That's a loaded one. Some folks have very stong objections while for some of us it has been a very important addition in our kitchen renos. On the aesthetic side I think it comes down to personal taste and I continue to see them in very well appointed kitchens in magazines (Spring issue of "Kitchen Makeovers" has a little feature on them). Practically I think if your kitchen has multiple users having the microwave away from the cooktop is cetainly worth considering (however this is exact reason my now reired single Mom wanted one so all her cooking appliances were in one place). I also think it isn't always the right look in some kitchens - I just pulled one out of a friends design because it just wasn't fitting in with the retro feeling of the space (thinking about putting a small one into a cupboard). Another issue is how effective they are as hoods at 420cfm my Mom finds this one to be quite good and the vents are well located for good capture. On ease of use we put this one in at 17" above the cooktop and it has been great for her. For myself under counter installation would not be desirable at all but a microwave drawer is always a possibility. Info: Item: Genius Prestige Inverter Over-the-Range Stainless Steel Microwave (NNSD297S) Supplier: Brault & Martineau Manufacturer: Panasonic Manufacturing Region: China Specs: 2.0 cu. ft. microwave up to 420 cfm 2 speed fan combines steam, convection and microwave features keep warm menu sensor reheat and cook capabilities 2 hood light settings Cost: $549.99 - Sears Canada Price: $699.99 - suggested US retail price: NA Warranty: 2 Year Limited Notes: - delivery included - vented to the outside OTR Micro in the almost finished kitchen:

I think capture area of the hood surround and cfms are more important than the width of the insert. I looked at your links--the one from AJMadison moves 600cfm, compared to the Broan at 400cfm, and is a much better price than the one from best, which is also 600cfm. I can't vouch for the quality of any of them. One advantage of the 400cfm, or less, is no make up air required for that size. (Check your local code on that.) I have a Broan 390cfm in a 30" surround, and it works fine--a little noisy on high, but I rarely leave it on that setting. If you haven't already done so, check each hood for noise rating (sones). You can ask on the Appliance forum, too. Good luck!

I would start by asking ModernAire whether they would build one. Other build-to-fit hood manufacturers exist at various levels of style and cost, such as Abakka and Handcrafted Metal. Please revise your side-view drawing to show how much the hanging lamp's shade protrudes into the hood space. Note that the higher the hood aperture is above the cooking surface, the larger the hood aperture has to be (the more overlap of the stove that is required). The crude 3-inch all around rule really only applies close to the 30-inch height unless greasy stuff is only cooked in the middle. Also peninsula setups like yours (and mine) are susceptible to cross drafts moving the rising and expanding cooking plume away from the hood, so even larger apertures may be required. A very thin (layer) of tissue paper hanging from the existing hood (when off) will reveal their presence. What is your make-up air plan? kas

Recently purchased a new manufactured home. The electric counter top stove is located on an island with no cabinets above. The only venting put in is a small fan in the ceiling - no grease screen. No downdraft, no hood. Does this meet HUD requirements?