Hi there, Susan Serra, CKD, here for more kitchen talk. You know when something just bugs you? Well, I have one of those issues that is a perennial thorn in my side. Continuing with my last design focused post, here is another design tip that is well worth the "paper" it is written on, I promise you.

Appliances are, well, darn near sexy. They beckon you…they say, come on, look at me, I’m a player compared to the others around me, and you KNOW you want me! Something like that. So, what do you do? You listen, and you promptly get sucked into the dark world of very enticing appliances! Then what happens is this:

You find the cooktop of your dreams, and of course, it is a professional "rangetop" type of cooking appliance. Now, it just so happens that the rangetop is designed into your island.  OK, so? So, the next step is to choose a downdraft blower, since you’re not inclined to want a hood in the middle of the room. The pro rangetop manufacturer does not have a coordinating downdraft, so you find another brand, and place the order. When your kitchen designer asks for your appliance list, it seems the romance with your appliances is OVER.

The kitchen designer says, sorry, but you cannot pair together one brand of cooktop, especially a pro rangetop, with another brand of downdraft venting. Here’s why:

1. Chances are if you pair two different brands, the warranties of each product will be null and void (had to put that word null in there for drama)

2. If the "guts" of either appliance has weird pieces projecting out somewhere, below the countertop, it is very possible, and likely, that there would have to be a space, maybe a couple of inches, between the rear of the rangetop and the beginning of the downdraft. Some type of countertop material cannot maintain that small amount of material or it will crack.

3. When your gorgeous kitchen is all ready, and you are cooking your first meal, be prepared for the downdraft vent to NOT pick up the fumes, odors, moisture, smoke, etc. from the front burners! It will be rendered nearly useless, again, especially if you are using a pro cooktop, but probably with any cooktop that must be set back a bit behind the cooktop.

4. Most likely, when the installer is present to install both appliances, assuming you rebelled against your designer’s advice, they will probably not even fit, and I am not talking about Item #2, above. Pro rangetop cooktops are about 9" high, and downdrafts are constructed to be about 5 to 10" in depth shortly below the cooktop. There is only one brand I have found where the projection is situated below the pro rangetop…but, it must be situated back from the rear of the cooktop. Not good!

I hope this information was useful, and prevents a potentially expensive mistake. What is the answer? Buy the coordinated cooktop and downdraft from the same manufacturer and your installation, warranties, as well as the function of your appliances will be seamless!