done. So if we can't figure out an economical solution to the recirculating vent, I'll have to do another over-the-range microwave, or an under-cabinet recirculating vent.

Or you have duct grates in the wood hood. Even your OTR or undercabinet hood has to plan for a place for the air that enters to leave. That’s physics. Air won’t enter without an exit. Look at a blocked straw. Both ends have to be open.

@User - I understand air needs to exit. The recirculating kits on the under cabinet vents allow the air to escape back down toward the range top. What I'm wondering is if a product exists similar to this for a hood insert.

It’s custom site created. Most people with those nice 4-7K wood hoods don’t want them to get nasty greasy and lose their finish from repeat scrubbing of that.

Ventilation is important. Ventilation isn’t recirculation.

Talk to more HVAC companies.

No offense to anyone, but I am in the same situation. I am looking for a recirculating stove fan that has a wooden hood. If there is not a product out there, then say so. Its time to build one people can use. I will ask one more time. Is there a recirculating stove fan that can be incerted into a wooden hood and pass inspection? yes or no. If yes, where can I find one. No more double talk.

Recirculating means that the air moves through the vent, to be ducted back into the room. It recirculates through the kitchen, instead of exiting it. It does not mean "ductless". There are plenty of inserts that can be ducted to a grate that is internal to the home. That could be over the hoot, with the top open, in the face of the hood, with a grate, or behind the hood, into another room.

@Tom Smyth just get a stainless steel recirculating hood and save yourself the grief of trying to MacGyver a recirculating hood into a wood cabinet surround. Even if you custom build something, the wood surround will get dirty in no time due to the recirculation of the smoke and grease. Meanwhile, a stainless steel hood is wipe-and-go.

Yes, hoodsly sells wood hoods with vent slots in them- they are customizable. you can put a recirculating vent in it.