We are remodeling our small kitchen and plan to remove the cabinets
and updraft range hood above the island to open up the room. All the
appliances will be replaced and we are planning on installing a gas
cooktop in the island. In other posted messages I've read about
downdraft systems working poorly and actually taking away some of the
heat from the cooking flame. Just about all of the posts have been
negative, yet all the major manufacturers make downdraft cooktops &
ranges. Are there any effective downdraft systems available? What
about the pop up ones? We both love to cook and don't want to make a
mistake in our appliance choices.

Del

Let me put it this way. Yes! We put a downdraft system in when we
installed our new gas cooktop. Actually it is part of the stove. The only
time I use it is when my oven starts smoking because if I use it when the
cooktop is on, it sucks away the heat.

"Del Reha" > wrote in message
om...
> We are remodeling our small kitchen and plan to remove the cabinets
> and updraft range hood above the island to open up the room. All the
> appliances will be replaced and we are planning on installing a gas
> cooktop in the island. In other posted messages I've read about
> downdraft systems working poorly and actually taking away some of the
> heat from the cooking flame. Just about all of the posts have been
> negative, yet all the major manufacturers make downdraft cooktops &
> ranges. Are there any effective downdraft systems available? What
> about the pop up ones? We both love to cook and don't want to make a
> mistake in our appliance choices.
>
> Del

We had an electric down-draft stove for about five years and it was
excellent, The blower came on automatically when the rear elements were
turned on, and it could be manually turned on when the front elements were
fired up.

Absolutely no splatter on the wall behind the stove, even after 5 years.

The installer was very particular about the elbows in the exhaust duct.
Don't get too fancy with it or it will restrict air flow.


"LIMEYNO1" > wrote in message
...
> Let me put it this way. Yes! We put a downdraft system in when we
> installed our new gas cooktop. Actually it is part of the stove. The
only
> time I use it is when my oven starts smoking because if I use it when the
> cooktop is on, it sucks away the heat.
>
> "Del Reha" > wrote in message
> om...
> > We are remodeling our small kitchen and plan to remove the cabinets
> > and updraft range hood above the island to open up the room. All the
> > appliances will be replaced and we are planning on installing a gas
> > cooktop in the island. In other posted messages I've read about
> > downdraft systems working poorly and actually taking away some of the
> > heat from the cooking flame. Just about all of the posts have been
> > negative, yet all the major manufacturers make downdraft cooktops &
> > ranges. Are there any effective downdraft systems available? What
> > about the pop up ones? We both love to cook and don't want to make a
> > mistake in our appliance choices.
> >
> > Del
>
>

Del,

Simple physics argues against downdrafts.
Hot air raises (and in so doing, carries smoke, grease, etc.) with it.
Ever see a [professional kitchen with a downdraft system? No, because
they don't work well.

Downdrafts were invented purely for aesthetic reasons.

Colin





Del Reha wrote:
> We are remodeling our small kitchen and plan to remove the cabinets
> and updraft range hood above the island to open up the room. All the
> appliances will be replaced and we are planning on installing a gas
> cooktop in the island. In other posted messages I've read about
> downdraft systems working poorly and actually taking away some of the
> heat from the cooking flame. Just about all of the posts have been
> negative, yet all the major manufacturers make downdraft cooktops &
> ranges. Are there any effective downdraft systems available? What
> about the pop up ones? We both love to cook and don't want to make a
> mistake in our appliance choices.
>
> Del

On 28 Nov 2003 00:54:00 -0800, (Del Reha) wrote:

> Are there any effective downdraft systems available?

No.

> What about the pop up ones?

Just as worthless as the fixed ones.

Ignore the people who say they work well and go try one yourself. See
for your own eyes.

Love the poster who said his was so effective it "sucked the heat
away", though. That's pretty typical of the credibility of those who
say downdraft systems work well.

-- Larry

If you are talking about a stove like the Genair that has a down draft, I
have a Genair. here is my experience:

If you set a pot on it that is over a certain height (like most pots that
you cook spaghetti in) you cannot expect the steam to go up in the air and
for all of it to be pulled down again into the draft -- at least not mine,
you can't. You can try to put a lid on it and direct the steam out toward
the vent, but there is always the steam then that gets around the open part
of the lid and goes off in another direction.

My husband feels that while it is sucking all this air out, then there has
to be an opening (window open) to replace the air. Consequently in cold
weather, we have a kitchen window open -- or elsewhere in the house.

Our kitchen was remodeled before we bought the house and there are nice
cabinets in it; some of which are above the stove. I could not afford to
tear up the kitchen again, so I stick with it.

P.S. I put my big electric rice cooker outside to cook. It makes just too
much steam that cannot be handled if I place it on top of the stove to cook.
If I had an overhead draft, I would be able to cook the rice by placing the
steamer on top of the stove and the steam would go up the overhead; but
definitely not with the Genair downdraft.

Hope this helps.
Dee


I




"Del Reha" > wrote in message
om...
> We are remodeling our small kitchen and plan to remove the cabinets
> and updraft range hood above the island to open up the room. All the
> appliances will be replaced and we are planning on installing a gas
> cooktop in the island. In other posted messages I've read about
> downdraft systems working poorly and actually taking away some of the
> heat from the cooking flame. Just about all of the posts have been
> negative, yet all the major manufacturers make downdraft cooktops &
> ranges. Are there any effective downdraft systems available? What
> about the pop up ones? We both love to cook and don't want to make a
> mistake in our appliance choices.
>
> Del

"Dee Randall" > wrote in message
...
> If you are talking about a stove like the Genair that has a down draft, I
> have a Genair. here is my experience:
>
> If you set a pot on it that is over a certain height (like most pots
that
> you cook spaghetti in) you cannot expect the steam to go up in the air and
> for all of it to be pulled down again into the draft -- at least not
mine,
> you can't. You can try to put a lid on it and direct the steam out toward
> the vent, but there is always the steam then that gets around the open
part
> of the lid and goes off in another direction.
>
> My husband feels that while it is sucking all this air out, then there has
> to be an opening (window open) to replace the air. Consequently in cold
> weather, we have a kitchen window open -- or elsewhere in the house.
>
> Our kitchen was remodeled before we bought the house and there are nice
> cabinets in it; some of which are above the stove. I could not afford to
> tear up the kitchen again, so I stick with it.
>
> P.S. I put my big electric rice cooker outside to cook. It makes just
too
> much steam that cannot be handled if I place it on top of the stove to
cook.
> If I had an overhead draft, I would be able to cook the rice by placing
the
> steamer on top of the stove and the steam would go up the overhead; but
> definitely not with the Genair downdraft.
>

I have a Jenn Air and I agree that the downdraft is very poor at removing
smoke and steam. It doesn't even do a good job with smoke from short pans
or the grill -- not to mention how it sucks away the heat. I had to do some
remodeling because of a small fire. It is possible, and even easy under
some circumstances, to remove an overhead cabinet or two. I took out the
cabinets above and beside the stove and replaced them. I had an
over-the-range microwave that needed to be replaced. I took the opportunity
to vent the new one. It was relatively easy for me to cut a hole in the
bottom of the soffit and run flexible duct work to an outside wall. I put
the cabinet back and connected the new duct to the new microwave/hood.
Since I did that, the problem with the smoke has been eliminated. I haven't
set off the smoke detector once, even while using the grill. The downdraft
gets some of the smoke and the hood gets the rest.