GE - 36 inches - Externally Vented - Telescopic Downdraft Range Hood - Black

This is a replacement for an older model. The telescoping downdrafts are notorious for breaking down. It is such a poor design. This replacement model works great, and if this review was just for the functionality of this downdraft, I'd give it 5 stars. But the problem is this is a brand new model. The old models have been discontinued, so there really is no option. If you have a GE cooktop, you need a GE venting system when it is a downdraft location. GE has a "guarantee" that replacements will fit the existing location. That was apparently forgotten by GE when they did this revamp of the telescoping downdraft. They added some brackets on the side, because they changed how the product turns on and off as well as how it is triggered to rise up and retract. Those brackets make it wider by 2" than the prior model. They also made it deeper. IMPORTANT NOTE AT THE TIME I DID MY RESEARCH, THE SPECS ON THIS PRODUCT WERE INCORRECT. The entire downdraft is not 7" deep. I knew that had to be a mistake, but I did not expect the downdraft to be yet another 4" deeper than the old model. That means if it is difficult to plug in your older version of the downdraft, it will be virtually impossible to plug this one in because it basically blocks all access behind the item. At least with the old model, you could reach your hand underneath the bottom of the downdraft in order to reach behind it and plug it in. Now, because it is deeper, it is impossible. That is why I'm giving it 3 stars. The functionality is great. The specs are way off and the ease of replacement is awful. It will be fabulous for a new build, but to replace an existing location without a contractor modifying your cabinets and access to what I have, which is a center island cooktop with cabinets and drawers making the space very tight (built in 2005), the installation instruction are worthless. They now require that there be additional access to the side of the downdraft casing, not behind it. Great if you are designing something. Worthless as a replacement.

Meets expectation except: 1) Lowest fan setting is still quite noisy. 2) Will not pull steam. Pulls smoke w/o a problem. 3) Very smooth up and down motion. 4) Very good flush mount and appearance.

We purchased this Venting system when we remodeled our kitchen because we previously had a ceiling vent above the cook top in our island. The ceiling vent was an eyesore in the middle of our kitchen. This vent is sleek and works great. Our contractors read reviews for us and found the draw back was with the template for cutting the counters. The template it is too large and leaves a gap on the ends. They were able to make it fit perfectly and it is so seamless now. The venting works great too, I didn't use our other one much because it was so loud and didn't work because it was so high. This one seems to work great because it is very close to the cooktop.

Note this is a Best Buy review and not a review for Cafe downdraft. Long story short Best Buy is like oh no big deal you can easily change delivery dates no problems we do it all the time. All of my items showed in stock ready to deliver. They bumped my delivery date back almost two weeks due to renovations. I was rescheduled for October 25th and lovely Best Buy decided hey let’s give away her dishwasher and cancel her ENTIRE delivery of SEVEN Cafe appliances and better yet let’s not even contact her to let her know about. Or as a matter of fact it sounds even more fun to tell her when she calls in that yes all is in order for her delivery on October 25th and just not show up! Making it even better when I reached out to my sales consultant two days prior to delivery date he told me he was TOO BUSY to call me. Guess spending $15k + on appliances alone doesn’t mean much to Best Buy. When I said that’s OK just have someone call me crickets no help at all. When I did finally speak to someone from the corporate office on October 24th they told me the dishwasher would be back in stock October 31st but they couldn’t schedule me until November 16th due to other deliveries already booked. Finally they decided to squeeze me in on November 9th as a favor. Wanting to cancel the order the corporate employee gave me her email address to reach back out via email, two email attempts and she still has not responded or called me. Anytime I call the corporate phone number I get the general call center. I get the pleasure of speaking to a hardheaded person that I can’t even understand who is insistent on trying to help with the order even though I tell them I was advised by corporate to not let anyone but them touch the order. After being promised return calls here I sit and no one has called yet. ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE SERVICE. NO ONE CAN BE THIS BAD WITHOUT ACTUALLY TRYING TO BE!!!!!!

Works like a charm -- sleek looking and integrates well with my black glass cooktop. Love it!!