This question is better asked on the Appliances Forum.

sandmtn-gw....I was definitely considering Bosch cooktop. But when I read the negative reviews on AJ Madison site for Bosch 800 series and Benchmark series, I changed my mind. Do you mind sharing which Bosch model of cooktop and DD you have bought?

My husband wants me to have induction cooktop, not electric cooktop. But I do not have a single pot and pan which is fit for induction cooking. So I will have to discard all of my pots and pans and buy everything new. On top of that, induction cooktops are almost double in price as compared to electric cooktops. So basically, it is coming down to money issue.

Do induction on a perimeter, and with the mega money that you save from not having to go with a nearly useless and expensive downdraft, you can buy all new pots and pans, and probably a standard much more effective undercabinet hood as well.

GreenDesigns...I like to have cooktop in the island. The reason is my kitchen is open layout and I like to face people and watch TV while cooking rather than showing my back if I do cooking by having a cooktop in perimeter area.

Cooking is only 10% of the time you spend in your kitchen. Prep is 70%. To have an island large enough to house both the prep zone, and the cooking zone safely requires at least an 8'x 4' island a LOT more expense for the mechanicals than a perimeter cooking zone.

A better alternative to a downdraft vent, IMHO, is a hood that
mounts flush to the ceiling. It does
not obscure your view, and unlike a downdraft vent which works against nature
(hot air and stem want to rise, while downdraft vents are trying to draw them
down), its powerful suction draws exhaust and steam up, which it where it wants
to go naturally.

The systems we have used are Cirrus from Best, but there are other brands that we hear are just as good. These are expensive hoods, but no more so than a quality downdraft
system. They are well designed, making
cleaning and filter changes relatively easy, although a ladder or step stool is
required unless you are Shaq O'Neal.

Here is a video showing a Cirrus
ceiling mounted hood in action.

sahai6, I have the 30" 300 series (now discontinued). If I had it to do again, I would have chosen either of the 500 or 800 series. The 300 series doesn't have direct level selection and I am finding having to ramp up and down inconvenient. I didn't get the Autochef (constant temp on 800 series) either and now I'm thinking that I would benefit from having it as I am somewhat absent-minded and often let the temperature get too high while I'm focusing on something else. I was trying to save money and now regret it.

If you can swing the cost up front, the extra for the induction cooktop will return to you over time. I have had both the smooth electric (1 year) and induction (15+ years). Just the air conditioning savings is significant if you do much summer cooking. And again, cleanup is right away. I hated the electric cooktop so much that if we hadn't sold the house, I would have replaced it.

My cooktop is in the island mainly for the same reasons you stated. My island is 39" across with 13-1/2" behind the DD fan and just over 14" counter space to the side. We do have island seating but not directly behind the cooktop.

Today I was browning ground beef in a dutch oven and let the temperature go too high - lots of splattering and steam. I noticed that the steam was not going into the DD fan and it was on low so turned to high and then the steam seemed to disapear into the fan intake. I don't do a lot of super-high temp searing and stir-frying - I can see that it wouldn't be adequate for that kind of cooking. I do some medium-temp frying and a good bit of tending/stirring. I'm thinking that I spend more than 10% of my cooking time at the cooktop. The island cooktop and DD fan works out great for my needs. I think we spent about $1500 for DD fan and materials for ducting. The ceiling ventilation sounds great if you can do it.

An induction cookware collection can be built up over time to manage that expense. To get started, you can get some good enough stainless pots and pans at places like TJMaxx for a very reasonable cost. A few years ago, I needed some smaller sauce pans and so bought three and then two more larger pans all with clear lids at TJMaxx for no more than about $25 each. I'm still using them and they look and perform just fine. Just check for the induction symbol on the bottom or take a fridge magnet to check for magnetic property. And of course anything cast iron or enamel-coated steel will work great. Are you sure all your pots and pans are non-magnetic?

sandmtn-gw

Thank you for the information about Bosch appliances.

Under ideal circumstances I will love to have 30" electric cooktop + 15" induction cooktop made by Wolf. But the problem is that my island is only 66 wide. My husband says that 45 " cooktop will turn into 48" cooktop (by leaving 2-3" in between these 2 cooktops) and it will leave only 9" work space on each side of the island and I am certain it won't be enough for me. So I am stuck with 36" cooktop. But I am not fully ready for 36" induction cooktop.

You had mentioned that you have 39" island and then 14" counter space. If you have 30" cooktop, then your work space should be 9", not 14", right?

I have tested all of my pots and pans with a magnet. Except cast iron pan, none of my other pots and pans are induction heat compatible.

StarCraft

Thank you for sending the link for Cirrus ceiling mounted hood.

I talked to my kitchen designer today and he told me that of the ceiling height is up to 8 feet, only then these ceiling mounted hood work better and are more effective.

But my ceiling height is little over 9 feet.

It looks like that I will have to get DD and I am leaning toward Wolf brand DD.

sahai6, Sorry for the confusion on the dimensions. The 39" is the depth if you're standing at the long side. Width is about 98". There is 14" to the left, cooktop is actually 31", and 53" to the right.

An additional benefit to the cooler surface of the induction is that unused area of the cooktop can be used for some of the prep work. If you haven't already done so, please consider seeing the electric cooktop in operation before you commit as the burners give off an intense radiant heat that is equal to the burner size. And if your pan is smaller than the burner, then the uncovered area of the burner gives off that same intense heat. If you have used an electric and like it just fine, then I apologize for being presumptuous.

I understand about the cookware if you have some really nice pieces. I would just about cry if I had to give up my Allclad copper core!

66'' of island length is not anywhere near big enough to safely house a 36'' cooking zone on it. And there is zero prep room. All of the room is taken up by the needed emergency landing zones that are needed for cooking safety. You'll prep with your back turned to everyone, because that's where the counter space will be, and where you will have room to do so. You need around 9' of island space to have a 36'' cooking zone and prep zone located there.

You need to rethink your layout and your goals here. Your kitchen will NOT perform as you are thinking it will. There simply isn't the room.

Sophie......Thanks for your comments. I have never used my island space as prep area. It is only for the cooking. I do all the prep work near my sink and I have plenty of space on that counter. BTW, my sink is not in the island. it is near the kitchen window. I am also replacing my current sink with Kohler Stages sink which is 45 " wide. That will also increase area for my prep work.

My work area on the island is used for keeping spoon rest and spatula/ladle etc. for whatever dish I am cooking at that time. Since I am Indian and do lots of Indian cooking, I also use island work area for making Indian bread like chapati etc. So I need the island work area for these purposes rather than for cutting and chopping. This is the reason I feel that with 36" cooktop, I will have 15" work area on each side.

sandmtn-gw

I am really envious of your 98" island. I will love to have that kind of island for my kitchen. My dream kitchen will have 36" cooktop + 15" induction cooktop + 15" grill cooktop. My husband told me that I can have that kind of cooktop only if we get rid of the island and make it a peninsula. But that layout started making my kitchen very tight and that was not acceptable to me. With 66" island, my kitchen is very open and spacious. So I plan to stay with 66" island and 36" cooktop.

Since you seem set on your idea to cook on the island instead of prep, go for it. I'd encourage you to absolutely go full induction if you will seat anyone at this same surface because it is very unsafe otherwise with the small island dimensions.

I think you should spend one week timing the amount of time you spend prepping vs cooking and put your sink in the island And your cook top perimeter. To your guest or family you are more likely to be facing away prepping. Cooking is very quick compared to chopping and measuring.

Regarding safety - it's not just flames or heating elements that are safety issues. The bigger issue is the cooking food - splattering grease, billowing steam, billowing smoke, etc. None will be caught unless your pot/pan is right up next to the fan (and it has to be telescoping/raised) AND shorter than the top of the fan part by several inches.

I used one of those telescoping downdrafts in a rental - what a useless piece of equipment! I cook pasta, brown meat, etc., in tall pots and the downdraft was such a joke! Add to the fact that it was noisy and it was in the face of those sitting on the other side - and there was a raised bar behind the downdraft. I quickly banned anyone from sitting in the 2 seats directly behind the range and downdraft.

If you insist on putting the zone you only spend 10% of your time in in the island, then at least be sure you have at least 24" on each side AND 24" behind the cooking surface with seats or 18" if no seats.

At least try putting both your Prep Zone and Cooking Zone in the island...but then that means quite a long island

With minimum recommended prep space (36"):

1.5" counter overhang + 24" cabinet/space + 36" rangetop/cooktop + 36" workspace + 18" prep sink + 9" cabinet/space + 1.5" overhang = 132" (11')

With better prep space (42" or more):

1.5" counter overhang + 24" cabinet/space + 36" rangetop/cooktop + 42" workspace + 18" prep sink + 9" cabinet/space + 1.5" overhang = 138" (11'6")

Note: The 9" cabinet is optional, but it gives you a bit of landing space on the other side of the sink. Without the 9" cabinet, the island would only need to be 123" (10'3") and 129" (10'9"), respectively.

Time spent on Kitchen tasks:

• 70% or more of your time is spent prepping
• 20% or less is spent cleaning up
• 10% is spent actually cooking

So, what work zone does it make the most sense to put in the most desirable workspace? The zone you spend the most time in! That would be the....Prep Zone!

With 66", you could have a nice sized Prep Zone!

1.5" counter overhang + 18" sink base + 45" cabinet/space + 1.5" overhang

Or, a 3" filler pullout b/w the edge and the sink base and then 42" of space on the other side of the sink (+ 1.5" overhang). But, to do this, you may have to add an inch to the width/length of the island to accommodate a 1" panel on the non-sink side of the filler pullout.

Mama Rachel

My island has always been used just for cooking. My island is so small that I can't imagine myself doing prep work or using it as a dining table. It has only one purpose and that is cooking. I have a quite big kitchen but for some reason, I have ended up with a small island. if I am willing to convert it to peninsula, then I can have lots of surface for having many different components of a custom cooktop. But peninsula layout makes my kitchen quite congested. So basically I am stuck with 66" island.

sahai - Your setup sounds very much like mine (sorry if I didn't read closely enough), so I'll chime in. We've had a 36" electric coil cooktop (center downdraft) on a ~ 26x56 island for 24 years -- smaller than yours, so really not much prep space on the left side of the island. However, one makes do...not the end of the world, by far. We cook meals 5-6 dinners/week, and space has never been an issue. Directly behind the island is my sink and counter/prep space (perhaps very similar to your kitchen). We've been undergoing repairs/kitchen reno for the past 8 months, and everyone who walks in remarks what a small island we have. I don't know if that's compared to all the larger islands that are out there now, but I've not known anything else. Now that we have the opportunity to do so, we will be extending the island just a bit. Moving to a 30" induction cooktop will give us an extra 6" of prep/landing space on the island: same cooking surface area as what we have now, but elimination of side knobs and center vent.

Moving our cooking zone off the island is not an option, and we already have the downdraft ducting in place under the island. We didn't want a vent hood hanging down in the middle of our kitchen (we have 10' ceilings, so it would almost have literally looked like an elephant in the room!), so are going with a telescoping downdraft. Both Bosch and Wolf models rise to 14-15", so much better than the older 8" models. I also chose the Bosch Flexduction because the larger burners (on which we do most of our sauteing and pasta cooking/boiling) are towards the rear, which means closer to the vent hood. Another adaptation, but that's life, right?

Cookware: Look into the Tramontina line of SS cookware, perfectly suited for induction cooking -- can be purchased at Target/Walmart/Amazon. Very highly rated by chefs -- I came across this article yesterday. We, too, will be making a few new purchases, though we're fortunate that several of our SS skillets are induction ready. HTH.

Humans are adaptable animals and can adapt to all manner of discomfort and less than ergonomic conditions. Look at thousands of workers getting heart disease and carpal tunnel issues in the computer age as a consequence of "adapting".

But, when doing a remodel, you shouldn't HAVE to! "Making do" and "adapting" to something so dysfunctional should never be on anyone's radar in a kitchen redo. You do a remodel to get rid of the dysfunction!

@sahai6

True, Cirrus recommends a ceiling not higher than 8',
unless you build a housing (essentially a soffit) to lower the device to the
desired 8' height. Even with the
soffit, the Cirrus is does not interfere with viewing, and works well.
We have built built down from 12' ceilings to lower
the device to 8' very successfully.