Numbersjunkie - you can pull the hood out and put behind it a 2x4 or 2x6 filler piece, then wrap the bottom and up the sides of that filler piece with a strip of stainless steel - you can get these cut to order at Home Depot.

Here is a link to a thread with some useful information from Capecodcook and Jamesk. Jamesk's solution was to pull out the hood, and install a 3" stainless steel spacer between the back of the hood and the wall, sealing off the gap. Unfortunately Jamesk's second photo with the detail of the stainless steel filler is not showing up, but perhaps his description and/or Capecodcook's will help you.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2292345/bumping-out-the-range-hood

new beginning - outside vent, not recirculating

Shannon - I think that would work to make cleaning easier, but I'm mostly concerned about the depth of the hood after we bump it out as much as we would need to. If the cabinets come out past where the flat part on top ends, I think it will look funny and be hard to clean that section.

Did you rule out the IKEA under cabinet hood, the Eventuell hood?

I don't have 15" deep cabinets but my hood is 24" deep. I've never bumped my head on it while cooking. The hood is 30" above the range and I'm 5'8".

Numbersjunkie - I am sorry, I did not follow you when you say you are concerned about the depth of the hood, and that it will look funny with a bump-out, Can you explain a little better?

The depth of the hood you linked is only 21" - not particularly deep, and likely not providing much coverage for cooking on the front burners. If you do a bump out, you'll add about 3", so you are just covering the 24" cooktop, which is ideal.

That hood, by the way, needs a 7" duct according to the specs. I suspect that the duct you have which went from your previous OTR MW is smaller than that. If so, you will need to switch the duct to the 7" (or an 8" which is more common) while the walls are open during your kitchen reno. If you do not, your hood will be very noisy and not exhaust as efficiently as it could because the duct is too small.

I just read the thread Shannon provided and its making me feel better about the 24 inch projection. I guess I should try to mock it up or find a display like that to be sure. And yes, frideajune I did notice the vent requirement. We are moving the range from its current location anyway so we can change the vent size then. It goes up through the attic so there should be no problem.

Omelet, I don't think the Ikea vent you linked would give me the look I am after (traditional). I worry about the quality of their appliances as well.

Does anyone know if Zephyr is a good brand? Anything else on the specs that should make me pause? I was looking at a Broan hood too before I saw the Zephyr on sale, so any comments on that brand? We had a bathroom fan from Broan and it didnt last long.

We used a Zephyr in our last remodel (Venezia) and I was very happy with it. We had mesh, but I think it comes with baffles now. It was 24" deep which was great for capturing the front burners I had it mounted at 69" so I could clear it, DH only had to hit it once ;)

Yeah people only have to hit it once. Or a few times. I dunno. They are always way over MY head. I just judge by the swearing. That hood has rounded edges at least. :)

You'll have an overhang issue with most hoods with those cabinets, but the hood will cover more stove so it's a good problem. (So says the short person.) It'll still not extend past the counter.

Numbers junkie that's a fantastic price! I have the 36" Zephyr Gust with baffles over my 30" induction range. It is the first time I have had a hood vented outside. I Love love love it! My kitchen was finished this Spring so I can't speak to longevity. When I was planning the reno, Zephyr was well spoken about by several GWers. I fell for its simple lines and curved corners. Our local code allows 400 CFMs as the highest I could go without having to do makeup air. I do lots of cooking but seldom need the highest fan speed. It does a good job clearing odors and grease. The baffles aren't tough to clean--I believe they can go in the dishwasher although I have chosen to wash them in my big sink.

Friedajune is right about being careful to use the manufacturers recommended duct size. Our contractor had installed a 6" duct when I walked into the kitchen. GWers immediately answered my quickly penned question about a smaller duct size and urged me to insist it be changed. A call to the Zephyr manufacturer agreed it should be changed for efficiency, noise level, and longevity. Our contractor changed it out without a problem. I am so glad he did! He also changed out the outside noisy flap for a quieter one that only rustles when it is extremely windy outside. That is a worthwhile thing for you to explore. He was a good guy!

The Zephyr's halogen lights put out some heat with the light. It isn't bad though and our local Lowes carries that model halogen light bulbs. Overall I am very pleased with the Zephyr Gust. It was a good decision! Keep us posted on what you choose.

I have a Zephyr 30 inch Pyramid hood over my 30 inch induction range. I've had it 2 1/2 years now. It is 400 CFM. I frequently wash the filters in the dishwasher and they come out looking the same as new. I would have loved a chimney style but we weren't replacing cabinets and everything. Just new counter tops, appliances and a few other changes. This model sort of has the chimney look for those of us that need an under cabinet one. I use mine a lot and have no complaints. Zephyr Pyramid

That is the hood I plan to get (36"). I read a review on Amazon that says you can replace the halogen bulbs with Philips GU10 M16 LED bulbs.

Pippiep I had read a caution about replacing with LED. Someone caused a hood problem doing so. (For some reason the word "melted" ? stuck in my mind.). Before I could explore the particulars, life happened here, I got used to the halogens, and haven't spent the time to find out the real scoop.

Oh wow, not worth the risk then!

I have had a Zephyr Vortex over my induction range since 2012 and have been quite happy with it.

http://zephyronline.com/products/essentials_power/vortex_1_pc_liner

I just wanted to update everyone on what I decided. I really struggled with the idea that I would have to bump this out from the wall to deal with IKEA's 15" deep wall cabinets and whether the 24" projection ( 21" + extra 3" depth of bump out) it would be in the way. I decided to forgo the cabinet above the vent (useless anyway) and just have DH build a bulk head where the cabinet would be but at the standard 12" depth. That also gives me more flexibility to set the height of the hood exactly where I want it. I saw a picture like this and thought it looked nice - actually more interesting than everything being the same depth all the way across. I could always cover the bulkhead with an IKEA door front or side panel to make it all match. Or I might do something totally different there - cover it with tile, hang plates on the front or something else decorative. Post pics if you come across any that might provide some inspiration!

A side note- When we went back to buy the hood I found that the store did not have the utensil rack that is supposed to come with it. Not really sure I will actually use it, but I emailed Zephyr to explain that I was buying a floor model with the rack missing and asking if that part could be purchased separately. Lo and behold, they emailed me back right away and told me to send them the serial number of the hood and my address and they would send me one at no charge. Way to go Zephyr!

I also asked about switching out the halogen light bulbs with equivalent LEDs. They said I could but the LED light would not be dimmable so the light would only work at one setting. Not sure if they realized that you can buy dimmable LED bulbs but at least they didn't tell me it could damage the unit or "melt" as tea4all mentioned hearing. Again, not sure if I will look into getting LED bulbs - but at least not right away if the halogens work fine for me.

So I now have my first official purchase for the new kitchen - which is planned to start next fall after the summer rental season is over. Nest step is to figure out where to put the microwave since I won't be doing the dreaded over range version!

Thanks to everyone who provided guidance and suggestions!

Congrats & +1 for Zephyr's customer service!

Numbersjunkie Do you have a picture of how it turned out?