The wok will generate a rising effluent velocity of around 3 feet per second, or 180 feet per minute. If the hood aperture is 3 ft x 2 ft or 6 square feet, and the actual air flow really were 600 cfm, the air velocity would average 100 feet per minute over the aperture. If the hood aperture uses a mesh filter at the aperture, the first bounce of the rising effluent off the mesh will be downward and not all of it will be immediately captured, much less contained. With a "pro-style" hood or commercial hood, the first bounce of the effluent is generally upward toward the baffles where the local velocity is rising while the upward momentum of the effluent is falling. In such a case the actual air velocity can surpass the effluent velocity after the next bounce and containment is achieved, even for that part of the effluent that bounces off the baffle surface. In other words, the adequacy of a given cfm in an application will depend on a lot of factors, and one of them is the hood design. For noise, it would be best to compare the hoods in operation. Applications where a remote blower can be used, particularly with enough duct length and space to add an in-line sound suppressor, will be quieter than applications where the blower is in the hood, due to suppression of blade tip noise, assuming similar fan designs. kas

alas DH keeps asking why we can't have the microwave OTR, so I've looked into the Advantium. He says we can't do the 240, too hard to get a separate circuit, but I'll compromise and go with the 120. I was going to put the microwave in a cabinet, but that was when the cooktop was in an island. Now that I'm going with the GE Profile double oven freestanding range, it has to against the wall, so my whole design has to change. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the puzzle pieces changed size and shape!

I'm getting some great feedback here. Thanks! We won't actually mount the range hood until the cabinets go in. Then we'll be in a better position to gauge the height. Both hoods I'm looking at need to be mounted between 24" and 30" above the cooktop. Yes, definitely we don't want it to be a hazard for my husband hitting it. Sounds like front (or at least middle) lights are the way to go. I've picked out a Bosch induction cooktop, which has a texture to it. I was afraid that the shiny black surface of some of the inductions would cause unpleasant reflections or glare. Speaking of hoods, since you all seem to be a really knowledgeable group.... :-) (flattery will get you everywhere!) Would you go with baffles or mesh filters? Quiet (low sone rating?)is the number one concern for me since I'll be in a small space. I'm looking at hoods with 600 CFM's or less. I'm looking at hoods by Best and Broan, Zephyr, Bosch, and Kitchen Aid. They all have styles that are slimmer, less bulky styles, but some have mesh filters and some have baffles. If I don't get answers here, I'll post this separately. Thanks everyone! (Oh, based on idrive65's post, I'll check out VAH also.)

On higher speeds, powerful hoods are loud. You're moving a lot of air through a relatively small opening. Some noise is inevitable and to a degree, you just need to adjust your expectations when you're coming from an older, less powerful hood. Hoods are very simple and there aren't that many design aspects that can be tweaked to reduce noise levels, compared with other appliances. There are things you can do though. What CFM, and what speeds do you usually use it at? The mid to lower ones should be fine for most cooking. If you mount the blower externally and add an inline silencer, that should help some with the noise, as that takes the turbulence around the blades and moves it away from the area right above your stove. All I'm saying is, I'd hate to see you spend a lot of money on something that doesn't fix the problem. Unless you change something about the design of your overall ventilation system, I wouldn't expect simply replacing it with something similar from another brand to make much of a difference.