Replacing old 46.5" Jenn-Air cooktop with downdraft

9 years ago

I have a 30+ year old Jenn-Air electric cooktop with downdraft which is on its last legs. Originally we were going to remodel the entire kitchen, including replacing all the cabinets (which need it), but our budget has just shrunken considerably and now we are considering keeping all the cabinets in place and replacing only the appliances for now.

Unfortunately, my appliances are all old and the cut-outs don't fit any of today's standard sizes. It looks as if we may be able to trim our wall oven cabinet to accept a 27 inch oven (my oven is 26 inches), but I am wondering if we will have to replace the countertop in order to put in a new cooktop, as ours is 46.5 inches and nothing will fit into that space exactly.

So I have a few questions:

Can the existing countertop be trimmed to allow a 48 inch cooktop?

Can downdraft be used with gas? The cooktop is not against an exterior wall, and it may or may not be vented outside; I don't know. It's a downdraft system, but cold air comes inside through the grill in wintertime.

Our other option is to replace the countertops and put in a 36 inch induction cooktop with a downdraft. That option would not require running gas (cost savings) and the cooktop would be less expensive, but it would require new countertops. I'm not sure how that would work out cost-wise in the end.

Featured Answer

jwvideo

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

>>>"If we do end up replacing the countertop, will we have problems installing a 36 inch cooktop in a 48 inch cabinet? #1 on my list for induction is the 36" Wolf"<<<

Not a problem with a 48" base cabinet. Actually, your choice of a Wolf cooktop avoids problems even if you later decide to replace that 48" base cabinet with a 36" one. IIRC, Wolf thoughtfully designed their cooktops to need cut-outs a bit less than 34½" inches. (That is for the subsurface box containing the burner components, control electronics and mechanicals like fans.) Other brands are a much tighter fit if they aren't too wide altogether for a standard 36" base cabinet. Remember that the 36" measurement is the outside dimension; the interior space is diminished by the thickness of the side walls which, depending on what the cabinet is made from, will be something between 1¼ and 1½" narrower than the outside dimension. That's the subject of the discussion at theinductionsite.com that I referenced above.)

But, maybe, your concern was weight of very-full extremely large pots on the cooktop? Are you planning on boiling 10 gallons of wort in a huge brewing kettle? Making 10 gallons of pasta at a time? Frankly, I'd be more concerned about the weight-carrying limitations of the cooktop's ceram/glass surface. (Some cooktop's use and care guides caution against pots which, with contents, weigh more than 50 pounds.) Of course, if you need "belt-and-suspenders" reassurance, you just add a couple cross braces at the top of the cabinet on either side of the cutout.

>>>"I think I would prefer frameless, but in another thread I read that it's
harder to lift out that cooktop if we were to replace our cabinets
later." <<<

Why lift out the cooktop when will you will be immediately putting those countertops back on top of the new base cabinets when and if you swap the base cabinets? We've always left cooktops and sinks in the counters when lifting countertops that we intend to put back on. It might l be a different matter with a pop-up downdraft vent. (Yes, you will want venting even with induction.) The one time I had to work on telecoping downdraft vent, it was pretty easy to disconnect the countertop=portion from the rest of the unit. That may not be true of all of them. Something to check on when shopping.
>>>"we're just trying to make the right decision as far as timing goes."<<<

I'd be inclined to replace laminate countertops now, all other things being equal. Laminate counters are very serviceable without being expensive. Generally, laminate is pretty easy to work with. Usually not expensive if you need/want custom sizes or counter shapes. Can do a lot to pep up a well used kitchen. Also, much easier to install a new cooktop and telescoping downdraft in a new counter than trying to fabricate a temporary set-up over the old, longer but narrower cut-out. (IIRC. the old Jenn Airs had two 3 to 4 inch vent grates in between the 3 pairs of burners, which is what resulted in the odd length of the unit. An add-on downdraft will need to sit at the back of the cooktop, and you thus wind up needing a very different cutout.

BTW, have you seen the threads from the last year or two here where there were discussions of how to install a range hood to connect with the old down-draft vent's ducting?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

jwvideo
9 years ago
This topic comes up here from time to time. Amazing how many of those big-old units were sold by Jenn Air.

The usual suggestion for avoiding a countertop replacement/kitchen rebuild has been to fabricate an insert/overlay to adapt the old 46.5" cut-out to hold a current, smaller cooktop (or cooktops). Some suggestions have included making butcher block overlay (which will put the cooktop an inch or two higher and may pose ergonomic problems) or having a metal shop fabricate a stainless steel insert and frame that holds the new cooktop but covers the gaps. A stainless-steel frame probably won't be terrifically expensive if the existing counterop is not otherwise a problem.

Last fall, somebody here came up with an induction replacement that involved a long downdraft and a stainless insert that held a 4 burner 30" induction cooktop and a 2-burner induction cooktop, the combination of which filled the 46" cut-out for the old Jenn AIr. IIRC, they really wanted the extra long cooktop space but did not want to replace the countertops. Sorry, I can't find the thread at the moment.

>>>Can the existing countertop be trimmed to allow a 48 inch cooktop?<<<

Maybe. What is your present countertop made of? Laminate/formica? Stone? Tile? Butcherblock or wood? How much longer is the countertop than the base cabinet?

The bigger problem will be with the base-cabinet frame below. If you have a 48" wide base cabinet beneath that downdraft Jenn AIr, the interior space may not be wide enough to hold any of the 48" gas cooktops you are considering. Have you checked cooktop installation instructions to find out what is required for bottom clearances? If you have not already seen it, theinductionsite.com has a pretty good discussion of these kinds of issues at:

http://theinductionsite.com/replace-combos.shtml

>>>Can downdraft be used with gas? The cooktop is not against an exterior wall, and it may or may not be vented outside;<<<

It is possible. That does not make it a good idea. With a JennAir style of a cooktop level vent, it will just suck the flames away from the pots you are trying want to heat. Instead, look for a telescoping-type of downdraft (a/k/a "pop-up.") The higher the rise the better. I've seen some that rise up to put the intakes around 18" above the countertop/cooktop. Unfortunately, the higher the rise, the higher the cost.

As for running a 48" gas cooktop without exterior venting --- personally, I think that would be just plain nuts. Are you looking at those big gas cooktops for any reason other than it it is really hard to find anything else that could fill the space of the present old-Jenn Air?
amgboord
Original Author
9 years ago
Yes, I was just trying to look for something that would fill the space and in our vision for renovating the kitchen (whenever that happens), we did originally want gas, so that's why I was considering 48" gas cooktops. A 48" inch cooktop *would* prove highly useful to us, since we have a large family, but it's not an idea that I'm married to. And it's not like I'm going to have to force myself to downsize to a 5 burner induction cooktop; only 2 burners work on our big old Jenn-Air right now. If I want to make pasta *and* sauce, I have to use a tiny burner to boil the water, which takes a good 30 minutes or more. So anything is really an improvement.

We have laminate countertops that, frankly, need to be replaced. But since our cabinets also need to be replaced and we can't do that right now, we're just trying to make the right decision as far as timing goes.

If we do end up replacing the countertop, will we have problems installing a 36 inch cooktop in a 48 inch cabinet? #1 on my list for induction is the 36" Wolf. I think I would prefer frameless, but in another thread I read that it's harder to lift out that cooktop if we were to replace our cabinets later.
Related Discussions
New Jenn-air downdraft cooktop
Q
Comments (10)
We had our 5 burner Jenn Air JX3 (the newest) gas downdraft installed three weeks ago. Here is my unbiased review. We love the profile; the grates are a perfect height, not too clunky, but high enough so you can see what the flames are doing. We love the layout of the burners. The knobs are high quality. The downdraft works much better than we anticipated. We had originally ruled out the downdraft because of slight pulling on the flame when we tried a showroom model. But, after months of looking at several possibilities, we went with the Jenn Air. (The cost was considerably less for us than if we had to go with a telescoping downdraft installation; my husband feared that a telescoping downdraft would stop working and we'd be stuck with a particular cut out in brand new counters; we pulled out an old oak hood that held a lighting fixture and fell in love with the openness and light so did not want to install a huge hood no matter how stylish; our cooktop is in a peninsula, and we did not want to change the footprint; etc. etc.) We knew that we were making a ventilation compromise, but for our needs, the downdraft is actually working really well. If you sear sirloins on a regular basis, this probably wouldn't be the right choice. Now, here is the downside (no pun intended). One of the igniters didn't work properly upon installation, and this created a gas odor. After a few days, the grate for the largest burner started to chip off large chunks of the enamel coating. And I mean large. After another few days, a chip appeared on the downdraft grate. After a few more days, the downdraft motor stopped working. It then started up again after we tried it about two hours later, and it has never presented a problem after the service technician came out and saw that our installer hadn't fulled taped the vent tubing. We fixed that, and it seems that the motor was working too hard because of this "hole." The amazing part of what must sound like a real downer to someone reading this review is how incredibly efficient, fast and apologetic Jenn-Air's customer service has been. They immediately sent out a technician to replace the igniter. Problem solved. I already told you about the vent "hole" which the same technician returned to discover. Problem solved. They have send replacement grates which I have not yet used. Hopefully problem solved. So, we hope that the worst just happened in one painful "Oh my God what piece of junk did we just spend $1,700 plus installation and gas line moving costs of $675 on" swoop, and that we will now just enjoy our really sleek, even cooking, multi btu'd and actually really fun cooktop. Can I wholeheartedly say, "Oh yeah, you should go with the new Jenn-Air"? Well. . . . Only if you are a patient non-hysteric for whom the pluses will far far far outweigh the possible issues. We are, strangely enough, happy with our purchase now that the kinks have been worked out.
...See More
Jenn-Air 30" JX3 Gas Downdraft Cooktop
Q
Comments (2)
Thanks scole250, it's a log house so going through the walls is not an option. There are ceiling fans and lots of windows (there is a sun room a couple of feet away as well where the walls are nothing but opening windows) so the air can really move when the downdraft isn't up to the job (it's not great but it does part of the job). Actually while writing this response it occurs to me the house smells wonderful (curry) and the RH at the stove is 25% (cold outside and there's a fire in the wood stove) so maybe we don't need a solution. No solution is an option I never considered...until now.
...See More
Replaced downdraft cooktop with non-downdraft cooktop...help
Q
Comments (2)
If it was a choice between having a recirculating system or venting through the garage, the latter would definitely be my choice. You shouldn't vent into the garage itself. Vent to an outside wall of your garage or perhaps you could go out the garage roof. Can you return your purchased hood vent in favor of something that would work with your existing ductwork? Possibly using an external or in-line blower if that would work? In my situation, my ductwork runs from an interior wall up two flights, attic to an external blower on the roof. It has 3 elbows as well but works well. A better option than reusing my old downdraft or a recirculation system IMO.
...See More
options to replace JennAir downdraft cooktop?
Q
Comments (6)
We have a microwave/ vent and I do not like it. It does not actually vent to the outside and seems to be no more than a weak fan if we have any smoke that needs to be handled. I am not sure if the contractor installed it improperly or if this is the norm. I am harping to get a hood vent and have it installed in the future and ditch the microwave vent. Good luck
...See More
Laura-Ann Quinones
2 years ago
I'd love to know what the OP ended up doing. I'm in the same boat now.
HU-962590251
last year
Me, too/
kaseki
last year
Putting "@amgboord" into your comment will have a better chance of reaching the OP than just commenting into a resurrected old thread. Hovering over the OP's name above a comment will show additional information.
0
HU-414802191
3 days ago
I have the same problem, We have granite counter tops. Hole cutout fits a 47 inch drop in downdraft. Jenn Air frame is stainless. It is 46 years old. Have had burners replaced and rewired. Purchased drip pans online and a cartridge from EBay. I think I smell burned wires sometimes. Sure have enjoyed having it. Grill was too messy. Looks brand new. Sit hot pots on the butcher block. Just the two of us now and getting too old to cook. A couple of burners won't work when you cut it lower than med heat. I don't want to spend the money to redo cabinets, and counter tops. We plan to stay home as long as we can. renovated the master bath to accommodate a wheelchair.
0

Replacing old 46.5" Jenn-Air cooktop with downdraft

jwvideo

Comments (7)

jwvideo

amgboord
Original Author

Related Discussions

Laura-Ann Quinones

HU-962590251

kaseki

HU-414802191

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Replacing old 46.5" Jenn-Air cooktop with downdraft

jwvideo

Comments (7)

jwvideo

amgboordOriginal Author

Related Discussions

Laura-Ann Quinones

HU-962590251

kaseki

HU-414802191

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

amgboord
Original Author