Range hood for a 36-inch Bluestar all gas

[paulraphael]

1 hour ago, gfweb said:

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BS makes hoods. Presumably would fit their range.

https://www.bluestarcooking.com/ventilation/?prod_wallhoods_types=wall

 

I'm not convinced any of their products besides ranges are particularly good. 

 

I didn't mention brands because my research is from a couple of years ago, and isn't compete. I found this problem difficult enough that I've been kicking it down the road. I'll revisit when I'm ready to actually rebuild the whole kitchen. 

 

Here are my old notes, all for a 42" wide hood, which is probably adequate for a 36" range:

 

Prestige Pro-Line “High Capacity” 42”

PLHC42300 - 42"W x 30"D x 18"H

Largest containment area I've found in domestic hoods

1200CFM / 10” duct

Lights at top of crown instead of front light bar

May be mounted up to 42” above cooking surface

 

Best WPD38I42SB

42” 13000CFM  

27” Deep—seems ideal

Internal blower INCLUDED

3” extension available to increase capture area

 

Proline 42” PLFW 832.42

2000 cfm

25.5” deep

Internal single or dual blower (1000/2000)

 

The very best hoods are made by CaptiveAire and Accurex. These are commercial products, so it may be hard or impossible to find someone who will install it for you (but not as hard as with something dangerous like a commercial range). They also specialize in larger sizes, so finding something that fits your design can be harder.

 

CaptivAire

https://www.captiveaire.com/catalog/list.asp?cattypeid=64

 

Accurex

https://www.captiveaire.com/catalog/list.asp?cattypeid=64

 

I haven't yet investigated the option I mentioned in the earlier post (getting a bare insert that fits into custom cabinetry). I assumed this would be too expensive, but now know a carpenter to ask about this. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Recoil Rob]

Thanks, that Best model seems ideal but unfortunately no longer made in 42", just 36-48-60.

 

That also brings up a point, that hood is listed as an outdoor hood, can be set up for indoors?

[&roid]

Not sure how available they are in the US but we’ve just had a westin extractor installed in our new kitchen and I love it. We went for a bloque pro version which is built into a wooden cabinet and does around 900cfm on top speed. It’s excellent - a lot better than the wolf pro we had in the last place. 
 

https://www.westin.co.uk

[paulraphael]

On 10/19/2025 at 8:54 AM, Recoil Rob said:

That also brings up a point, that hood is listed as an outdoor hood, can be set up for indoors?

I believe so. It might just have some weatherproofing you don't need.

[paulraphael]

Here's some updated research ... I'm slowly planning a kitchen and looking at all the options. Ventilation is the hardest problem I'm facing, because every domestic range hood is designed primarily for esthetics. Even the ones that aim for a "commercial" esthetic copy the visuals while ignoring the engineering of functional commercial hoods. 

 

If you have a big enough range to justify a 48" wide hood (I don't) then by far the best option is a commercial hood by Accurex, CaptiveAire, Hoodmart, Advanced Hood Systems, or someone similar. If you don't want the commercial look, and you have $$$ for the project, you can just buy the mechanism and have a carpenter build a custom enclosure for it. It can be wood, doesn't matter—as long as the dimensions are right. Some of these hoods are available with a built-in makeup air system that will make system design easier. I don't believe you'll have to find a restaurant hood installer to design and build the system. Any good HVAC contractor who understands the engineering and can read the specs should be able to do this.

 

Next best option, and the most reasonable for more of us, is a barbeque hood installed indoors. These are pretty much the only products that the domestic hood makers design to actually do the job. This is the route I'd like to go. Options include Proline, Tade-Wind, Victory. Maybe also Prestige (I can't tell if this company is still in business ... they don't answer, so I've crossed them off my shortlist). 

 

These outdoor hoods all raise the intake baffles above the bottom rim of the hood. They're also deeper from front to back (30" to 36", rather than the usual 22"-24"). This all creates more capture volume—the empty space that's the secret to making a hood work; it's the difference between capturing some of the smoke and grease coming off your pans vs. all of it. It also lets the hood be installed higher above the range: 42" instead of the usual 36" limit (which for me means not having to stoop to avoid banging my head).

 

Commercial hoods are designed like big upside down shoe-boxes; they have huge capture area. This is why they can be way up above the cook's heads, be nearly silent, use much less powerful blowers for a given size, and be nearly 100% effective. Nothing escapes into the kitchen. Regular domestic hoods are designed more like ceiling vents; they let a bunch of the smoke and grease into the room, and clear it out eventually. The BBQ hoods are kind of in the middle. They're almost as effective as a commercial hood, but because of the reduced capture volume, require big powerful loud blowers. 

 

Be sure to research and budget for makeup air. If you're installing 1200+CFM blowers it's not optional. Unfortunately this is another rabbit hole; I haven't done the work on it yet. So far I can say: it looks boring!

 

TL;DR: For my purposes, a BBQ hood looks like the best option. Until I do this project I'll rely on opening the windows and listening to my girlfriend's coughing fits and accusations that I'm giving us both cancer.