I would post over at the appliance forum. I got a Prestige with a roof mount remote blower for my 36" Capital Culinarian (range about to be installed & vent hood already in). I had to commit back in May & since then I think that Trevor worked with Modernaire to get something to go with the CC. In any event, you should get some good advice there, but I don't think the fan from an OTR MW will cut it if you plan to use your DCS to its full capabilities.

JMHO - Jo Ann

I would look at two things. The first is your local building code regulations and the second is the installation mannual on your range. You should be able to view the install mannual online at the DCS website. Both should clearly define what the minimum requirements are for your range.

The DCS AG range RGT-305-N has I believe a total of 77500 btu's for its burners. The rough rule of thumb is to have 10 cfm's per 1000 btu's of burner capacity. That means you should have a hood that has approx. 775 cfm's. Naturally, you can assume you will not have all 5 burners going full force at once, but on the occasion when you are grilling steak on max heat, or frying fish, you will be happy to have the higher cfm's. On other occasions, you can just use the lower setting on the hood. In any case, I would not go lower than 600 cfm's, and that's assuming you never fry. I didn't see the convection OTR MW you mentioned on the DCS website, only a non-convection OTR MW. In any case, the DCS OTR MW doesn't even list how many cfm's it has, but almost all OTR MW's are 300 cfm's or less. So, you can see how inadequate its fan will be.

Furthermore, there is the issue of capture area. An OTR MW just has a couple of small squares toward the back for exhaust. They are completely inadequate to capture the smoke and grease from the back burners, much less the smoke and grease from the front burners which they don't even cover. Also, because they are small, the mesh will become clogged with grease very quickly, and become even less effective. People who have the space actually will install a hood 6" wider than the range, to add 3" of capture area on each side; this is ideal, though many do not have that space, so 30" wide is fine too. I just wanted to illustrate how inadequate is the capture area of an OTR MW.

Also keep in mind that an OTR MW works poorly in an active kitchen from a "flow" point of view. These machines are really for the small kitchen where there is truly no other place for a MW other than OTR. You didn't mention that space constraints were an issue. When the MW is OTR, it means anyone using the range will have to stand aside for someone who wants to use the MW. The height of the MW makes it difficult to see inside it if you or family members are at all height-challenged. Also, it is not easy to pull hot, sloshing dishes from that height. Also, the MW is mounted much closer to the range than a hood would be, making the range cooking area feel "hemmed in".

If you do decide to install a proper hood instead, make sure your exhaust ductwork is large enough. Most hoods require 8" diameter duct, though you can find a few that allow 6" diameter, but they are harder to find.

My final note is that if you are determined to buy an OTR MW instead of a proper hood, keep in mind that the DCS OTR MW is a re-badged Sharp. You can buy the Sharp for about half what the DCS will cost. The amount of profit in the rebadged MW's (Wolf, Viking, etc. all use rebadged Sharps or Panasonics) gives salespeople a lot of incentive to push them. Having said that, if the look of the MW door and the DCS badge are important to you, then it will be worth it to pay the upcharge for the DCS version.

I'd call them (888) 936 7872 - Customer Care

DCS doesn't publish enough information about the exhaust fan - not judging by that, cause they are certainly not alone, just saying. I'd want to know the cfm, sones of the fan and the recommended height over the dcs gas range - cause what they publish is the TOP of the unit should be AT LEAST 30" from the burner surface. I'd be concerned about that with a 17.5 btu burner only about 18" from the bottom.

The other feature that would stop me is the manual clean of the grease filters.

I had an OTR MW in my old kitchen. It is now sitting on the floor looking pathetic. That's the best place for it.

I some know people love theirs, but I HATED (with capital letters) mine. It was too close to the burners below so I could barely lift the lid of my huge stock pot on the back burner. It was loud and barely worked to vent steam, smoke, or odors. And my range was not even close to a Pro. Technology on them may have improved since mine was manufactured, but I would never consider putting one above any range, let alone a Pro. JMVHO.

Even if DCS's specs allow for (and I doubt they do!) their micro hood over their pro range it's a HORRIBLE idea anyway you look at it.

End of story! Don't pass go , don't collect $200.

Get a real hood with a capture area and at least 600 CFM.

I have a 5 burner 30" Capital, very similar to the DCS. Go for a dedicated hood, especially if you get that 5th "wok" burner in the center. I would NOT want that thing 18" from the bottom of my microwave!

Our appliance salesman said an OTR micro was doable (but not ideal) over an electric or entry level gas range, but not over a "pro" style gas range. My range specs say 36" from burner to flammable materials above. The bottom of an OTR might not be flammable per se, but there are plastic parts and electronics that can get melted/fried.