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I have a Jenn Air downdraft range that is working fine right now. It is 14 years old, so I don't know how much longer it will be working. For those of you who have/had the downdraft range, what range did you buy to replace? If you have a newer Jenn Air downdraft, how much are you loving it?
I just have the cook top, not a range, but it was installed in 1986 and is still going strong. I think I have replaced one heating element. Your range may have many good years left in it!
Although JennAir is pretty much alone in making down draft ranges / cooktops there are still several firms making down draft ventilation fans for folks stucj with an island cooking surface. If you can can flop around your kitchen layout when the time comes you might be pleasantly surprised as to the many pluses of having the cooking surface along a wall -- better ventilation performance, cleaner kitchen, greater safety, far more choices for appliances, etc...
JennAir was still making a quality appliance in the 90s so the unit the OP has ought to last a long time. Lately most JennAir stuff has gotten the corporate cheapening and probably is going to have shorter life span...
Although JennAir is pretty much alone in making down draft ranges / cooktops there are still several firms making down draft ventilation fans for folks stucj with an island cooking surface. If you can can flop around your kitchen layout when the time comes you might be pleasantly surprised as to the many pluses of having the cooking surface along a wall -- better ventilation performance, cleaner kitchen, greater safety, far more choices for appliances, etc...
JennAir was still making a quality appliance in the 90s so the unit the OP has ought to last a long time. Lately most JennAir stuff has gotten the corporate cheapening and probably is going to have shorter life span...
My cook top is on a wall. I went with the downdraft because the kitchen ceiling is high -- an open floor plan with the cook top on a wall shared with the dining area. Venting through the ceiling would be awkward and not very attractive. I see no advantage in filtering but not venting the exhaust to the outside. Also, to me, vent hoods in general look ugly and commercial and get really dirty. The filter in the Jenn Air is easy to remove and pop into the dishwasher and the space it fits into is easy to clean.
High ceiling offer the greatest flexibility in appliance placement. Most vent hoods perform best when they are about 30" from the cooking surface but higher placement is possible. Venting to the outside is the norm, cheap units intended for apartments may be setup only for recirculation which I agree is not effective.
Most manufacturers offer a power unit that can be fully cased in to match the cabinetry. All the vent hoods have elements that are either made of mesh or metal channels that can be placed in a dishwasher for cleaning.
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