Very interesting about the Benchmark line. Thanks for the info! Strange, I thought the Bosch 800 NGM8654UC had a 17K BTU center burner because that's what it says on ajmadison, but now I see 18K everywhere else. It looks like the 36" cooktop will be around $1550 which is not too much more than the 800 series MSRP $1300, but the single wall ovens will be closer to $3K, which might be too much additional $$. Do you think there will be rebates or sales after the Benchmarks come out in April (on Benchmarks on on Bosch in general)? I'm now leaning towards Bosch for cooktop, dishwasher, and single wall oven. Built-in refrigerator too, if I'm convinced about paying a premium for built-in vs a counter depth (Kitchenaid, for example). I'm also not sure how to avoid a Bosch microwave while avoiding a strange mix in the wall oven cabinet (if in the wall). We had a convection microwave before, and while I reheat things in it all the time, I never used it as an oven, so a cheap microwave seems like the best idea. I'm at a loss where to put the MW, though.

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.

The idea of make-up air is that no air is pulled out of the kitchen via the hood that isn't replaced with low differential pressure between the house exterior and the kitchen. This requires either a very leaky house and low CFM kitchen hood, or a deliberate path that may or may not need a blower of its own. Hence, MUA typically consists of a duct inlet, duct, filter, (optional* blower and optional silencer), damper (possibly controlled), heater (optional in mild climates), and a diffuser** to direct the MUA in a direction where it can approach the hood with minimal turbulence as well as not "short circuiting" the hood in its function of capturing and containing the rising cooking plumes. Please read the first dozen or so pages of the Greenheck Guide at this link for understanding the basic concepts that residential kitchen ventilation attempts to approximate from the commercial world. https://www.tagengineering.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/KVSApplDesign_catalog.pdf ____ *By optional blower is meant that to avoid back-drafting combustion appliances where present and not provided with their own MUA, a blower is needed to compensate for duct, filter, heater, diffuser, etc. pressure losses. ** See Hart and Cooley catalog to see the difference between the preferred diffuser vs. a typical register. Of course, if the MUA is introduced in another room, the means of introduction can be much more casual than when introduced into the kitchen. Kitchen hood measurement laboratories use perforated walls across the otherwise empty test room to introduce low turbulence MUA when appropriate.

Selected the Bosch Benchmark 36" Induction with the stainless trim. Saleslady took a bit of time to explain the differences to us. Just like the Thermador, I can put multiple pots on at one time, no limit to the number other than I what I can fit. She said the learning curve was pretty quick. Bosch knows a lot about electronics, has a history in Europe with induction and a very similar repair rate as GE according to Yale Appliance. I went with Bosch Benchmark. So, that decision has been made. No sooner do you solve one problem as you encounter another. The blower. I bought the 36" Zephyr Downdraft to replace the old Dacor. It was either that or the Best. I don't care. They both have 18" telescoping hoods when fully deployed. As an example, my old Dacor will only telescope to 8". Hopefully, this will help with some more capture. I know it's not perfect, but it's best I can do in this particular kitchen. Here is the next problem. I already have a remote blower. It's a hybrid between an in-line and external blower. I think this application is more common in the South than elsewhere. The blower is located on the interior side of the exterior wall. An external cover is located on the outside wall of the house. The blower parts are just inside the wall. Is that in-line or external? Who the hell really knows. Anyhow, here is the problem. I already have a blower fan unit functioning and installed. The appliance lady wants me to order a new, separate blower motor. Isn't a motor a motor? Isn't a fan a fan? Why do I need a new external or remote blower unit? This goes for any brand that I might choose to install. It seems to me that electricity and wiring and motors don't care. Could someone tell me why I am wrong? I hate to pay $1,000 for a motor that I don't need.