You should be able to compare the noise level on their respective website.
I have a 30 Kobe and chose it because it was the most quiet for any given cfm at the time.

I have a 600 cfm Ventahood and I like it fine. But it is 600cfm, not 900cfm. All that equivalency-speak is pure marketing bunkum. I think VAH likes to sugest that their design results in less inefficiencies and cfm loss, but there is so much else that effects that, like venting configurations, that their claims should not be taken seriously. If 600cfms are enough for you, consider the VAH. If you need 900 or 1000cfm, purchase a unit rated for that capacity.

I have had a couple of Vent a Hood's over the years and have been very happy with them. I have had the 600 CFM 18" tall hood above a 30" Bluestar and it has been great. The noise is not any problem if you do not hear anything you are not moving any air and then not venting anything. My current hood has the new easy clean grease tray. This is brand new and have not had it very long but it should be a snap to clean out the grease. I would not have a problem telling someone to get a Vent a Hood.

Kobe: what do you do with the warming lights? why would i warm from above, if i have fire below? it seems all the 1000 cfm units come with warming lights, right?

Vent a hood: since there is not baffle, do you have to wipe down the inside walls? or is it enough to put the magic lung in the dishwasher?

thanks.

I had a VaH and was not a fan. To answer your question about cleaning, I always had to wipe, scrub, and scrape. Even if it was only a month or so between cleanings. The paint they use on the box likes to hold on to the grease. In fact, the paint started to bubble in a few areas after the first couple of trips to the dishwasher and I had to pry the paint bubbles off in order for the blower wheel to not scrape. Yes, it left exposed metal but I had no choice. Getting the box back around the hamster wheels was a challenge as well. Lots of fiddling involved. Have baffles now and love them. Clean them often because it's so easy.

With regard to noise, current hood is about three times more powerful and has about the same noise level. Maybe even a bit lower now. That said, there are many here that swear their VaH are whisper quiet so your mileage may differ.

Good luck.

amcook,
so you have a painted VaH? would the paint problem not apply if it's stainless steel?
what do you have now that you love so much?

The hood I had wasn't painted but for some reason, the motor/blower casing was painted with this nasty gray thermo paint. It had a rough surface on the outside which was hard to clean and inside it had areas where there were drips or globs of paint on the corners. I'm not sure if they've changed this but it was a pain for us. We bought ours back in 2000 so this may have been addressed. Even so, I just don't like having to remove something that sits so close to the blower every time I want to clean the "filters" because any slight variation in how you put it back can cause the blower wheel to scrape.

My ventahood is not painted and the grease comes off very easily with hot soapy water without scraping or scouring. Mine is a 600cfm dual blower, installed 3 yrs ago. I've never put it in the DW as it is rather wide. But it cleans up so fast in the sink.