We have a downdraft Jenn-Air range. The ventilation is worse than a regular vent but better than nothing--it's good enough so the smoke alarms don't go off at least! Cost is significantly more for the fan unit itself than what you'd pay for a cheap fan in a wall cab but in our case we probably saved some on installation. Which goes to the advantages--we didn't have to get a custom chimney or cut through a brand new roof, nor deal with our funky sloped ceilings. But the real advantage to me is that it gives our kitchen a very open look and feel. I haven't bumped my head once!
Re: Downdraft anyone??
If you want it on an island, you have to have access from below the floor. We had a utility room below with cabs that didn't run to the ceiling. Perfect place to run vents and then build a soffit.
Thanks so much for the information. I have already purchased my cooktop so getting this one wouldn't be possible. I think I've decided to get a island hood vent because we live in florida and have no basement to vent the regular downdraft unit.
NBeth, I am thinking about getting the Jenn Air Downdraft range. Are you happy with it, overall? I am going to be putting my range right below a window, so I needed a downdraft. I am debating which color to get, because I am not getting a suite of JennAir appliances. I am getting a Bosch dishwasher, and have no clue what kind of fridge I will end up with. Is the white on your Jenn Air a true white? Is there anything about it that suggests it would not match up to a different brand's "white"?
Yes, we're pretty happy with it. I had never had a glass/ceramic top and at first I was really taken aback at how easily it would stain. But the cooktop cleaner really works and now I love the fact that I can get it back to "new" looking with a little elbow grease, unlike my coil electric. It's a very pretty look, with the glass front too. To me it seems pretty much white white, but I didn't have a lot of choices so honestly I haven't let myself worry about that... We have the convection and that's a big upgrade for me, so I'm loving it.
I've had my Jenn Air downdraft cooktop for over 15 years and have mixed feelings about it. I don't know if newer ones are different, but mine only has one fan speed which pretty much sucks the gas flame sideways. If I'm cooking at medium and turn the fan on, then I have to turn the gas almost up to high and move the pan slight toward the vent. Awhile back I replaced my old over the range microwave with a newer one that has a fan so I usually use that. For heavy duty cooking I still tend to use the Jenn Air fan. Just did my Sister's kitchen and never considered a downdraft, but if I were installing the cooktop on an island then I'd think about it.
I think downdraft for gas gets significantly worse reviews than for electric: ours is electric so we don't have flame issues. And we do have two speeds but the lower one is only good for things like simmering: for boiling steam or frying stuff I always use high speed.
Most comments I've seen about downdraft mention the gas flame problem - this is because there's not a lot of vertical distance betw. the extraction and the flame. Downdraft is also less efficient for much the same reasons - steam/smoke rise UP from the pots, not sideways...
IKEAFANS is a trusted authority on the design of IKEA kitchens. From articles to get you started to tools and links designed to ease the way and special offers just for IKEAFANS, we've thought of everything to make designing your own IKEA kitchen a snap. Check out our Kitchen Planning Guide...
Cost is significantly more for the fan unit itself than what you'd pay for a cheap fan in a wall cab but in our case we probably saved some on installation. Which goes to the advantages--we didn't have to get a custom chimney or cut through a brand new roof, nor deal with our funky sloped ceilings. But the real advantage to me is that it gives our kitchen a very open look and feel. I haven't bumped my head once!
Confirm
Join In!
We have the convection and that's a big upgrade for me, so I'm loving it. 
