To go over a Wolf 36 inch open burner gas rangetop, would appreciate having your input whether to get a Wolf or a Modernaire hood and liner/motor. Does either one have a "better" set of motors/baffles? In each case I'm thinking 650 CFM internal. No grill or griddle and any pan searing would be done on one of the two middle burners. Any reason to believe the stainless steel on the Wolf hood would match the RT better than the stainless steel on the Modernaire? Would appreciate any thoughts . . . .

You need to check the specs and make sure that all of the wood is covered by metal if you choose a smaller insert. I don't think the Broan you're talking about here will do that. It's a fire hazard otherwise. Choosing a wood hood is never a cheap choice. $1200 honestly is not a bad price at all for an insert with the capabilities that you need. Then there's the 2-3K for the wood surround. And the ducting, if it's not in place. And the electrical work, and the time intensive work of the cabinet installer to make it all work together. By the time you add up all of those additional costs that you're not thinking about here, that little bit of difference between something that might do the job, and something that will do the job is negligible. If you want to go cheaper, do a stainless chimney hood or an old fashioned under cabinet stainless steel hood.

After much research, I just ordered the Best by Broan liner for inside of my custom hood. Will order a Broan blower (either inline or exterior. Appliance salesman and contractor will work together to let me try inline first, and if it doesn't perform well enough, get the exterior.) Link to the liner is below. Best by Broan is Boran's upgraded line. This was a really important decision, so I would've paid anything. I looked at every high-end brand, and found that the Best by Broan was the only one that met my specific needs. I chose it because: 1) The option to attach to an inline (this goes in the attic) blower, or an exterior wall or roof mounted blower. These 2 blower options allow for quieter operation, and, especially in the case of the exterior blower, more CFMs for greater smoke capture and removal. 2) The size. 58"+ is 18" wider than our 36" Wolf with griddle. It might be overkill, but ours will be mounted higher than the ideal 30-36", and I wanted the extra width for capture. 3) The baffles. Easier to clean than mesh, like the look, and GWers explained that baffles are probably quieter than mesh. They also explained that the wider the baffled liner, the quieter, b/c the air can rush into more baffles at one time. This was another reason I chose the 58" width. 4) 4 fan speeds, 4-level lighting, lights and controls are well laid out, like the four 50w halogens. 5) The wall switch option. It's important to note, if you want a wall switch to operate your blower, that some brands either don't offer one, or the wall switch actually disables some functions (like multi-level lighting) once it's installed. This was the case with a basic Broan, which is why we chose instead the Best by Broan. 6) During decision time, the Broan/Best by Broan tech department was really helpful, knowledgable, and available. Good luck, and try posting in appliances, too. Those guys are incredibly knowledgable and helpful. Here is a link that might be useful: Best by Broan Liner

I am the resident expert only because real HVAC systems engineers don't frequent this forum, as far as I know. Noise introduced into the kitchen will be significantly reduced if an external blower with silencer can be fitted. A lot of the high frequency blade tip turbulence caused noise will be removed. This is also true of an in-line (duct mounted) blower. The issue of the neighbor is difficult to assess. What is the configuration of his or her windows relative to your potential external blower (1500 CFM I assume you meant). Your own window sound transmission is also an unknown. Generally, the external noise could be abated by (a) using a silencer on each side of a duct mounted in-line blower, or (b), using a deliberately under-driven* "up-blast" commercial blower (mounted as a side blast). (I think opaone is using an under-driven blower for his new system.) It is also possible to use a chase to move the blower up to roof level. I have a 1500 CFM nominal Wolf (Broan) blower on my roof. Its sound level is detectable but not obtrusive from the ground, but it might be if in a wall location where the sound is "trapped" between two houses. Possibly a more expensive but similar in design Abbaka downslope unit would be marginally quieter. ------ * commercial blowers of this type can use a pulley system between motor and fan that allows for different ratios. By choosing a ratio that operates the fan blades below their rated speed when the motor is receiving maximum voltage, significant turbulence noise can be avoided. The physical cost is a larger unit than would otherwise be required for the desired flow rate. Residential blower fans are directly coupled to their motors.