Generally, (or maybe I should write hopefully), fans for hoods have monotonic fan curves so that the fan cannot get into a hunting mode where its speed oscillates. I think two such fans in series would also not hunt, but it is always a possibility given that with two controls each could be run at a different point on its fan's fan curve and that there is a lag between air flow changes at one fan before that flow gets to another. In any case, what I meant above was that the roof fan could be installed and operated with the hood fan turned off. Removal of the hood fan, or its use as a booster, would be something that one determined second. Removal would reduce noise, even if the roof fan were sized to equal the flow possible from running both together. Non-removal but not operated would cause some undesirable flow restriction. I don't see a mechanism for burn-out from series fans so long as they don't hunt. As always, the larger the roof fan, the lower the blade tip turbulence and noise when run at a speed that has the same flow rate as a smaller fan run at maximum. I don't want to try to divine the thought processes of the marketing departments of stylish hood manufacturers. But I imagine that they don't believe their customer base has sufficient interest in that feature. kas

I was able to see it--but not the other brands, which is one reason I went with this one. Gaggenau and Faber make some that look good on paper (although the Gag is sort of $$$$$) but weren't on display locally. Oh! If you want it flush, look at the specs. It's a little deeper than standard cabinets AND it kinda bows out in the middle so I guess it's not supposed to be completely flush anyway. My old one, clearly a less expensive model, had nicer features because it had fewer features. The only button it had was to control fan speed. To turn on the fan AND light, you'd pull it out--one step. That meant it was always put away when done. This thing you gotta pull it out, turn it on, turn on the light...it supposedly moves more air than the cheaper models, but they look just as good. There's nothing automatic on it either, which some hoods have (not sure about slideouts, but I wouldn't be surprised). No auto on or delayed off. That's fine for me. I'm a bit of a Luddite when it comes to ventilation technology, but some people like the cool features. :)

The main difference is that the Luxor is all glass and the whole thing lights up, where as the one I got is all stainless steel with a thin light which makes it interesting but not as flashy as the Luxor. That's why I didn't pick the Luxor I thought it would be too much for my kitchen. No, I wasn't able to see them both before purchasing. That was my biggest concern but I read a lot of reviews online and made my decision.

There was a thread on this topic some months ago--see below. There are some good photos of niches. Our project is bogged down, but I have a few additional comments since I posted... Because we have to watch our pennies, I'm shopping in bargain places. One problem I have encountered is that oddball lots of tiles often don't include bullnose pieces as well as regular field tile sizes. The niche that we have roughed in will require some cute tricks to make ordinary tile edges seem attractive and classy; we don't want to just snip tiles and leave raw edges. DH, my sweaty equity, did not finish the niche smoothly when he created it in drywall because we knew we would cover it in tile. Now, we're thinking that we might not do the tiling right away and he'll have to pull out drywall tools and make a proper corner edging around the niche. This kind of "go back and do over" gig is getting very frustrating. [Meanwhile, I've found a smashingly exciting tile that of course only comes without trim pieces. It's sitting right next to me, thinking. Unfortunately it has a decidedly unfinished raw edge and will require tricky handling if we choose to use it. I just covered it over so I can't see it tempting me there on the table. Have to be more practical. ] Tile shops do carry a metal edging that can be used to finish off edges when no bullnose is available, but I haven't seen examples of it in actual use on a range niche. Would love to see a sample photo to reassure me. Also, remember that if you choose to work with a thick tile or a remnant of some kind of rock from countertop on the back of the niche, that will cut down the depth of the niche shelf. If you want the area above range/cooktop to be an artistic focal point, I humbly suggest that you either make a niche OR some kind of tile design but not both. If you choose too fancy a niche back, the items standing within the niche will compete with the tile design for viewer's attention. Mine will be a working kitchen, so we're planning to put oil bottles, vinegar bottles, salt shaker, etc. there and they are supposed to get top billing. Don't forget that you can suspend a second shelf in the niche if there's room. Here is a link that might be useful: Niche topic thread