GE Profile - 30" Built-In Downdraft Electric Cooktop with 4 Burners - Black

I've had the similar model without the SS trims for 14 years and the cooking and downdraft feature works great. But it is not perfect. I have had a couple of issues that are real bad ones: 1- the top left burner died about 2 years after initial installation and that is part of a triple unit (upper, bridge and lower left burners) which is over $800. So I modified it in such a way that I could use a standard 6" or 7" burner, which is just about $80. the problem is that the frame of the original three burners does not let you put a new burner with frame so I had to cut part of the frame that keeps the three burners together to make space for the new burner. GE does not sell a burner of the required size so I had to install a non GE burner that has different connections so I had to modify the electric circuit as well. Being an electrical engineer that was no issue for me but I do not recommend that for DIYers without proper knowledge. OTOH accessing the burners is a pain in the butt since you have to lift the whole unit out, to open it by separating the glass top from the frame of the whole unit. That would not be a problem if the vent fan was not connected at the bottom of the frame, but it is so you have to separate the vent filter housing attached to the bottom of the frame. That proved difficult to do during reassembly as the fan is supported from that housing and it took me a while to align the holes of the fan housing and the vent filter housing since the fan was resting on the exhaust duct so it went down a little. Alternatively you could uncouple the vent exhaust duct from the fan discharge. In my case that was not easy given the weight of the exhaust fan although the exhaust duct was just connected by duct tape . If you hire somebody to do it he will charge you a ton of $ to do all that work 2-I have a couple of control switches failing and replacing them is also a nightmare since you have to do that from the bottom (inside the kitchen cabinet), while laying face up, and your access is partially obstructed by the vent fan and exhaust duct (see pictures from below) 3-A few days ago the glass cracked (probably someone hit it on the edge) so I looked for a replacement glass. Unfortunately GE has discontinued its manufacturing and the ones available have one additional button for the lock switch, which my unit does not have. Even if there was a replacement glass like mine I do not want to go through the nightmare of going under the cabinet to do all the work indicated in (1) above, so I am buying a regular non-vented glass cooktop and a venting hood. Overall the cooking is great and the exhaust fan works flawlessly, but I give it only 3 stars and will not recommend it due to the difficult maintenance, which can be very expensive and non availability of spare parts

The cooktop fit perfectly but as others have noted you have to do some duct plumping to connect the downdraft. The output is a 4 by 10 rectangular and my vent pipe and probably most other vent pipes are 6 inch round. If you, like me need to both transition from rectangular to round and also change direction it is very challenging. I didn't have the room under the cabinet to use a lot of transitions and adapters so it was challenging, Still ended up taking up a lot cabinet space with the duct work, Other than that issue, the cooktop was easy to install and works great,

The cooktop surface changed color after a few usage and gets scrateched. Also, one of its burner failed and didnt work. I had to request replacement.

Very happy with this it's Sleek, easy to clean and works great!

There are not many options in the down-draft market. Especially in older homes with a 30" cooktop. And they cost SO MUCH more then non-fan cooktops. This replaced a Jenn-Air from the mid-90's with almost no alterations. The vent lined up nearly perfectly. However the blower on the GE is larger requiring the vent that came up from the floor to be cut down 6 inches or so. This reduced space inside the island where it was mounted - e.g. less storage space. I couldn't use the original direct-wiring and had to mount a J-box. Finding surface covers is hard because the controls are surface mounted knobs. Had to buy a big one and cut it up to get a cover for each side. Glass is a royal pain to keep clean - at least on this unit. Regular soap and water just don't cut it. We have to use a glass top cleaner. Without the covers, I'd be forever cleaning this. There is no such thing as a simple wipe-up. The supplied mounting hardware is hokey and would never work in my installation - it's an L-bracket that mounts flush with the bottom of the unit. Your mounting surface has to be the perfect thickness and have more clearance than mine did. Order the alternative mounting hardware and it's a breeze. As for function, it works really well and the fan seems stronger than the 400 CFM rating would suggest. The ganged burners and 'super boiler' are nice when you need them (think large pancake griddle & pasta boiling respectively). Skillets slide easily but not on their own. I often 'toss' food in the pan or 'flip-stir' and am very nervous the pan will either scratch the glass if not picked up, or if I lift it off the glass, will hit the glass and crack it. Flipping (if you have the knack) is often easier than stirring but I may change my ways out of sheer fear.