Hi Gaby I would Love to have a 48" range!! The 36" is the maximum our corner would allow without major structural changes and I did not want to go there...however, in my dreams....a great range, George Clooney, etc. That being said....I am really happy with the efficiency of the hood. It does cover the front burners. I am training myself to remember to turn on the fan just before I turn on the range top....almost there! I would think that you will be happy with your hood as long as the cfms are adequate. Cheers Pam

Yes, I was concerned about grime too. Like you, I wanted a hood that "rested lightly" in my kitchen, so I wanted it to match the cabinets. So I took a chance that it would stay good looking even after being lived in, and so far I'm very happy. I'm not the most enthusiastic housekeeper, so I try to clean as I go, and I think that using the ventilation blower really helps. I have a Vent-a-hood BH228SLD liner in a custom cabinetry hood. The liner is 28.375" wide by 19.25" deep, and the decorative hood adds about one inch all around. The hood is flanked by 12" deep upper cabinets. The blower is vented with an 8" round duct straight up and out the roof. I'm happy with the Vent-a-hood, but I should disclose that I didn't do much research on brand since the Vent-a-hood was what was offered by the cabinet company. My advice is whatever hood you chose, make sure to use it. The blower motor draws air at up to 600 cfm. I know there are those who post here and in the Appliances Forum who can give better advice that I can about this sort of thing. I relied on an article about choosing a range hood to select the cfm rating based on the potential btu output of my range. The decorative hood and cabs were made by Crestwood, Inc. in Salina, KS. They're an off-white color called Antique by Crestwood. I found it closely matches BM Cream Silk. We have a freestanding GE gas range, 5 burner, standard 30" width, 27" depth. Hope this helps! Here is a link that might be useful: How to Choose a Range Hood

Thought I would post and give you one view . We have a 36" Caldera gas cooktop. With the configuration of 5 burners and cont. grates I got Lodge Logic griddles to use for high heat grilling. It works so well and I clean the griddle and put away and I have 5 burners still in place. I can also use the smaller square griddle and still use all 4 burners. I have an electric griddle for pancakes/waffles...has the grids that flip over. I love it as the heat is so consistent vs trying to get the same on my LL griddles. Just something to think about. This has been a frequent debate on Kitchens....do you use the burners more/need them more than you do a griddle. One thing is the part of the country you live in. Lots of folks use outdoor grills so don't use the indoor grill pan/griddle. Another topic is the cleaning as you mentioned. It all really comes down to how YOU cook. Good luck and if I can answer any questions, please ask. Caroline

i have to say again, I just don't get it! what is so hard about cleaning a black smooth top? Really, wipe with a hot soapy dishcloth, dry with a dry towel. See? no streaks. cooked on 'whatever', scrape with razor blade. gone in 60 seconds. I swear! need a wiping boost? use a white scrubbing cleaner. I don't know why anyone would say it leaves a residue unless they don't do a good job wiping off the white cleaner. i have not had to clean a gas range or a coil burner in years. but, i do remember how it was. with a coil burner, i remember covering those drip pans with aluminum foil. how ugly! this was to prevent having to look at them dirty when there was no way possible to clean them no matter how much scrubbing you did. I remember my grandmothers gas stove. Ohhhhh, you could scrub for days on that to clean it. a spill not only went into the drip area underneath the grate, it went down way under into every nook and cranny it could find to drip into. there was no end to that. so, do i find wiping, scraping with a razor, cleaning up white cleaners, or polishing and buffing a chore or anything difficult? Heck no. I would rather clean a smooth top anyday. I know that gas is preferred by chefs, but gas was not an option for me. I did consider it, but that idea was squashed by DH because we don't have any gas lines even running to my house. i may have preferred cooking on gas by now after 8 months if i could have had it, i'll never know. But the one thing that i can say for sure is that a smooth top is always easier to clean, no matter what. I really got the best of both worlds. I wanted a gas range in the beginning because i wanted a certain 'look'(I am a decorator at heart, and what looks good means alot to me). I ended up getting a viking professional range but with a smooth electric cooktop. i love it! It cooks wonderful, better than my old kenmore smooth top. its alot more versatile and cooks at higher heat on some of the burners. And, i have a beautiful stainless steel appliance to look at too.