Having lived without a hood for some 30 yrs of cooking in apartment kitchens, I can tell you that on an average stove, no you don't really NEED to have a hood, even if you're going to stir-fry. But note that my apt kitchens were closed-off plans. I also put a regular window fan up to help get rid of the worst odors and steam, and pretty much had to replace it every 3 yrs or so, because the grease gunked it up to the disgusting point. I live now in a small cottage with an open-floor plan. A hood proved essential, because in an open plan smells really do go everywhere. The ductless hood is better than nothing, but be prepared to clean it out regularly. Good luck and I sincerely hope there is a true ducted hood someday in your future!

leel.....glad to get your feedback on the induction. Thanks! As for me, I certainly wouldn't mind having to buy a new pan or 2 for the new oven. :-) gsciencechick....thanks for the pots and pans suggestions and the confirmation about induction. I'm ready to be done with gas (although I love the way it cooks) because it's just so dirty to keep clean. muskokascp.....I HEAR you!!! Whatever happened to the days when we just went to the store and asked the opinion of the saleman or perhaps picked out a unit because of style or color? These days we almost have too much info, and it can become crippling, honestly. At some point I just need to make a decision. davidro1.....I love your 'final answer' comment. I WISH!!!! Although I certainly know a lot more than I knew before, I still have questions. But today at the appliance store helped clear up some things. (Meaning that they don't know anything either and I can basically do whatever I want). The inspector on our job (both HVAC and electrical) don't know anything about MUA and can't advise us what we should get. So I just told them I'd get something that wasn't too powerful, and they seemed fine with that. They told us to adhere to the recommendations in the manual that comes with the hood. I swear!!! It's not rocket science.....why is it that nobody knows about this technology?

gemini16, As mentioned above, a "squirrel cage blower works fine for powerful and (relatively) quiet ventilation... a 600cfm internal blower with a squirrel cage and it kicks butt. You are always going to have noise from air movement, no matter where the blower is located... " Just to go back to basics : -- all hoods at a cost higher than the low-end of the market have centrifugal (squirrel cage) blowers. They do a better job than blade fans and are quieter too. -- all air moving makes some noise. Breathe in and out slowly making as little noise as possible and you can still hear "something". In the range of 250 to 400 CFM you may not find baffle filters are quieter than mesh. There are also Other advantages to mesh filters in this range of CFM. At high end of the CFM range, baffles are clearly best. "If i want to vent outside, do I need to purchase an external blower?" - NO, all blowers can send air outside. Some blowers are in-line, halfway between your hood and the outdoors. Most blowers are in the hood. Some blowers can be outdoors ("external") but this is not required in any way. HTH -David

So much discussion here! I looked into a kitchen designer. That does not seem to exist around here. But I will keep looking. I did talk to a business about 60 miles away, but they were only interested in selling me everything they had. No specific design services. Yes, I have become the GC for sure. I have a whole project workflow that I put together based on research. I hear you, I probably shouldn't have to do all this, but its what I have to do. @jhmarie, this is how we roll. Cabinet maker is an hour and a half away from me. He is Amish, so when all the cabinets are made I will have to pick everything up, and bring his crew over with all their tools. Going this route is a choice I made after looking at the New Point and whatever cabinets offered from a distribution center an hour away. Thanks for the info, but I should be good. Amish guy had no issues with the hood after I took it over and we talked things through. And yes, the insert is needed for sure. Broan literature has that all over the warnings. @Sophie, good info on the fire hazard, I did run across such warnings in the Broan literature and through a few other websites. Amish guy does seem to have a good grasp on the codes involved. @The Cook's Kitchen. Good advice. I got the smartest one for sure, he seems very confident in the plan, and is very helpful. As mentioned a few times, he is not a kitchen designer though. Shared