Hi lydiacaitlin No decision yet...was considering Kobe but on doing more research, realized I would dislike cleaning the fan blades and grease trap of the quieter squirrel cage design I was considering....I have been looking at ModernAire and Rangecraft too (waiting on price info with fingers crossed) Seems crazy spending more on a range hood than I did on my 36" pro-style range (got at a going out of business sale for $2500) However, noise and ability to remove effluent is very important to me with an open floor plan. I was hoping the new IQ blower Best might be a good mid priced option, however I would like to to hear from someone who actually has one...

>>>>>How is the function, noise, etc? Is it annoying keeping that glass clean? The hood works well. I guess it's a bit loud but I only need to use it on "High" occasionally. I don't really have much basis for comparison. I had to truncate the stainless flue covers because they are intended for an 8' to 10' ceiling height. The soffit conceals a structural beam, so I was unable to eliminate it...resulting in a 7' ceiling along that wall (the ceiling is sloped). Insofar as the glass...I'm not certain if you're asking about the glass backsplash or the glass hood but in either case, they are no more difficult to keep clean than any other kitchen surface. Tipsy

Now that I'm back home, I think its a miracle I've never burned myself on that lamp -- but so far, I haven't. The rocker switch is directly in front of the knob that varies fan speed. The right side lamp is about 2" to the right of them. Somehow, just far enough away to miss. As you can see from robj's second photo, there is a small concave capture area underneath the hood where the baffles are canted at an angle. Its adequate. Sure helps to turn the hood on before smoke appears. Depending on your cooktop burner layout (and cook's height), it could help to set this hood forward a couple inches. We have 7" diameter round ducts (I'm sure there's a good reason for this, but no idea what that was). A gradual 90 degree bend to the right, then a straight shot 6 ft. out the wall. Tried running on highest speed with the baffles in and out -- perhaps a tad quieter with baffles removed, but not enough of a difference to notice, I'd say. To whine once more about those lamps: Its a trivial thing, but they symbolize how little pressure Broan must have felt from competing products, to not upgrade those ridiculous lamps to a more usable screw-in style (like a PAR20). This is not so much Broan's fault as a sign of scant incentive to improve products in a backwater industry.

The Way to cheap price was a misprint on the company's Canadian site. The 900 cfms are only half the price of a broan. Strange how paying more actually makes me feel better about the product. The company assured me that they don't vibrate so I went ahead and ordered one. Would still be interested in your comments on the two different design though. thanks.