to trixieinthegarden - if I use an undercounter hood, don't I have to revent the whole thing? Or do all the under mounted models use recirculating vents? Right now, I have a nice arrangement that vents to the outside (I'm in a freestanding house, not an apartment) and I was hoping to keep this configuration (trying to save what remains of my budget!) Most are configured to vent through the top or through the back, sometimes offering both options. If you use a top-vented one you should be able to re-use your existing venting, depending on your vent size. Most take a 6 or 8 inch duct. The only thing that would be an issue for you is that undercabinet vent hoods usually have keyhole hangers for the back wall, so you would have to mount a strip just under your soffit at the back to mount the screws for the keyholes to hang. The vents are also attached through the bottom of the cabinet above so that takes much of the hanging weight.

Hmm. I thought I already replied to this, but I don't see it. I have 7'6" ceilings, and a range on a peninsula. I used a VentAHood EuroPro island hood. With this hood you must order the duct cover custom. Mine was 6" tall! (The hood itself is 18".) This gives me the recommended 30" spacing between counter and hood. You should be able to order a 4" duct cover as well. Its not a cheap solution. My duct cover was over $300. But it looks nice and works well. Here is a picture: Its not a great picture, but its the best one I have handy that shows the hood transition to the ceiling. The way this works is that the duct cover is bolted to the ceiling, and the hood hangs from it. Mine was installed flush with the framing and the ceiling installed around it.

Colin3: - thank you for reminding me about space between ceiling joists. I THOUGHT my joists run in opposite direction, but after closer inspection, they run parallel to the direction of venting out. Yay: so I get another ~7inches!!! YAY! - I will check w/ my HVAC person about customizing the duct transition pieces. - The back of the hood = my familyroom. And upstairs = the guest room. But w/ PALIMPSEST's input, I may get another 2 inches, if I drop the hood to countertop height to 27" to increase effectiveness. Willtv: Thank you for the great info on the Proline/your experience. But weren't you nervous w/ all the negative feedback? I don't know if I can pull the trigger. I really like the high (er than Broan) CFM for the great price. W/ my layout, I do not have the luxury of a quiet hood, but all I care is that it'll suck the grease and smell of garlic and oil, etc, out! Davidro1: chicken or egg? Do I buy the hood that I want, and then fit it to my house? Or see what my limitations are due to my layout to deduce on which hood to purchase? There are so many beautiful hoods that I know will not fit into my layout/ceiling/up-left-out layout. Thank you, Amanda

I don't think I would put an under-cabinet hood where there are no cabinets. A chimney hood would work, just find one that has the proportions you like.