Cavaliere -Euro SV218D36IM

Island chimney range hoods are by far the most expensive type of kitchen ventilation. Nearly all range hoods of this type cost at least $1,500 and many cost twice that, so at first glance the feature-packed Cavaliere-Euro SV218D36IM almost seems too good to be true. This stylish stainless-steel and curved-glass range hood has a wide range of features, including six fan settings, four halogen lights, heat sensor, delayed shutoff, filter cleaning reminder and electronic touchpad controls. At 7 sones on the highest fan setting (one sone is about as loud as a running refrigerator), it's not exactly quiet, but it's not any louder than most models with a high cubic-feet-per-minute (CFM) rating. Owner reviews for this model are plentiful and very positive, but it does have a few drawbacks. Several owners report that the instructions are so unclear that even professional installers have trouble setting up the range hood, and some say that modification is required if the range hood will be installed in a ceiling lower than 8 feet. This range hood is 36 inches wide. A 30-inch model, the SV218D30IM (*Est. $800), is also available. If your range isn't installed in an island, other inexpensive but highly rated range hoods include the wall-mounted Kenmore 50303 (*Est. $510) and the under-cabinet Kenmore 52340 (*Est. $200).

The Cavaliere-Euro SV218D36IM is manufactured in China and also sold under the Euro-Kitchen Spagna Vetro brand. Aside from the name on the label, the range hoods are identical and share the same model number. We found owner reviews and discussions for this model at Overstock.com and at GardenWeb.com's appliances forum.