I realize that OP (breezygirl) doesn't have a grill, but we have often turned the hood on high without the grill on, that's because we quite often pan fry and occasionally create a fair amount of smoke (sear roasted steak, blackened fish). I think there are a number of factors in how effective your hood is. The #1 factor is what and how you cook. If you fry foods and create a lot of smoke you will want more CFMs. If you saute/poach/boil I think you could get away with fewer CFMs. If you plan on having all 6 burners on and the oven you will need more CFMs just to keep from turning your kitchen into a sauna. Height of hood above the range is also a factor. The lower the better but obviously aesthetics and comfort standing in front the range are factors that need to be balanced. Our 42" hood ended up 36" above the range. From watching our hood in action I think the volume of the hood is also extremely important. Sometimes I see a burst of smoke curl up and just about breach the confines of the hood before getting sucked away, I have to believe that some of the very flat, low volume hoods may have trouble handling the load. Our hood also has a 10" duct which may be a factor in controlling the noise. Good luck with your decision.

houses14, my Imperial range hood is not an insert, rather an under cabinet ss hood. However, the materials used, and the quality of construction, the fan motors, are the same with minor variances to allow for space restrictions within the smaller size of my hood. Construction wise, it is all that I had hoped for, was easy to install, and has functioned beautifully. Packaging and shipping were excellent. The ss is marine grade. This means that the amount of chromium in the ss will prevent rust from forming in the interior of the hood over time. The electrician informed me that their fan motors and switches appeared to be top quality. The warranty for my hood is 7 years, which is almost unheard of in the industry. Their specifications and installation instructions are right on to allow for optimal operation. For example, my duct is 8" from hood to roof jack and had to have a certain rise in height from the hood before the first angle in the duct work. Baffles remove and reinstall easily for cleaning. It was a joy to call Imperial direct with technical questions at their manufacturing headquarters in California. Someone was always immediately available to answer my questions regarding their vent hoods or recommended installation. My installer was promptly referred to their engineer for technical assistance as I requested that the wiring that would automatically turn on my hood once a certain temperature below the hood was reached be disconnected as I did not want that feature. To me, having that level of service available when answers are needed means a great deal. I found that the folks at headquarters were always honest even if it wasn't the answer I wanted and that they knew their stuff. Their light and fan switches are continuously variable which is rare on vent hoods. This means that they both function like a rheostat with a continuous increase, or decrease, rather than clicking up or down discreet notches, such as level 1 to 4. Also, I liked having the option of installing the switches wherever I wanted remotely, rather than being mounted to the underside of the hood. The hood easily handles removal of odors, steam or grease beneath it's surface. I've found that if the hood is allowed to run for about 10 minutes prior to cooking that it can be operated at a lower level and do a good job. The hood on low is fairly quiet but is noisier than I had anticipated at higher levels with having dual fans and baffles. Also, highest cfm level is 1000 which is a factor. However, I used a different size led bulb than Imperial recommended. I now have a gap around the bulb that needs to be filled with a rubber gasket. Also, the temporary roof jack is too large, and the correct one is waiting to be installed so the jury is still out on the noise issue. Noise level was quite an issue for me, but even if it remains unchanged, I would still buy the same hood given how pleased I am with the overall operation and that I can easily live with the noise that I now have. I'll have to look up the name of the online vendor I used and will add that information tonight.

Forgive me I have to chime in. I know this is the great debate. I detest my Over the range mw. If I could rip it out (finances are strained this year) I would do it. I really dislike it... The number one reason is the crowding issue. I like to cook at my range without any having to step aside. I might be cooking a meal that takes time stirring, simmering, double boiling... ( Rissotto, stew, chilli...) And I get interrupted because someone in my house needs to defrost, or make popcorn, or melt cheese... I always have to step back and let the MW cook do their thing. I wish the MW were any place else. Yes, even the garage would be a better place than where it is now. I regret that I did not spend the time, money and effort when I was first planning this. My DH kept telling me we can always move it later. Well, later has not come. : ( If you have the chance to move it to a different place, You won't regret it. I have never heard of someone on GW saying "I wish I had put my microwave over my range. Why didn't I move my MW over the range?" Good luck and don't let my silly rant sway you. Smiles, boxerpups

I apologize if this is in the wrong thread as this may be my first houzz thread post. Mostly a silent observer but I'm in need of some advice. We're starting a kitchen remodel in July and I've been agonizing over the stove/fridge. First things first, I'm not dead set on matching all of the appliances. I'm a firm believe in best of breed and as some others have posted above means buying different things from different companies. Here's what were planning on installing in the new kitchen: 48 inch stove with dual ovens, we're not splitting the ovens and range top. A 36 inch fridge, was thinking built in but if there are other options to consider I'm game. A dishwasher and perhaps a drawer microwave. I've been waning a Blue Star stove for the longest time but I've now read enough threads here to make me question that. Are they truly that problematic? Between tales of the convection fan turning off when the gas is going in the oven to the horrible customer service, is that really the experience people have had? They look beautiful. I'm more of a no-frills kind of guy and believe that simpler is better and lasts longer. I have a friend with a 20 year old blue start hat has had exactly two things break on it in 20 years: an igniter and a rack clip. That's it. Has the company gone down hill? What attracted me to the blue star was the insane BTU and configuration of using a griddle/grill on any of the burners. The circular grates for a wok are also attractive in my head and purely functional. However the reviews and one appliance store salesman have made me question wether this is a good investment. Originally we had been planning on a built in fridge from BS and the Platinum 48" Stove. So now that I've been reading a bunch more I'm wondering if perhaps I shouldn't consider WOLF or Miele. Between the two which would you choose? Thermador is a contender but Miele seems to have some nice features. As I said I prefer no frills, but it seems that outside of the BlueStar most of the other brands incorporate a bunch of new features and technologies. Before you ask, we do all kinds of cooking. My wife bakes and I do everything sous vide cooking in a circulator bath to low and slow braising, high heat searing of animal proteins, pretty much everything. I always figured that at this level and this price point most of these unites would be fairly bullet proof and last for a good long time. I hadn't really thought about the customer service aspect of purchasing something so pricey but it occurs to me now that perhaps I should. Are there any brands besides Thermador, Miele, Wolf and Blue Star to consider that deliver similar performance or are in that same class? Someone suggested Heston but I wasn't thrilled with what i saw or read about them. Thank you in advance for your thoughts. Cheers.