Put your range on the wall, or pick an overhead vent. Pop ups barely work with cooktops. No pop up is rated to work with a range.

Thanks, but that's not an option here...don't people put stoves in islands all the time? Just trying to work out the details...I know I've seen downdrafts or telescoping drafts before...

I have had an electric GE slide in range in my island for 10 years with no ventilation. I do have 10 ft ceilings and I am sure that has helped me. I do not have grease or build up, but smells definitely linger.

I have put a thermador 10" rise downdraft in my new home and it pulls the air great, but I believe the key to a downdraft is a very short run for the duct to the outside. It is paired with an electric cook top this time and I will have seperate ovens.

You say you have gas, and I would think a downdraft will be a must for that. My electric range did not require it. Don't let people scare you from a downdraft as they are better than nothing. The hood above is always best, but at least the downdraft will help.

It is not made any longer but I had a Thermador cook/n/vent in my island and the telescope worked pretty well. Excellent on the back burners and if I tilted a lid on the front burners it did the job. I will say an overhead works better but I couldn't put one in my last kit and the telescope was a big improvement from my JennAir range.

I have a slide-in range in our island; we have a Jenn-Aire downdraft. The range is great - I'm not a big fan of downdraft, only because it tends to pull the flame, leading to uneven heating. But it was really our only choice here. I rarely turn it on so it really doesn't bother me all that much.

I have my slide in range on a peninsula with no down draft and no venting. I know some people think I'm crazy and some people probably think I'm blind . . . but I've had it this way for 20+ years with no oil build up on ceiling or cabinets. No smoke damage, no adverse effects at all. And our kitchen is very clean, open and quiet.

A few weeks back, I had the chance to visit the test kitchen at our local paper. They had the 14" telescoping Thermador downdraft vent paired with a induction cooktop on a peninsula. I asked how well it worked. He said better than the old one that didn't rise as tall however, he didn't think it would work as well as an overhead vent (which the space could not accommodate). This is one guy's opinion but since he's testing out multiple recipes all the time, I figured it carried some weight.

We're replacing our 7" rising telescoping downdraft for our island cooktop (we can't move it to the wall either) and we're leaning towards installing a hood. We did consider the higher rising downdrafts, too. Like a few other posters, I've never noticed oil or stains on my ceiling even though we rarely used our old downdraft (as another stated, it pulls the flame). I even checked the pendant lights set 36" off the counter and about 4" either side of the cooktop. No grease, they don't look dirty and it's been a while since I washed them. I think it depends on how you cook and BTUs of the cooktop. Ours is 15 years old and definitely not pro-anything.

I have my slide in range on a peninsula with no down draft and no venting. I know some people think I'm crazy and some people probably think I'm blind . . . but I've had it this way for 20+ years with no oil build up on ceiling or cabinets. No smoke damage, no adverse effects at all. And our kitchen is very clean, open and quiet.

Electrolux makes a good downdraft with a very high capacity external blower.

I have DACOR downdraft vent with Thermador cooktop and Dacor vent has been touble from the start. Last night it came on by itself and now it is dead. Definitely stay awat from Dacor. We are sick and tired of endless repairs to this, but the concept is a good one and stylistically preferable to overhead exhaust.

I have a GE cafe slide in in my island. I went with an Island hood. To all of those who post that they have no ventilation and no grease or build up, I'm not believing it (unless you're doing minimal cooking). You may think you don't have any, but if you do any kind of serious cooking, but the smoke, food and grease particles have to go somewhere. Usually the coating of this stuff is so fine and layers on so gradually that most people don't notice it, but over a period of 10 to 15 years it gradually builds up. Get good ventilation, clean less and preserve the kitchen that you paid up for - Just my 2 cents.

ktrud,
Just wondering what your final solution was. I am in the same boat as you.
Kevin