The All Clad "D5" series is optimized for induction and now has a curved pouring lip on the edge. Supposedly there is an extra middle layer of magnetic stainless. That might help on the bottom, but once you go up the sides and out of the magnetic field? There the aluminum helps, especially on slanted or curved sides of medium and shallow pans. Still, for large stockpots I think that All Clad is overkill, and would suggest the IKEA 365+ that David had good luck with.. I'm not sure if they go beyond 11 qts. so a nice commercial stock pot like this 16qt one for $44.32- http://www.webstaurantstore.com/16-qt-heavy-duty-stainless-steel-stockpot-with-cover/922SSPOT16.html One of the best articles on cookware in general is at :http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/25717-understanding-stovetop-cookware/ But that doesn't get into induction, it just explains how the various size/shape of pans and materials conduct and hold heat. There is some discussion on page 21 of the Q.& A. about induction cookware. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/25718-qa-understanding-stovetop-cookware/page__st__600. They seemed to like the discontinued Mauviel induc'inox line. ------------------------------------------------------------ Since then.... The folks at Chowhound have listed the ultimate induction pan- the deBuyer Prima Matera. Induction on the bottom, 2mm. copper on the sides and stainless on the inside. Others, looking for some color, like the Chantal Copper Fusion. Here is a link that might be useful: Debuyer Induction Copper Cookware video

When the effluent rises it has some velocity, and hence momentum. When it enters the hood it has a tendency to "reflect" and curl downward and potentially escape. If the hood is deep enough (top to bottom) and the hood fan flow is high enough (cfm) the curling effluent will remain captured and will be exhausted. The barrel design in the picture looks to me (without examining one) like it has adequate depth. W.r.t. ya think's question a few messages up: First I would say that the change from vertical to horizontal should be as large a radius curve as you can fit to minimize pressure loss (as well as noise). The effluent momentum (which is a vector) is being changed in direction. This is akin to stopping it and starting it up again. If it can slide along a curve, the momentum loss is significantly less. There is one commercial ducting source I came across once that uses 90-degree transitions, but embeds a curved shape within the duct to improve the flow. I find it hard to answer the question of what questions to ask. Usually, the answers aren't available. Ideally, one would want to know the fan curve (flow vs. static pressure) and try to estimate all the pressure losses (including the pressure one might pull the house down to with or without make-up air) to see what the real maximum flow rate will be. This can then be compared against estimates of effluent generation rate calculated from the reference below. The power used might be adjusted to represent your cooking style, as rarely would one have all burners on maximum and cooking at the highest pan temperature. One thing is certain, flow rate in the hood has to at least equal the flow rate from all the active burners and pans, and arguably should be higher due to imperfect effluent collection. Implied above is that the hood manufacturer can supply pressure loss of the filters vs. flow rate, as well as that of the hood transitions. Getting that data, even if it were ever measured, would be unlikely, me thinks. I suggest that various hoods be "audited" in showrooms to gain a feel for their noisiness versus their designs. The reference worth reading, even if one doesn't intend to use it for calculations, is "Thermal plumes of kitchen appliances: part 2 cooking mode," by Risto, Hannu, and Pekka. (I've found it on-line whenever I've looked for it. Part 1 is also interesting.) If you do use it for calculations, please note the following apparent errors in their Equation 1: The constant should be 0.05 not 5. The units of phi should be kW, not W. (these corrections make their tables consistent with the equation) You will need a scientific calculator or counterpart software to do the exponents (unless you are very old school and know how to do logarithms). You will also need to convert BTU to kW and cubic meters per second to cubic feet per minute. This is left as an exercise for the student. [insert sociopathic laugh here] kas

Well, "any" is potentially a very small amount, and I'm sure that there is some slight amount. My attic, however, is vented all around the periphery, at the ridge, and also with an attic fan housing. Ice dams at the roof edges tend to occur when the outside air warms up during the day and heats the snow bottom up through the vents instead of top down. In my present half-completed configuration, the ~ 2 x 2 ft heat exchanger sits above a Cooley and Hart 3 x 3 diffuser in a hall ceiling. There is a furnace filter taped down on top of the heat exchanger. This style of filter (Honeywell Filtrete) needs significant pressure drop to move much air through it, and I was pleased to observe that warm air doesn't seem to rise through it in the winter, or hot attic air settle through it in the summer. The sides of the heat exchanger and its plumbing are buried in insulation. When kitchen fans are running and the house is closed up, air is pulled through and the thermostats, the larger-than-typical-size Taco pump, and the furnace controls do their thing to heat the air. (The circuit is capable of well over 100k BTU/hr depending on furnace and air temperature.) The problem, as I have pointed out a few times here, is that pulling air through a filter and heat exchanger requires a pressure drop -- a drop too large for combustion appliance safety. My only combustion appliance is an oil furnace, and it now uses its own MUA system to avoid back-drafting. Nevertheless, if I were to run both kitchen fans at once at full power expecting all flow to be made up through the heat exchanger without fan boost (possibly 1400 actual cfm with restricted MUA), the pressure drop in the house causes some furnace exhaust to be pulled into the house via tiny cracks not normally relevant when there is a positive draft, so I don't do dat without an opened window. My intention is to duct the heat exchanger to a mushroom air intake already installed on my roof via an axial in-line fan and a four-inch pleated filter caddy so that at the maximum possible flow rate (possibly 2000 cfm, say) the house pressure can be balanced and all the MUA comes from outside without mingling with the attic air. A damper may be needed, although as noted, the Filtrete coating will be pretty resistant to air passage without some deliberate pressure drop from the in-line fan. kas

Also do not recommend a Blue Star. Had a Lacanche for 11 years and loved it. Moved to a new home with a 36" blue star and it is really terrible. The burners flame out, the oven is 36" wide but not that tall making it a pain to put dutch ovens in it and out, takes FOREVER to heat up, roast veg just don't turn out that well (typically undercooked), it's hard to get a low simmer. Yes, the burners are powerful but they have no meaningful range and the power isn't necessary. My Lacanche made great stir fry. Also have to rotate food more in oven to prevent burning. Some of these problems may be oven size and not blue star specific but I've cooked on other 36" ovens in rentals long ago and didn't have as much trouble with the oven. It seems to be made with solid materials but the putting together of those isn't that well done. I'm glad I got a Lacanche all those years ago when we remodeled out first kitchen. Our new home wasn't as lucky. Missing my Lacanche Volnay.