I love my panasonic microwave. I had this brand before and I am glad to return it. I got one not too big from Costco. The main thing for me was to look at the wattage.

I am very happy with my Kobe hood. I selected the hood because of the lower profile than the DCS.

I am very happy with my full size Sharp countertop microwave. It's powerful, and has all the sensor and one touch features, but it isn't convection.
I am very happy I listened to my Mom who always told me to be sure and purchase a full size micro since I didn't have double ovens. Best appliance advice ever -- it holds a 9x13 casserole with ease.
It's 4 years old, and I'm not about to replace it with my kitchen re-do.

I just got a new Bosch and LOVE it.
The new range is not yet installed but the fan/vent on the
Bosch is working great with my old stove top.

Show pictures when you get your granite. I am still shopping for ideas...

If you're in Canada, Venmar has some low profile hoods which are quieter than average. I have a V40E and my friends have commented on just how quiet it is (on the low setting).

Thanks for the input. We are in the U.S.

I should add that we don't want a fancy decorator hood. This will be an undercabinet type. There are several that look about the same by different manufacturers -- the various Allure models, the Zephyrs, the Bosch someone mentioned, etc. We'd like whichver one is most quiet and that does a decent job venting a small and not very powerful gas stove, and that we won't conk our heads on while we're cooking.

We just installed our vent hood-- not the style you are looking for, but we put the blower in the attic. It is 1200 CFM and I'm amazed at how quiet it is. I'm not sure if it is the location of the motor, the 10" duct or the duct silencer (or all three), but very impressive. So, if you are really going for quiet, I think you need to maximize your duct diameter, and put distance between the hood and the motor.

Best of luck.

Brand, model?

We are venting directly outside. There is an opening already in place in the exterior wall behind the current microwave/hood combo.

We used a Prestige hood and blower and a Fantech silencer.

Okay, this is very interesting: I just talked to an actual appliance salesperson, and he told me that any hood I get will be loud because it's venting directly through the wall. He said there's really no benefit to getting a higher end one in terms of noise, that any hood that vents 400 to 500 cfms will be fine for venting, and that low and high will probably sound about the same.

The only way to mitigate the noise, he said, was to run the venting up to the second floor -- probably about $1,000 worth of work.

So this aligns with what overlyoptimistic said.

Hmp. Why is everything so complicated? :)

I had a GE Spacemaker XL1800 OTR microwave, it died after 6 years of use. I replaced it with a small Panasonic Inverter countertop microwave from Costco. It works well, powerful and good looking but noisy. I will be looking for a vent hood soon.

I researched microwaves, read many reviews and spoke to sales people, friends and family. I too have learned that consumers should not expect microwaves to last more than 5 years.

I have also concluded that the simpler appliances of yesteryears were more reliable because they didn't have all the high tech features, I am now looking for basic models in all my future purchases.