maydl
I can understand your feelings - I would suppose the majority of us have suffered the same frustration -

We completed our reno 1.5yrs ago - have a Viking 36 All gas range & installed a 36" Zephyr Typhoon - I have been very happy w/the performance -

As w/any ventilation the longer the duct work, and more elbows the less effective performance will be - the ratings are based on an "optimal" install

Good luck

Here is a link that might be useful: Zephyr

I already knew quite a few happy VAH owners so the decision to buy one was easy. Ours works great over our Wolf. As for cleaning, I only do the outside and just under the top of it. My DH takes care of the filter stuff and he hasn't grumbled so I assume it was no big deal. ; ) We don't fry or grill food very often so the hood isn't taxed very much for those purposes, which probably means the filters stay cleaner longer.

I'll link you to some pics of ours. Keep in mind we are still working on our kitchen which is why you'll see areas that don't look finished.

Good luck with your decision! This forum is a great place to get help. : )

Diana

Here is a link that might be useful: DIY kitchen

We've had a Zephyr Venezia over our 36" Thermador for 4 years or so. It works great. The only negative I can think of is that is on the loud side--but I don't have anything to compare it to. Washing is easy, just throw the filters in the dishwasher, it even signals when it is time.

I'd like to suggest you look at Sirius hoods also. They are very, very quiet, which means they are more likely to be used. Also, they are easy to clean and priced very competitively.

I have a hood sitting in my garage, lonely and still uninstalled......but it came well recommended, is rated at very quiet, and was impressive running on the store. It is a Kobe. Quiet was super important to me, since I like to listen to music or have a conversation while cooking. I gew up with a big powerful thermador in my parents kitchen, and while it was a great unit, it was loud.

i'm looking at zephyr (breeze) and broan (allure). i think i like the look of the zephyr a bit better. i totally "get" your order of criteria -- i never use my hood. :)

Thank you all for your responses!

Jejvtr: I saw the Zephyr Typhoon for the first time yesterday--very nice. Our installation should be very short, right out the wall in back of the range top. That should help.

Angelcub: Have you thought of going into the reno business? Wow! My proposed range top (also Wolf) is the top 8 inches of your range (unsealed burners, too?), so now I know exactly how the VAH would look! Thanks for sharing the photos.

Cook1: Thanks for another steer toward Zephyr. Yours is a lovely chimney style; ours will be undercabinet.

Sweeby: I will definite try to find the Sirius web site. I have heard of but not seen that brand. Thank you.

Muscat: As I wrote to Sweeby, I've heard of but not seen Kobe range hoods. Hope yours works for you.

Glad: Nice that you understand! My ventilation for the last 20 years has been a downdraft mechanism that worked marginally when my cooktop was electric but became useless when I converted to gas, because the downdraft sucked the flame AWAY from the pots and pans. As a result, I haven't used it for the last ten years or so.

FWIW I was pretty impressed with the zephyr hoods that I saw as well, but they did not have quite what I wanted in a chimney style. I was all set to buy a zephyr typhoon until my layout changed from having an undercabinet hood to a more open wall with a chimney hood.

Muscat: If you're still reading this thread, what about the Zephyr Typhoon originally appealed to you?