"Dave Bugg" dbuggatcharterdotnet wrote in message
...
Peter Aitken wrote:

.... If
resale value is a consideration, be aware that many if not most
serious cooks consider a good outside-venting hood to be an essential
element of a kitchen - myself included! It is extremely unleasant to
have the smell of sauteed garlic or stir-fried Szechuan hot pepper
paste permeatng the rest of the house including the sleeping area!
Also a range, particularly gas, can add a lot of heat to the house -
not good in the summer here in North Carolina! But you never used
your old hood, so maybe your house is laid out so that these things
are not a problem?

Big time dittos and agreement. It would be a foolish child that did not
heed
this sound advice.

I'll pile on and say that ventilation may not be necessary but it is very
desirable. Even though a downdraft unit isn't ideal it would be better than
nothing. I think that Thermadore makes a 45 inch telescoping downdraft unit
that can be used with a slide-in range. You can get details at their web
page. I have a JennAir range. I did some kitchen renovation and replaced
the OTR microwave. This time around I vented it to the outside. The
combination of the downdraft and the microwave hood is very good. I can
testify that poor ventilation will result in a film of oil on your cabinets,
walls, drapes, and upholstery. The build-up is slow and subtle, but it
happens.