Range hood choice

[nisryus]

So the used range hood I installed into the new house had died on me last night. It was given to us free from my in-laws, knowing them I never had much hope/expectiation on it.

.... now I can finally search for a real range hood!

A few of friends have Sakura, Pacific and Pac Air. The family who has a Pacific hood didn't like it and said the auto-self cleaning is a gimmick. So that brand is off the list.

The Sakura model I like is the U2 http://www.sakurausa.com/prodU2F.htm as it has the depth to cover all four burners then other models or brands like Pacific and Pac Air.

I have also looked at Vent-a-hood too but can't find anywhere that has a price list on their under cabinet models.

On Amazon.com I see a lot of cheaper options like Kobe, AKDY and even Ancona, which Costco sells online. But I am not too sure about their quality.

Anyone has experience or suggestions with 600 cfm+ range hood? Thanks!

 

[NutBucket]

Get the vent-a-hood. Figure you'll be spending at least $500 for it. The Asian brands don't impress me. Those mesh grease traps are also gimmicky.

I think 600cfm means you'll get dual motors and should have an 8" vent.

 

[Zivic]

true 600cfm is a lot of air and technically will likely require an air return make up if it's pulling anywhere near that. I have a PY30242 vent a hood rated at 550cfm and it will suck my air out of my 2700 sqft house in a matter of about 2-3 minutes without cracking a window. We have an 8" vent going straight out the wall for it. it's no joke..

the asian brands aren't pulling near 600cfm... you will need a reputable brand like vent-a-hood or modern aire (the two I looked at for my remodel) to actually get decent flow.

make sure you one up the size from the range. I have a 36" range, 42" hood.
I actually took a chance and bought off ebay from seller kitchenfoundry. he has quite a few hoods listed so you can get an idea on price. good seller, callled him on the phone before purchasing and he spent quite a few minutes on the phone discussing my concerns. I was looking at spending 3500+ on a modern aire unit before finding his listing and paid $1650 with shipping... saved me about 2 grand. My unit was a brand new, but previous gen model that the fluorescent light vs the new models with halogens. the light was the only difference. for the significant price savings it was well worth it . Easily the best value item I bought for my remodel (even 2 yrs later in hindsight) . install was pretty serious considering the monster 8" vent pipe needed.

pic of mine shortly after installing and closing up the ceiling

here's the hole in the ceiling prepping for install:

and my old vent hood....

 

[RagingBITCH]

We have a Zephyr ZAN-M90BS we just bought for our kitchen reno. Rated at max 600CFM. It is a beast and sucks all the air (and smell) out with no issues.

 

[NutBucket]

Nice looking remodel Zivic.

 

[Aikouka]

Out of curiosity, what would you say is the minimum CFM to get good steam/smoke/smell removal?

 

[nisryus]

Wow. Very nice remodeling there Zivic.

Mine will be under the cabinet type hood. The budget will be below $700 as we are also planning on a trip to Hong Kong and China this coming month (in-laws going so I can't say no.... =/) Therefore, I am kind of limited to the Chinese brand or cheaper brands listed on Amazon.

Oh, I just visited a Vent-a-Hood at Burnet Rd in Austin and the lowest priced one is $899, so yeah that was a no.

That Zephyr ZAN-M90BS does looks very nice though!

Oh Aikouka, my parents used to have a Sakura R767 and with the high speed setting when they stir-fry I couldn't smell anything when I walked into the kitchen. Now The sales guy told them it was 700 ish CFM, and Sakura site doesn't lists the CFM...