If that picture really reflects what you have, then I would be worried too. If the cabs on either side of your hood drop down close to the countertop, as the picture suggests, then you may have under 24'' of clearance from rangetop to bottom of cabinet. With a high output range that would seem to be an invitation to at least scorching of the cabinets, if not an all-out fire hazard.

If you've searched for hood vent discussions on this forum you've seen that there is a strong disapproval for hoods that are equal in width to the cooktop, let alone narrower than the cooktop! Even with a high cfm hood (and 680 cfm does not qualify in my mind as high), you may pull some of the hot convection current away from your side cabs, but there is direct radiant heat energy that is not affected at all by airstream which will heat your cabinets. That's independent of the smoke/grease/odor issues that an inadequately sized hood would cause, that you say don't worry you.

Why the compulsion to go with a 36'' range in a space designed for a 30''? You lose a couple burners of course but if that's what you have to work with that's a sensible option. Not to mention that a six burner Wolf would really require more than 680 cfm for decent ventilation.

Or, can you pull down your two flanking cabinets and replace them with narrower cabs? Or even just delete them altogether and mount a freestanding hood there?

You can get a 30" vent that has more CFMs than 680, but I agree with the previous poster that this installation is not a good idea.

If your side cabinets extend over your rangetop then you're in violation of the clearances in the installation specs for the rangetop and most likely fire code - there's a real risk that they could catch fire.

Are your cabinets already in place? If so, then you need to go with a 30" range or cooktop. If not, then plan for a 36" wide clearance for the upper cabinets. The hood itself can be smaller if that's what you really want, but the clearance of the upper side cabinets can't.

clinresga,
Thank you so much for your answer. You know, I wish I can give you a sensible answer for why I want to do this, but I can't come up with any, except for the fact that I really like the wolf model mentioned above (I like the griddle too). I can't change anything in the kitchen now; itÂs already installed and paid for. They're only waiting on my decision for the cooktop base cabinet.

But I think you're right. The right thing to do I guess is to go with is a 30". Except in this case I am not sure if I still should go with a pro rangetop, or just go with a regular cooktop.

I'm thinking the old 30" cooktop now, what do you think?

I've been changing my mind 3 to 4 times every day for the past 2 weeks. I'm going crazy.

I agree. If you want a 36" cooktop, you will need a hood AT LEAST 36" wide and preferably 42" wide. In that case you will need to remove some cabinets to make room for a hood of the required width.

Thanks evaperconti, weissman, for your answer. That idea is out of the window now I guess (IÂm upset, but I IÂll get over it). Now any suggestion for a 30" rangetop or cooktop that will work with what I have? :)

If it were me, I would not given up on your desire for a pro-style cooktop! Personally, I'd get a Bluestar RGTNB304BS 30'' rangetop and a good griddle pan (I like my All Clad). Sure it's only four burners, but one is the 22K kick-butt burner. And...realistically, the number of times I use more than four burners at once, excluding T-giving and Xmas, is certainly under a dozen per year. Even if you're using the grill pan, say for breakfast pancakes, that still leaves two burners for bacon and eggs!

Just be sure to get a major league hood, and if your hood surround is not yet in place, consider extending it out 3'' further to cover the front burners more completely. That doesn't completely make up for the narrow hood but it will help to some degree. If you're using a hood liner, I'd spec a unit from one of the companies that gets great reviews on GW: Prestige, Independent, Modern Aire to name a few. They will give you options to go with a remote blower or inline with much higher cfm ratings.

And remember, no matter how much money and space anyone has, there are always compromises. Gee, I really would love a Sully 1800 instead of the Cluny 1400 we got--but the 71'' width was just a bit over the top :-)

Live with what you have, but still look for stuff you love. That's the fun part.

Both BlueStar and Wolf make 30" rangetops. DCS only makes a 30" drop-in cooktop.

I am looking at the 30" Bluestar now. Looks good so far.

You might check out the Caldera SSK-305 gas cooktop. It's 30" and has an 18 btu fifth burner in the center (no griddle, however the idea of a good griddle pan makes sense to me). It has gotten great reviews here and I decided on the 36" version over the Wolf after seeing it in person. Very sturdy (I cook with a lot of old cast iron and like something with "heft") and also quite inexpensive compared to Wolf.

That said, I totally sympathize with the feeling of going crazy over a kitchen. I am still in the planning stages but totally manic about it. Finding a balance between what you want and what fits is tough. Just this weekend I decided to compromise with a downdraft vent instead of an overhead hood because of space and layout issues. I know it's not the best, but I don't fry or sear very often and have never in my life had all the burners going at once. I'm now wondering if I need the extra 3" on either side of a downdraft like they recommend for hoods... if so, I may end up with the 30" Caldera as the Thermador downdraft I think I want doesn't come in 42", only 36." Sigh...