I posted a couple of questions in this thread a few years ago when we were under construction and making decisions and got great feedback so thought I'd share pictures and my own feedback now that we're all done. We ended up putting in a 36" induction cooktop, downdraft vent (both Bosch) and a prep sink in the island, with the main sink against the back wall. It's been a great arrangement. I definitely do like being able to face family and company while cooking, and the downdraft does protect people sitting at the adjacent bar area against splattering. I was worried that downdraft might not be strong enough to truly vent cooking smells etc, but it's been great--and I do all kinds of messy, smelly cooking nearly every day. The vent filters pop right out and go into the dishwasher so it's easy to clean. Also was able to sneak in a shallow utensil drawer just below the cooktop.
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Induction cooktop and downdraft vent
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