houses14, my Imperial range hood is not an insert, rather an under cabinet ss hood. However, the materials used, and the quality of construction, the fan motors, are the same with minor variances to allow for space restrictions within the smaller size of my hood. Construction wise, it is all that I had hoped for, was easy to install, and has functioned beautifully. Packaging and shipping were excellent. The ss is marine grade. This means that the amount of chromium in the ss will prevent rust from forming in the interior of the hood over time. The electrician informed me that their fan motors and switches appeared to be top quality. The warranty for my hood is 7 years, which is almost unheard of in the industry. Their specifications and installation instructions are right on to allow for optimal operation. For example, my duct is 8" from hood to roof jack and had to have a certain rise in height from the hood before the first angle in the duct work. Baffles remove and reinstall easily for cleaning. It was a joy to call Imperial direct with technical questions at their manufacturing headquarters in California. Someone was always immediately available to answer my questions regarding their vent hoods or recommended installation. My installer was promptly referred to their engineer for technical assistance as I requested that the wiring that would automatically turn on my hood once a certain temperature below the hood was reached be disconnected as I did not want that feature. To me, having that level of service available when answers are needed means a great deal. I found that the folks at headquarters were always honest even if it wasn't the answer I wanted and that they knew their stuff. Their light and fan switches are continuously variable which is rare on vent hoods. This means that they both function like a rheostat with a continuous increase, or decrease, rather than clicking up or down discreet notches, such as level 1 to 4. Also, I liked having the option of installing the switches wherever I wanted remotely, rather than being mounted to the underside of the hood. The hood easily handles removal of odors, steam or grease beneath it's surface. I've found that if the hood is allowed to run for about 10 minutes prior to cooking that it can be operated at a lower level and do a good job. The hood on low is fairly quiet but is noisier than I had anticipated at higher levels with having dual fans and baffles. Also, highest cfm level is 1000 which is a factor. However, I used a different size led bulb than Imperial recommended. I now have a gap around the bulb that needs to be filled with a rubber gasket. Also, the temporary roof jack is too large, and the correct one is waiting to be installed so the jury is still out on the noise issue. Noise level was quite an issue for me, but even if it remains unchanged, I would still buy the same hood given how pleased I am with the overall operation and that I can easily live with the noise that I now have. I'll have to look up the name of the online vendor I used and will add that information tonight.

You need to check the specs and make sure that all of the wood is covered by metal if you choose a smaller insert. I don't think the Broan you're talking about here will do that. It's a fire hazard otherwise. Choosing a wood hood is never a cheap choice. $1200 honestly is not a bad price at all for an insert with the capabilities that you need. Then there's the 2-3K for the wood surround. And the ducting, if it's not in place. And the electrical work, and the time intensive work of the cabinet installer to make it all work together. By the time you add up all of those additional costs that you're not thinking about here, that little bit of difference between something that might do the job, and something that will do the job is negligible. If you want to go cheaper, do a stainless chimney hood or an old fashioned under cabinet stainless steel hood.

Nightowl: We seem to have missed this request of yours when you submitted it; usually more than one comment will be provided and the thread will linger long enough for more. If you still have questions, please comment below and I at least will put in my oar. kas

This could work, but there is more to it than just a hood in a box. You have to find out how are you going to mount them, how are you going to close off any gaps, how is it going to be ducted out of the house, and how do you access it for servicing later on. In a perfect world we like to select the appliance first, the mechanical vent portion, then build a cabinet to surround it. But as you’re saying we prefer to do that with an insert hood, not a decorative stainless type hood.