You need to get a proper hood so maybe a bit more info as to why you needed downdraft before I need to see your kitchen for sure and IMO any electric stove sucks next to gas or induction coils or no coils .

You hire a HVAC pro to install a 10” duct over the cooking location, to go up and out, and to properly ventilate. Then you have your pick of effective proper overhead vents.

Is your current stove not placed on an exterior wall?

Don't rule out induction just yet. I switched to induction from a radiant cooktop last spring. I find there is less heat & splatter thrown about, so I don't feel a need to have the vent roaring overhead: low or medium setting works fine. You may not need a powerful vent system, if that helps your situation. Cast iron works great with induction! It's a joy to cook with my vintage cast iron on my new cooktop, & the clean up is a snap. The only issue I see is your aluminum pressure canner won't work. Perhaps a portable coil for your countertop would be worth getting. You could check your stainless pot bottoms with magnets to see if they'll work.

I have gas in one home and induction in the other... I slightly prefer cooking on gas, but it is a very slight preference, certainly not enough to drive an entire remodel. Stainless steel and cast iron both perform fine on induction, certainly better than they do on electric coil. You can replace an aluminum canner with one that is induction compatible for $120. There is no way I would let a few pans drive a remodel. I suspect you will be thrilled with induction once you have it.

As per your original question, there is no way to convert a downdraft to a hood, but you can install a new hood. If your range is on an exterior wall, you can typically vent through the wall, if not the remodel could get exponentially more expensive.

Good luck

The Jenn-Air JES1750FS is a drop-in downdraft but it's a radiant type which you don't like. Maybe it's time to bite the bullet, remove the drop-in range, and replace it with a freestanding induction range (example: Frigidaire GCRI3058AF). Induction ranges don't heat up like radiant or coil ranges do so there may be less need for venting.

• Remove drop-in range
• Drop-in to freestanding (turn off sound)

Yes, indeed, the stove is on an interior wall. It would be simple if it were on an exterior wall, but a remodel to move it is out of the question. I am very happy with the current placement of all appliances and sink and storage. The stove currently vents down and under the floor out to an exterior wall. I will seriously consider induction, just wish I could get it with down draft. I have checked my pans with a magnet, and not one pan I have works, other than my numerous cast iron pieces. All the comments (especially the links that show the process) give me a lot to think about. I have to keep some kind of exhaust as I occasionally make a batch of lye soap. I hadn't thought about a portable coil for countertop, but it would allow tea brewing in the 2 gallon pot and would accommodate the steel pressure cooker. I am not sure I would trust the large heavy pressure canner on it. I could always visit a friend to can! Guess I would find out who my real friends are.

We had a JennAir dual fuel range with down draft on an interior wall. Ours was replaced seven years ago with a gas Wolf. Our downdraft basically vented down into our basement and then out.

In the remodel we put in a standard Zephyr chimney hood that vents outside. We were lucky that it is only about a 5' run to get outside from the range's location. We made a 90 degree turn, cut the stucco on the main floor for a vent, and vented out the side wall of the house. This was not a whole kitchen remodel. We replaced countertops, range and vent only.

FWIW, I am in the process of remodeling a kitchen in our recently purchased second home. The existing range there is standard electric coil, and I despise it because of how long it takes to respond when turning up or down. There I have a new induction slide in waiting to be installed.

Best advertises that its Best D49M30BLS Cattura 30 Inch Convertible Downdraft Hood can be installed behind a range (e.g., induction) as shown on page 17 of the installation manual. Of course you'd have to allow for the depth of two appliances (range+hood) where there had previously been only one.

Thanks, everyone! I didn't know about telescoping downdrafts, which might be an option. I definitely want to do some more research on them. These are many good ideas brought up in your comments to have in mind when we talk with some professionals.

Best capture and containment requires an over cooktop hood. An interior wall installation that is not placed where a second floor duct chase can be used forces one to go between ceiling joists to the outside, or in some cases, within a soffit to the outside.

Even the best downdraft is pretty darn useless compared to just a economy level overhead hood. Capture area is more inportant than the amount of CFM. Downdrafts have ZERO capture area. Which is why they are about 15% as effective as an overhead vent.

Consider a telescope downdraft. in my previous home I went from a Jen Air to a thermadorr with a telescope connected to the path of ja.