WE have had a Samsung that vents 360 CFM and it has been great. It's been just over two years and no problems at all. (I believe that the particular model we have has been discontinued but I think there is an updates compararble one.) It can vent outside or recirculating, which might as well be.... Ours goes right out the back wall and the air can literally blow you away when it is on high. However it is noisy and we hate running it on high. Since we have virtually no exhaust pipe length, we almost never do run it on high. At the time we got it, we were replacing a vent hood that moved quite a bit of air and were concerned. The noise factor is the only difference. We gained so much counter space in return.I was also looking at a Panasonic that moved the same or a bit more air but could not find one locally to look at and will not buy anything sight unseen. Ours is stainless with a bit of black and came from Lowe's at a reasonable price. I'd have to look up the model, if you're interested....

I do not own one but did look at them briefly last year and they most certainly do vent to the outside. My recollection is that it vents out the top through a 3"x10" port but there are adapters for converting rectangular ducting to it to 6" round ducting if that is what you need to connect to. The extended vent does not stick out any more than your basic range hood. Go to a store and check out the display models. Last winter, they were on display at Home Depot and at Sears. Pop out the vent and see what you think. I do not know what you mean by asking if the GE Cafe will haveg "too much" fire power for an OTR. Do you mean will an OTR violate safety codes when one of the stove burners is rated for 20K-btu-hr gas consumption? The answer to that is no. There are no specific building codes for this. Heck, GE sells a matching Cafe OTR MW for use with your stove and it only covers the back 15" of the stove. The LG extends out to 22 inches (I think) and that at least gets it halfway over the front burners. Did you mean, will the LG be unsatisfactory? That's pretty subjective. Compared to what? If you mean compared to your exiting "traditional" range hood -- many basic models being rated at 160 cfm --- the LG will probably seem like a real improvement. Are you planning to run very-high temperature wokking on the GE's 20k-btu-hr burner? Maybe getting cast iron pans red-hot and searing steaks or burgers, generating lots of grease and smoke? Then, you'll probably see yourself overwhelming the LG and needing to open windows to keep up with smoke and steam and etc. Something less than these extremes? It may work okay. If you mean will everybody here be impressed with its performance? Obviously, not. (Perhaps you've done a search and are hoping somebody here will contradict all the past information posted here? Ain't gonna happen.) But the LG may be adequate. Might not be. Depends on you personal standards. Many threads here will explain why an OTR is not ideal and others will discuss why and how it can be serviceable. There have been four or five such discussions that I can recall within the last three or four months. Off the top of my head, Nunyabiz has posted photos and discussed using his LG with an NXR pro-style range. Luv2putt has likewise posted and discussed using one with his Viking induction range. There are other postings on this. If you have not done a search -- try terms like LG + OTR --- then doing so will turn up a lot of useful info for you. If you did not do a search because you thought that that there might be something so truly special and unique about the GE Cafe that past discussions won't have any application to your situation, you are missing out on a lot of help. The basic thing is this: a basic range hood (venting to outside) is better than nothing; a 400 CFM Otr will do a better job; better still will be a range hood that has an actual hood (as opposed to a flat base); better yet will be a 36" wide, deep hood; and better still will be a range hood that is an actual hood, with a generous capture area and which projects out at least 24" from the wall. Ideally, you add up the max BTU-hr draw of all the stove's burners and get a fan rated to draw 1 CFM per 100 Btu-Hrs. But, you work with the kitchen space and budget you have.

A real hood, mounted under-cabinet, will surely be better than an OTR microwave oven attempting to perform kitchen ventilation. A real hood rated at 400 CFM, and not too restricted by the house's ability to provide MUA, given short duct to outside without too many bends, might flow 250 - 300 CFM. I am confidant that any microwave oven claimed to be 400 CFM is actually just a 400 CFM in open air fan buried in the MW's tortuous duct path. I'd be surprised if it could flow even 200 CFM net. Note that the 400 CFM MUA rule is for hoods ducted outside; if a filtered (surely) recirculating hood were used, there is no MUA issue. VaH make an expensive but reportedly adequate for real cooking ARS recirculating hood. It might not fit your circumstances. ralph_zone8_ncwrote: "I agree the microvisor is just an eyebrow but wouldn't it block the air from going up to the ceiling and surrounding cabinets and if I turn the vent of the microwave to pull air, wouldnt it be able to capture some of the air?" With respect to eyebrow capture, it will (temporarily*) capture any part of the cooking plumes that strike it. However, they will reflect out again into the room if the blower flow rate is not high enough. Flow rate needed to assure successful capture and containment depends on the temperature of the grease being vaporized and the area over which the grease plume is being generated and whether combustion products are entrained. I recommend for most a value of 90 ft/min under the entire hood aperture when cooking with gas. This corresponds to 90 CFM per square foot of aperture. The value 60 may suffice if an induction cooktop is being used. But please note from the Figure 4 table on page 9 of Greenheck's guide -- your needed (or at least recommended) flow rate (CFM) may vary. http://www.greenheck.com/media/pdf/otherinfo/KVSApplDesign_catalog.pdf ----- *Because this eyebrow has minimal depth, the blower flow rate in its vicinity will be less than the average over the capture area. Reflection, at least of hot grease vapor may be insurmountable with a microwave oven fan system. Water vapor might be adequately dealt with if it makes it that high.

I know this is an old post but I'm so glad I found it. Your kitchens are all beautiful. I'm hoping that I can get some updates or reliability from all the original posters from a year ago. Do you still like the brand of OTR micro that you chose? Would you buy it again? Any unexpected problems with handles, noise, heat? My new kitchen will have three 33" upper and lower cabinets, a sink cabinet and a corner super Susan. It's smaller than many kitchens I've seen and loved on this site but it's mine and I'm ecstatic that it will be new and the old almond Formica with wood trim from the 80's will be gone. I understand the various issues connected to an OTR microwave but have decided NOT to give up any counter or cabinet space for it. Only the Tassimo coffee maker and toaster oven will be on the counter. When space is at a premium choices have to be made. I need and will really appreciate 'GW GUIDANCE' on finding the best OTR microwave that can vent to the outside.