Notes on Venting

Remember to plan for a vent

One additional consideration is venting. If you currently have a range, it's probably using existing venting. If you want to install a cooktop into another location, such as a kitchen island, you'll need to find a way to vent it so that you can clear the air of cooking odors and smoke.

One option is an overhead vent, which can be customized to match your appliances or to make a bold decorative statement all its own. Fancy freestanding overhead chimney-style hoods can cost up to $2,000 all by themselves, though if you plan to place your cooktop near a wall, wall-mounted chimney hoods are much less expensive, priced as low as about $500. More mundane range hoods can be mounted under a cabinet and can cost as little as $50.

Experts advise against skimping on the size vent you choose, saying it's better to get a larger, more powerful vent that can always be turned down. You'll need to choose a larger vent anyway for an island cooktop because of the additional airflow around an island. (The vent should be wider and deeper than the cooktop.) Commercial cooktops also need larger vents to remove the degree of heat and smoke put out by these powerhouses. Ten-inch ductwork is usually required, which may limit where (and if) you can place a commercial cooktop, depending on your kitchen setup. The cost of an overhead hood vent is anywhere from $100 into the thousands, depending on the style you choose and the degree of customization.

A downdraft vent is another option. Downdraft vents are built into the base cabinet rather than being mounted above the cooktop. These pull air down from the cooktop instead of up into a hood. You can even choose downdraft blowers that rise up behind the cooktop while cooking and then lower out of sight when you're done. Downdraft vents cost about $500 and are a good choice for island cooktops where installing an overhead hood isn't as feasible. The downside is that downdraft vents might not catch steam and odors from taller pans or from pans located farther away from the vent. Some cooktops are sold with an integrated downdraft vent.