Check your local building code - I'm not sure you will be allowed to install a cooktop without an exhaust of some sort. My peninsula cooktop has a downdraft fan, which is sort of ok. I do like the open look (and we grill outside yearround, too, being in South Texas). I use the downdraft occasionally when cooking something very steamy.

OH.. I didn't even think of that, thanks. I'll call the building department and find out before I keep spinning my wheels. I'd still do a hood if I can find one I like. Any ideas anyone? Also, how much should I expect a hood to cost, midrange?
Thanks!

Yes! I have an island (induction) cooktop and I love it. When i posted a draft layout on here a while ago, some people told me to go with it, but most advised against. Gave me a lot to think about, but we decided to go with it and love it.

I think it depends on how you work in the kitchen -- many who advised against said that most prep work is done at the sink, so the sink should be in the most favorable position. (Our island looks out to a large window). But, I observed how I cooked for a few evenings and I tend to wash veggies at the sink, but then chop them near the cooktop. Our fridge is opposite the cooktop on the perimeter, also very handy.

Our hood is stainless but we looked for a relatively clean-lined one, and definitely low-mid price. Ours is a Lux-Air (no-name, i think!), made in Italy, and was $850 reduced from $2000 (although i think all of their models are periodically reduced to this). Link to their webpage below (ours is the 36" curved). We are happy with it, but I don't use it heavily as i don't fry or grill meats/fish often (i'm vegetarian). I find the lowest setting enough to clear steam from boiling/steaming. Its not quiet -- definitely the cost of going cheap!

Here is a pic of the island in our semi-finished kitchen:

And an older one of the hood (in the middle of renov chaos):

Hope this helps

Here is a link that might be useful: Lux Air

Thanks for taking the time to post pics mayland. I love the look of the cooktop in the island. My sink sink sits under a window overlooking my patio/pool area out back. I'm attempting to keep most of my exisiting cabs while adding an island and replacing my appliances. That is causing an entire new set of problems and questions. I keep going back and forth about what to do. One minute I think... Oh, put a cooktop against the an exterior wall around where the current range is, then it's NO! I want an island cooktop. What to do... what to do... anyone else have any feedback or pics? I"m one confused woman.

I just finished my kitchen and put our new Kenmore induction cooktop on the island, without a vent hood. Like you, we cook most of our meat either on the barbeque or in the oven. We do not cook bacon or greasy foods on the cooktop. We have lots of natural air ventilation. I am very happy with our setup.
{{!gwi}}Hawaii Kitchen

{{!gwi}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Hawaii Viv's new kitchen

Viv.. I am madly in love with your cabinets! The cooktop look is exactly what I have in mind. Living in a warm climate, the enitre back of my home is sliders that open to the pool/patio plus my kitchen window above my sink. The cooktop would be located about 5' from there. For my entire adult life I have never had a hood; only a microwave fan that does essentially nothing but recirulate air. Here I am talking myself into it again. (especially after seeing your pics!) I just can't get my head around dropping 1K-2K for a metal thing coming down from my ceiling. Forum fans... am I making a mistake?

FWIW, I was stunned at the cost of range hoods. We had to do a substantial wall hood with our 36" AG range and the hood ended up costing over $2K. However, I am very happy with it and truly had no idea what a difference a quality exhaust system makes. We had a pop-up downdraft in our previous home (which I recall as also being expensive) and it didn't do near as as good a job. I don't particularly like cooking smells to linger and this eliminates that problem for me. For New Year's Day, I prepared our usual traditional Southern meal complete with a roasted bone-in ham, black-eyed peas, and Nana's collard greens and was quite happy not to smell them cooking throughout the house. As the greens and peas slow-simmered, I stepped out onto the back porch in late afternoon and realized that everyone else in the neighborhood was smelling my meal cook! So yes, I think good ventilation is worth the painful expense and compromised aesthetics (although I really like the looks of Mayland's island hood).

if your building code doesn't require it, i'd skip it. most cooks rarely use them, and when they do, most are not very effective anyway, unless you have a high end version and it's low and up against a wall. However, if you have to, and depending on how high your ceilings are, you may want to look into utilizing an inline centrifgual fan in your attic space and ducting it to a grill in your ceiliing above the insland (this is similar to the way an air conditioner pulls in air). that way, you don't have a large hood hanging down, and the motor is not in the room so it's actually much quieter. you can make the grill out of wood or stainless (to make it look nicer than a typical return air grill). does that make sense?

This is a subject that gets lots of attention and very strong
views, search it and you'll see.

Personally, my kitchen set up sounds a lot like yours and in the 20
years here I have probably only used my existing hood a few times if
something burned or the oven smoked. I do not have grease build up
anywhere or dingy anything.

Go for what you REALLY want!

Well, this isn't a great picture,but I remember the discussion a while back about the cooktop in the island thread. I opted to go with the cooktop in the island so that I could cook and see the whole rest of the house. It was comfortable for me.
In this picture, my island is in the lower right.

Thanks to all for your input. I"m really feeling alot better about the prospect of not putting in a hood. For the once a month I might cook something greasy; the expense and compromise for my personal taste may not be worth it. Please keep the pics coming of your cooktop islands if you can. I find them very helpful!
Elyse