An alternative to the unusual Elica ENT432BL 33 Inch Electric Induction Cooktop would be the well-regarded GE Profile PHP9030DJBB 30" Built-In Electric Induction Cooktop plus a Best D49M30SB 30 Inch Downdraft with Best PF6 600 CFM Internal Flex Blower for about the same total cost.

@JuneKnow yes, I am well aware of that opinion. Thank you but that wasn't the question. Looking for someone with personal experience with the model I described.

@wdccruise, we have considered this but we do not have the width clearance.

20.25" of front to back depth for the 33" Elica with 400cfm ventilation power. 10 level of power control.

Bosch 800 is 21-1/4" deep for the 30" model. It has 17 power levels for control.

The Best Cattura 30" is 2-1/4" deep. 300 to 1650cfm. And the inlet location is raised 15" or so above the cooking surface. Total space required 3-1/4" more thane the Elica.

Because of the major increase in performance I might consider modifying my island to get the needed extra 3+ inches of depth.

Cattura using 600cfm far burner.

@dan1888 I have a giant slab of granite. Not much modifying opportunity. It's not an option.

Sounds to me like the cut-out for your existing cooktop is dictating your choice here. What would you choose if you had no existing cut-out? Getting the cut-out size changed is a small cost towards the long-term benefits of better performance, imo. A 36" Bosch 800 or Miele cooktop and the matching Cattura is an easily achievable goal for you.

@dan1888 no its not. Our island is two tiered. The lower tier where the cooktop is located is not wide enough. It's not as simple as a cutout size. Trust me when I say we've explored all the options. Hence the question is not about finding alternatives to the island design but a review of the Elica cooktop. I really appreciate you trying to help out, but that is not the focus of the question.

Why not get rid of the tier? A single level island has so much more workspace.

Does anyone else find the product name offensive?

I am not seeking advice or options on island design. I am not redesigning my kitchen or my island. I am asking for personal experience with the cooktop. And if the name of a cooktop is offending you, you must be offended by many things. Ugh.

Put in an overhead hood. You know it’s the only real solution. You said so yourself. Downdrafts are useless. You might as well do nothing. The grease and odors are escaping all over the house now. If you want to change that, actually change that. Anything else is wasting money. No need to get snippy over a useless esoteric product that has no *real* buyers to review anything.

Clearly people can't read. Stick to the question or move on. I am not asking for a debate on downdraft and if I am getting snippy it's cause folks think I care about their opinion I did not ask for or get offended by cooktop names?! Wtf.

Did you end up buying one? I'd like to know about it too.

Actually, the question is partially answered by dan's link to the Elica video. The down draft is successfully pulling down steam that has nearly zero upward velocity. This might represent poaching fish, simmering vegetables, etc. The part not answered is what does the downdraft accomplish against hot steam and grease with an upward velocity of 0.5 to 1.2 meters/second --. this might represent searing meat or wok cooking -- and against intermediate plume velocities. In these cases, the down draft has to either entrain all of the plume in a downward air flow that exceeds the cooking plume velocity, or let the plume escape. It is the grease bearing plumes that coat ceilings, walls, and fabrics with grease and odor. Achieving such flow rates via a modest hole in the cooktop would require an extremely loud and powerful blower.

If you use this device or another like it, and cook as in the part not answered, either a ceiling vent or a significant flow wall vent will help clear some of the room air, but it will not fully ameliorate the grease condensation.

Bottom line: the question asked is answered by the design and physics, but depends on what is cooked.

@soulsu I’m curious if you bought the Elica and how well it’s worked for you. I’m also searching for a downdraft induction cooktop and finding many more options outside the US

Wow, no wonder @soulsu left the thread. Geez, he asked a simple question with no answers.. I'm considering the Elica NikolaTesla 36 inch induction with downdraft and just about ready to pull the trigger. So if soulsu is out there please let us know if you bought it, and your satisfaction with it. Thanks

Hello, well the Elica will be installed tomorrow. I'll be back on in a few weeks to let everyone know how it's going.

I am also considering the Elica, very interested in your likes &/or dislikes

I’m in Australia but keen for a review on this cooktop also

@Kylie Nelson: "I’m in Australia but keen for a review on this cooktop also"

Australians have more choices of induction cooktops with built-in ventilation.

So, does any actual user of the Elica have a review for it?

There are a few owners' reviews of the Elica ENS436BL and the similar Fisher Paykel CID364DTB4. The Bertazzoni PE364IDDNET is also similar but has no reviews.

Where are the reviews?

"Where are the reviews?"

Click on the number to the right of the stars.

This unit works great! downdraft works better that our old unit with a separate downdraft!

Laugable that the spammers think anyone is fooled by suddenly popping up with a positive review for something common sense and science proves does not work.

Really? I think the pro by your name is suspect...

Thank you, ed widick, for your detailed description. While the integrated central down-draft may be superior to the offset Broan (we need a fan curve for the Tesla for comparison), I expect an overhead hood aperture for high velocity rising cooking plumes (oil at the smoke point plus moisture as in wok cooking) to remain superior -- meaning fully effective at capture and containment. While schlieren photography might be a bridge too far for a residential cooking experience report, observation of peanut oil smoke capture (or missed capture) will be a bit more definitive than your "5X better" comment above.

That said, there is a difference here relative to the slot downdrafts and slot pop-up assemblies that are usually adopted in place of overhead hoods. As described in the 2003 ASHRAE Handbook, HVAC Applications, Chapter 30, flow velocity falls off rapidly away from the entry aperture as a factor of the minimum slot dimension. In the Tesla case, we have a circular vent with a larger dimension than I think most pop-ups/down-drafts achieve. This allows less flow choking and extends the air velocity contours farther above the cooktop surface.

So I am not surprised to read that it is more effective. What I doubt is that full capture occurs on effluent paths at pan edges radially away from the suction port. If you can report that searing and wok cooking plumes are fully captured without odor into the room or oil films onto surfaces, I will accept that Tesla has been successful at the cost of a hob space.

People that are delusional will never be convinced they are delusional by factual data.

We want to replace our dual fuel downdraft JennAir range and have been looking at cooktops with built-in downdraft. I would like 5 burners, but space is limited. So, it looks like the Tesla is an option. There is also one from Ikea: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/foernebo-induction-cooktop-w-downdraft-vent-70537757/ If anyone has the Ikea cooktop, please share your experience with it!

At $2000, the 36" IKEA FÖRNEBO is an incredible bargain over the Elica ENF436BLand Elica ENS436BLat $4300 and $5000, respectively. The IKEA cooktop induction elements have the same power as the Elica cooktops, includes the bridging function, and has a five year warranty.

Thanks for your feedback! What about the power of the Ikea downdraft? Do you know about that? I would appreciate some input on that, too. I need to weigh pros and cons of the Ikea vs. a 5 burner GE or Bosch with the separate popup, like the Best that has been recommended...

We appreciate how much better overhead really is, so I understand that advice. Unfortunately, our options for placement are limited. If we could find an effective overhead vent that wouldn't block our view (without costing a fortune, like the ones you can install in the ceiling and lower as needed) or that we could install where we now have skylights above, we might consider it....So, I think we are stuck with a downdraft (hey, we've been living with the JennAir downdraft for years, so I know how they function).

Looks like the poster may no longer be here, but can anyone explain why she thought the name is offensive?

I am the person who originally posted. I am not the one that was offended by the name. Someone else had posted something regarding the name. People are offended for so many ridiculous things now, I didn't bother asking.

On a side note, I ended up having an overhead vent installed over an induction. We cook a lot and could not find a downdraft vent that was powerful enough to keep the air in our home free from particulates that can cause health issues. We chose health over style and then realized, once installed, that it did not look as horrible as I feared.

That’s mildly amusing. Glad you ended up with something that works!

I'm curious what Soulsu chose for the overhead. Also, I thought I'd mention for anyone interested that JennAir has a new downdraft induction cooktop but I believe the price for it is even higher than the Tesla!

You might as well not even vent as do one of those downdraft things. Grease and smells go everywhere.

"JennAir has a new downdraft induction cooktop"

Discontinued.

@Tony C, Could you please share your review on Elicia?