One of the main things that caused my husband and I to remodel our kitchen was our cooktop. Not just the cooktop itself, but the specific *configuration* of said cooking setup. We had a downdraft gas cooktop. Downdraft ventilation is fine - for electric cooktops. But for gas cooktops, it's a different matter. Whenever we cooked and had to use the vent, the air going down the center downdraft vent would actually pull the flame from the burners, resulting in lower heat output and uneven heating. In a sentence: downdraft gas cooktops are pretty much doomed.So we set about getting a real ventilation hood installed with our new cooktop. First we had to get our cabinets bumped up and then we had to get an HVAC contractor to install the ductwork. It was pricey, but the results helped our low-end kitchen become a more high-end kitchen so we figured it was worth it. My husband, the chef in our family, had free reign over anything fire-related in our remodel. He chose the **Dacor MHD-3618** hood to go with his new Dacor PGM356 cooktop (3* review here at Viewpoints). He chose the hood because it was by the same manufacturer, but also because it boasted an insane 1200 cubic feet per minute blowing capacity, and because it was a very simple stainless steel hood that we thought would look good in our kitchen.**Installation and Issues**Our hood arrived from the appliance store and we had a contractor install it. Unfortunately, our stainless hood was severely damaged on the front, from mishandling during shipping. This wasn't the first issue we had run into during our kitchen remodel (and not our last!). We contacted our appliance store and they picked up the damaged hood, dropped off a new hood and installed it for us quickly.**Using the Hood & How Well it Works**We love this hood to pieces. It blends in nicely with our decor and looks great. The only feature that bothers me is the halogen lighting; for the simple reason that the halogen lights heat up quickly and use a great deal of energy. I'm a bit of a tree-hugger, so this bothers me (and consequently we don't turn on the lights often) but make no mistake, the lighting *looks* fantastic when it's on!The hood also ventilates like nobody's business! There aren't specific speeds on the hood. Rather, it's a dial. You simply twist the dial and the ventilation powers up higher or lower as you twist. I love this, as the dial makes it simple to tweak for just the perfect amount of ventilation.As for how well it works, we were astonished. We had high hopes for a nice ventilation system, after the recirculating piece of downdraft junk we had lived with for two years. But even I couldn't imagine that you could sear fish in a pan over high heat, and *not smell it anywhere in the house*!!! When my husband uses the vent in his cooking, you can't smell the food from five feet away, much less anywhere else. Our days of stale cooked meat or fish smells around the house are gone, and I couldn't be happier!**Cat's Bottom Line**Dacor is a bit hit or miss in the quality of their products, but this hood really makes us happy. It works great and looks beautiful. The only issue we had was the damage on the original hood, and having to have it reshipped from Dacor. I recommend this hood, if you've settled on a Dacor appliance. It's a really great buy and blends well with any stainless kitchen appliances you might already have.

Cat

Charlotte, NC