GE Monogram ZV1050SFSS

Most island chimney range hoods are expensive, and the $3,000 GE Monogram ZV1050SFSS is no exception. However, it does offer a lot for the money. This 42-inch-wide, stainless-steel range hood has the most powerful blower we've seen on any model, capable of moving 1,080 cubic feet per minute (CFM). In professional tests, this model gets excellent scores for smoke removal. The GE Monogram also includes a wealth of features: touchpad controls, four halogen lights, six lighting levels, variable fan speed, a filter cleaning reminder and delayed shutoff. On the down side, professional tests indicate that this range hood is fairly noisy (GE doesn't disclose its noise level). The biggest problem with this range hood, however, is its limited availability. We could not find it on either Amazon.com or Shopping.com, and a Google Products search turned up only three retailers that offer it. If you cannot find a store that offers the GE Monogram ZV1050SFSS -- or if you aren't prepared to spend four figures on a range hood -- the top-rated Cavaliere-Euro SV218D30IM (*Est. $850) is a modestly priced island chimney that gets good ratings from users.

Our only source of information about the GE Monogram ZV1050SFSS is the review conducted by ConsumerReports.org in 2006. Because of its limited availability, we did not find many user reviews for this range hood. We found exactly one review at Epinions.com.