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We have been upgrading our kitchen. We tore out some cabinets that hung from the soffit over the stove. These cabinets were a partial block of our dining room so if you ducked down or moved to one side of the stove you could look into the diring room. So now when I stand at the stove I look directly into the dining room and there is a bar area directly behind the slide in stove. My question is: should I install a ceiling fan into the soffit where the pre - existing exhaust system is hooked up or some sort of hood? We previously had a hood system built into the cabinets. Personally, I think a hood system would not be attractive, even though higher then eye level, but maybe you guys have an opinion I ought to consider. Thanks.
You need some kind of ventilation for the stove to suck up smoke, steam, etc. A ceiling fan is not the right solution, that just spreads everything around but doesn't get it out of the house. There are a lot of different styles of range hoods, some are made to be visible and decorative, or you could probably find one that's designed to blend in if that's what you'd rather have. I think I've even seen some newer ones on HGTV that are flush with the stovetop rather than having to be above it. But you definitely need an exhaust of some sort.
I am determined to have an exhaust but I do not understand the problem with a ceiling exhaust. Or where you referring to a "fan" and not "exhaust"? I always call an exhaust system a fan. Now I will be more specific.
When you said ceiling fan, I assumed you meant the thing that hangs from the ceiling with blades that spin around in a circle, I never heard anything else called a ceiling fan. If you'd called it ceiling exhaust or exhaust fan then I would have known what you meant! Without seeing pictures, it's hard for me to say whether a hood would look good. There are definitely some attractive ones out there but with some kitchens they probably look better than others.
I prefer downdraft exhaust to prevent as much scatter of odor, grease, etc. as close to the source as possible. Some of the newer ones also "hide" into the countertop when not in use.
I have had two range-tops with interchangable elements and downdraft exhausts. Would never be without that feature again.
Jenn-Aire, Magic-Maid, etc. had cartridges that allowed changing from round burners to grated grill, flat griddle, rotissary. Just remove (unplug) and replace. The Jenn-Aire we had, had interchangables on both sides, and we had every accessory. The downdraft air flow was so strong that it could put out a small fire.
The stove I have now does NOT have the interchangable elements, but does have one side in a grated grill. On the other hand it cost less than $200 and we spent over $1k for the last "big-gun".
Since it is only for the two of us (except for holidays) it is just fine.
Only dissadvantage of downdraft - bigger vent - 5" minimum, and it needs a short run the the outside. Currently, ours vents outside in about 14". Last one had a 3' run, so we went with 6" venting to allow full air flow.
If you do install over-the-stove venting, please get one that uses a squirrel-cage fan - the "circular fans" don't move enough air to be very effective.
I will say that I never had a rangehood until we bought a house 17 years ago. Now, I wouldn't be without one! Particularly since we have an open floorplan - without it, you'd be smelling cooking odors EVERYWHERE, for days afterwards, LOL.
Venthoods or rangehoods are measured in cfm efficiency. Much will depend upon how you cook. If you grill or stir-fry over high heat (such as with a pro-style stove) you'll often spend as much on a venthood as you will on the stove! Big smoky/greasy cooking usually needs 600 cfm or higher, all the way up to whopping 1200 cfm hoods that may require "make-up" air vents (they suck so much air out, they can create a negative draft in today's commonly airtight, energy-efficient houses, unless you install a fresh air vent).
I have a Kenmore/Whirlpool gas range with two Power Plus burners. The Broan Allure III rangehood I bought is inadequate for the stove, although supposedly a 430cfm model. At the highest speed it's quite noisy. I find a thin greasy film deposited on my countertops and upper cabs - very annoying! It's okay for basic cooking but gourmet high-heat searing or deep frying is just too much for the hood to handle. Broan's base lines aren't terribly good although the higher-priced lines are supposedly decent. They merged with Nutone, BTW.
If you have a gas range downdrafts are not always recommended. Some of them tend to "pull" the gas flame away and interfere with cooking. They also will not work well with tall pots, of which I have a lot. Also, you'll need to give up some cabinet space for the downdraft unit and vent.
The most important part of installing a duct is to NOT allow your installer to vent into an attic or any interior space. Make certain they use solid duct, not flexible tubing (which is illegal, but there are some fly-by-nighters still using it!) and direct exhaust out of your house with appropriate screening covering the vent. A 6" vent is minimum, 8" is standard for pro-style venthoods. The less turns, the better the venting works and the quieter it will be.
I prefer the overhead, vented hoods. However, you can check out this website to get an idea of what goes into installing some of the different types of hoods. It's a link to Broan, which I'm not endorsing, just offering this for a start on your research.
http://www.kitchensource.com/range-hoods/br-welcome.html
"Eclipse" is the downdraft model
"Hideaway" is a hood that is disguised as a cabinet front; it pulls out to work
"Silhouette" is a glass visor hood that is one of the least visually intrusive hoods.
