Moraflauta: For the Broan MUA systems, have a look at these links: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg010822599493.html?6 http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg0313214523464.html?40 The second link is titled "Braun" but they meant "Broan." For finding contractors, I'd start with my local government's building department/code enforcers and find out if they've ever inspected any kitchen hood MUA systems -- if so, ask who did the work. Also, I would try calling any local retailers who sell higher-capacity range hoods (if anybody local sells them). Also, there have been discussions here at GW where folks have owned-up to using exterior-venting 400 cfm OTRs with pro-style ranges. Heck, if your stove is against an exterior wall, you could even vent the existing OTR and work with that for a while. Almost any overhead vent-set-up will do a better job than the downdraft and recirculating vents you now have. A 400 CFM hood would be better, even if not as good as the venting could be. We have to work within our budgetary, spatial and architectural constraints, Wekick: Specifically I would love it to go low enough to -hold an 8 qt pot of mashed potatoes in enameled cast iron. Can you do that with your Wolf range? I've done that with induction but very low gas flames seem a little too concentrated to evenly heat the cast iron base on my LC enameled CI when I've got mashed potatoes in them. Of course, the burners will do the stupid melt-chocolate-on-a-paper-plate trick and I haven't needed a double boiler for years even with my previous GE DF range. Holding mashed potatoes on a gas stove-top is the one task for which I've needed a dispersion plate/disk/flame tamer. Todd or any of you folks with a BS or AR have any better luck with the star-shaped open burners on your ranges? Maybe I just don't put enough butter and cream in my mashed potatoes? ;>) This post was edited by JWVideo on Tue, Feb 4, 14 at 16:23

While Aprince's advice to go to a store to listen to a few is OK, the reality is that the stores usually don't have many connected, and there is so much other noise in an appliance store you won't be able to tell much. Also, your home's ductwork will be different, which will have an effect on the noise level. BTW, I am assuming you are having ductwork. If you are doing a recirculating hood, then my following paragraph on ductwork is irrelevant to you. But if you DO have ductwork, check what is its diameter. If it is, e.g. 6" diameter, that will make your selection easier because it limits your choices, as most (but not all) 600 cfm hoods need 8" diameter duct. If you will be installing new ductwork, make sure the contractor installs an 8" duct, and don't let him tell you that 6" is OK, or try to sneak 6" by you. Stand firm on the 8". Smaller ducts increase noise. Many complaints about noisy hoods are actually related to a too-small duct. Try to get a hood with baffle filters, not mesh. Mesh filters clog fairly quickly, and thereby lose efficiency until you put them in the DW. Baffle filters get just as dirty of course, but don't lose efficiency as they get coated with grease. Restaurant hoods only use baffle filters. My final advice is to try to get the deepest hood you can. Since I am sure you will be limited to a 30" width hood over your 30" Bluestar range, try to buy a hood that is closer to 27" deep (i.e. front to back) if possible, and if within your budget. At the very least don't go shallower than 24". You will find lower-priced hoods that are less than 24" deep, which will not provide enough capture area over your range. The 27" deep ones, while better, are harder to find, and more expensive. So you have some shopping to do! Definitely do searches on this forum about hood brands. Don't forget eBay. Many people on this forum have gotten wonderful deals on hoods there.

Several points: 1) Higher cfm will not make up entirely for decreased capture area. I think of blower performance as what determines how quickly smoke etc. that has been captured by the hood can be evacuated. Inadequate cfm means the hood will not clear fast enough to "make room" for incoming smoke, thus leading to spillover. However, an overly small capture area means that some smoke will never enter the hood at all. Remember that smoke diffuses laterally as it rises, and that is compounded if there is any cross-current of room air. As a first approximation, smoke that drifts laterally beyond the edge of your hood is lost no matter how high the cfm rating is. Kind of like trying to go faster on an icy road by installing a bigger engine, when the limiting factor is the spinning tires. Re haus proud's comments: all of the major hood manufacturers other than VAH allow remote blower installation. In the case of the OP, though, it sounds like he/she is venting through a side wall. That eliminates possibility of using a blower mounted inside. Only remote option would be to mount an external fan on the side of the house, which on the first floor of a house would look pretty weird. "Air intake surface covering entire underside of hood"? Isn't that all of them, except for some of the "Euro-style" hoods that have a flat piece of glass extending beyond the edges of the hood? Otherwise, the entire underside of any hood is "capture area." However, that is not related to airflow noise. That is almost all generated at the actual point where the ducting connects to the hood. "Forcing" the air through the much narrower diameter duct causes acceleration and turbulence, thus the noise. And remember that the largest duct in any standard hood is 10'', so that's pretty much fixed independent of brand. weissman: my experience differs somewhat. I have a 42'' 600 cfm VAH over a 36'' Dacor cooktop. I clearly get spillover. May reflect how I cook: I love to sear (favorite salmon recipe involves preheating dry pan on max heat for 4 minutes then dumping in fish). I'm hoping the new hood with 1200 cfm remote blower will do better over the Lacanche, and if I could, I would choose a different hood with higher cfm over the Dacor as well. Agree totally that increasing the depth from standard 24'' to 27'', or at least mounting the hood out an extra 3'' or so will partially compensate for the narrow width. amysrq: re choice of hoods--all the companies you name are good choices. As always I'll throw in a plug for Modern-Aire (Modern-Aire) with whom I've had an excellent experience. I know others have liked Metallo Arts for really wild, over the top designs. Any of these companies would make a good hood for you. I think it's more of a design decision: find one you like the looks of and you should do fine.

The extraction efficiency will be much better if installing the hood just 30" above the cooking surface as opposed to 36". If you're "only" 6' tall, don't worry, you won't bang your head against the hood. The 6" difference between the hood bottom and top of the head (6' - 36" - 30") will be lost when you bend over the range, especially since the hood is only 24" deep while the range is probably at least 26" deep. I installed mine at 29" above the cooktop and I'm 6'2"; I can barely touch the hood with my forehead if I lean over the pots. Moreover, in time one develops a subconscious feeling on how to move around the hood without hitting it. IOW, install the hood as low as possible and it will be much more efficient at removing grease, smoke and odors.