I use the rule of thumb of 100-CFM per 1,000-BTU. Adding up all your burners you can have a potential output of roughly 90,000-BTU's. What you will need is a 900-CFM blower system for your hood. Consider going higher if you have an extremely long duct run or if the range is installed in an island. If your appliance dealer is suggesting using something with less power have them justify it and then back it writing if it proves to be less than adequate. What I find interesting is from the Jenn-Air full line catalog the glossary section page 194. There is a contradiction in what they offer in a 36" wide pro-style hood at 600-CFM and what the say in the back of the book. Here is the direct quote: "1,200 CFM Dual High-Performance Blower Dual centrifugal blower design allows the ventilation system motor to operate at up to 1,200 CFM to meet the demand of high output gas burners over 20,000 BTUs." I guess it goes back to what our parents often said. "Do as I say; not as I do." Good luck with your kitchen. Here is a link that might be useful: Jenn-Air Full Line Catalog

I have a 1000cfm remote blower on the roof about six feet away from my hood. Can I hear it? Yes. Is it as loud as if the blower was in the hood? No. ...so I guess that translates to "as quiet as possible" and "I can still hear the thing because it's not far away"

Good review. Thank you! This is a big thing: ".... if you do opt for a weaker (blower/ fan/ motor/ in your) hood, be certain this hood provides a decent catchment area over your stove, ..." Fluid flow : : a batch of heated air rises fast; steam rises fast, and faster than heated air (because each H2O molecule is far lighter than O2, N2 and CO2 molecules) : steamy air, grease-particle air, smoke or whatever, it all needs to be captured. : once it occupies the volume of the catchment basin, it overflows. Same as a fishtank, pot, bathtub, swimming pool, etc, except everything is turned upside down. : lighter air HAS to rise. Gravity. This isn't "defying" gravity. : air is not compressible. (Unless in a closed system and force is applied) : lighter air, carrying smoke and microscopic grease specks, will overflow the catchment volume and spread throughout the next bigger volume (kitchen or house). -- unless your blower is pulling enough air to match the new air rising. Lessons learned: 1/ wok slow. Add new material bit by bit. Wokking slowly will avoid overflowing your catchment volume in your hood. 2/ a hood designed to look good without any catchment volume at all, is a hood designed primarily to look good: it needs to pull a huge flow of air to be able to catch a portion of the steamy greasy air that will slide past the flat surface and continue upwards to the kitchen ceiling and house. 3/ manufacturers and buyers don't think much about how they will bring new air inside the house. We must face the physical fact that every molecule sucked out of the house needs to be replaced. New air. Air is not compressible or expandable (unless pressurized). To me, principles at play are not close to those for light reflection. Fluid flow reminds me of drain plumbing because draining water means moving (displacing) an equal volume of air as the water moves downhill, and then bringing an equal volume of air from the other side to replace the volume left empty as the water moves farther downhill. "Venting in drains" is the hardest thing to understand, for most homeowners and renovators. DWV. After a few more years of screaming about the need for a systematic approach to providing new air to replace the air lost out the exhaust duct, we may see more solutions being packaged and promoted. How about a tube column of forced fresh air rising from a groove encircling the cooktop? It makes a curtain going from the countertop groove to the exhaust catchment basin. This, in an island cooktop, would contain the air rising from the wok, if the groove circled the entire cooktop, 360 degrees all around it. An air curtain which is going straight to the exhaust does not have to be conditioned air. Its humidity and temperature can be neglected, since this air is being sent to the catchment and exhausted forthwith. hth

Whidbey - this is great! Great pictures and I really like the design that you went with. The original looked a little squished and your final design is nice and balanced - how big is the entire thing? Did you go with the 42in vent? Very nice! Remodelfla, thanks for the feedback, I know what you mean about the corbels  I go back and forth on that a lot. Janeincolorado, I hope this is helpful. For some reason, I have had a hard time finding much in the way of hood design discussions, at least about what I want specifically. Especially, what components are used to create the entire hood (this is confusing to me  like a big expensive puzzle). Anyway, I will try to find a link to the beefy one. It was a really great blog written by a guy trying to do his kitchen for less than $10k and he built the hood and other cabs himself. My problem with that hood is that he left it open and plain above and mounted a TV there (looks nice for his, but not for me). But that mantle he built is just beautiful. Rosie, thank you for the A&C perspective- you really seem to know what you are talking about and I love how you point out the masculinity needed for the style. It is always such a help to me to have the words to describe. The house is new construction (weÂve just set the loan closing date for this Friday  Eek!), so we donÂt yet have a space to mock it up. That would definitely help and IÂll be sure to do it before making any final orders. The 54in allows for a 4in window casing (and, yes, that is one thing I almost forgot to consider, luckily it dawned on me one day when I was looking into trim design  phew!). And thanks for the suggestions, IÂm trying to imagine what you describe  do you have any pictures? Cotehele, I feel your pain. I am really agonizing over this too. Most of what I see here and everywhere, though beautiful, just doesnÂt feel right to/for me. And it is such a pricey piece! I think I will upload some more photos later (canÂt see or get to photobucket at work) and start a new thread with hood inspiration photos since there seem to be several of us looking for ideas.