Recommendation for an alternative to a downdraft range

5 years ago

We are in the middle of a remodel, we have an island where we need to put our range. We previously had a Jenn-Air slide-in downdraft electric range. I have had on order for five months a KitchenAid slide-in dual fuel downdraft range. I feel like I don't have any other choices, which is why I'm asking. A ceiling mounted hood is not an option at this point. Apparently COVID has put a huge backlog on some appliances and parts etc.. I'm starting to get concerned I won't have a range for Thanksgiving.

Does anyone know of a viable option?

Featured Answer

Shannon_WI

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Dan1888 - that is a small pot of a small amount of steaming water. So the mist of water vapor from the tiny amount of boiling water goes toward the downdraft. What happens when you are frying hamburgers, steak, fish, bacon, stir-frying vegetables, sautéing onions, and all the other usual cooking tasks? Where does the grease go. Where does heavy smokey smoke go?

That video is not a true depiction of how that downdraft will work generally, and is designed to take in people who don't think it through.

To the OP - since you are doing a remodel, you have flexibility of kitchen layout. As mentioned, your life will be easier if you design your kitchen so that the cooktop is not in the island, but along the perimeter. In that location, there are many more choices of good hoods, less expensive installation, and you don't need to worry that grease and steam are hitting people who might be sitting or standing around the island. Plus an island works really well when it is an uninterrupted expanse of counter - you can prep on it, you can serve buffet style, you can do homework on it, or just hang out the way you can't when a cooktop is there.

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Comments (12)

Juli
5 years ago
We installed a ventless Futuro brand range hood when we remodeled our kitchen. We put in an induction cooktop. It works great, just need to change out filters. I think the downdrafts can pull too much heat off the cooktop.
Juli
5 years ago
I mean the hood works great and we need to just change out the filters. The induction cooktop is amazing!
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dan1888
5 years ago
The Best Cattura downdraft vent could work with a Bosch or Frigidaire slide-in. Induction is a thousand times faster than your electric. And cleanup is paper towel and a spritz of any cleaner.

Not quite as good as overhead.
User
5 years ago
You might as well not have any ventilation at all as have a surface mount downdraft. No ventilation wouldn't raise your expectations of something working. Either put in a standard range and do an overhead vent, or redesign more than that to get the cooking off of the island.
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Debbi Washburn
5 years ago
Since you mentioned you are in the middle of the remodel, I will assume your cabinets are ordered or already being installed so layout change is not an option. You also mentioned dual fuel so that means gas cooking surface. I have found that a downdraft that is centered on the cooking surface with a gas top really pulls alot of heat from your cooking and it will take much longer.

I do not have any experience, but the pop up models that rise behind the stove are supposed to work very well. Many posters have commented on it. That would be the direct I suggest you go explore.

Good luck! Hope you can be cooking for Thanksgiving!

PS a good old electric roaster ( $25 in Walmart or Target or Amazon ) makes an excellent turkey! I don't even use my oven anymore.
kaseki
5 years ago
Cooking plumes from hot cooking leave the pans at 0.6 to 1.2 m/s upward velocity depending on various factors such as whether hot gas combustion products are present. They have momentum that requires further energy to divert into a new direction. A 180-degree path change is out of the question for any vent one could tolerate the noise from. Even a 90-degree path change to a pop-up down draft unit, such as the Cattura, is not feasible except for that part of a plume that passes very close to the assembly's slot aperture. Air velocities into side hoods or slots fall rapidly with distance. This is why any food preparation organization or residence that wants to actually capture and contain cooking plumes uses an overhead hood having various parameters extensively discussed here and in other source documents.
Melissa Lawhon
5 years ago
We replaced a Jenn-Aire cooktop with a built-in down draft with the pop-up Jenn-Aire down draft and the induction cooktop so we could still use the downdraft vent. Love the induction cooktop but the Jenn-Aire pop-up vent has never been very good. When you push the button to raise it, it has a mind of its own and won't stay up half the time. It is also hard to keep clean.
Carolina R
Original Author
5 years ago
Many thanks to everyone who took the time to comment, looks like I have some options to think about.
Nanette Pastor-Hanna
5 years ago
Regarding backlog, we ordered our appliances a couple of months ago and they were delivered yesterday. If you have a commitment date, you should get them in time. Good luck! Can't wait to roast a turkey in my new oven!