Thoughts on gas cooktop on an island?

Because of a fight between the former owner of my apartment and an upstairs neighbor, I have a range hood that is not vented outside. (We have a window close enough that we meet code requirements.) I don’t cook a lot of greasy meals but do like to roast chicken, broil steak, cook fish– without a functioning hood, all of these (or any cooking that creates smoke or smells) is problematic. If you are designing a kitchen from scratch, put in a vented hood.

fawn

in Bath & Kitchen 12 years and 3 months ago

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Sweet-Action | 12 years and 3 months ago

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Hey all… So we’re finally undertaking our plan to place a kitchen in the rear parlor of our brownstone (and a deck), and we’ve just seen the initial plans from our architect (which we liked!). One idea my wife and I have been discussing is the idea of having the gas cooktop on the island, rather than above the oven against the wall. This would allow her (she does most of the cooking) to be facing out at guests / kids while in the kitchen.   My main concerns on this were about ventilation. We would not have the budget to run ductwork out over the island, but in the first plans, we’d have a vent hood against the wall, venting up to the roof. Does anyone have a simlar setup, or know anyone who tried this setup? Can you do this without ventilation? Does that mean a haze of grease everywhere over the kitchen? Thanks!

daveinbedstuy | 12 years and 3 months ago

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I think ventilation is required if you have permits.  Ask your architect.  As to whether or not it is really necessary, most people (the 99%) don’t have hoods over their stoves.  Besides, they are really for smoke, not grease.  When you’re cooking your greasy fried foods the grease is going to spatter no matter what.

Arkady | 12 years and 3 months ago

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I have a gas cooktop in my island & it is vented.  It wasn’t all that expensive to do.  I ran duct parallel to the joists until I got to the side & then ran it out between joists to the garden but had to put in a soffit.  The real clue is to have a fan that pulls at the end of the run, not one that pushes from above the cooktop.  My hood was made by Carts in Red Hook – they make the hotdog carts & were very reasonably priced.

brokelin | 12 years and 3 months ago

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Agree they are for smoke.  Curious as to whether they also do a good job of venting the gas fumes that result from cooking with gas (for those of us who have lungs sensitive to gas, a known asthma trigger, but like cooking with gas), and whether the fumes are one reason venting is required (if it is.) Curious, because since I left my parents’ home, I’ve never had a vent for a gas stove in any place I’ve lived in, whether rented or owned, and I think I want one to vent gas fumes when I renovate my own kitchen eventually.  Anyone notice a difference?

tonyjl | 12 years and 3 months ago

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Most islands are configured with sinks as opposed to gas cook tops because of the venting/hoods req’d over cooktops. While it may not be all that more expensive, it does require ductwork and the cost can escalate. When I was considering building on an empty lot, I discussed this w/ my architect. I no longer remember the cost differential, but it was substantial enough to rethink the design.

jcarch | 12 years and 3 months ago

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Hoods are not required by code…ventilation is.  That could be an operable window, or a ceiling fan in a landlocked kitchen.  But from a practical perspective (and I speak having no hood in our apartment kitchen), it is very nice to have. See if there are any creative ways to conceal the ductwork.  Can it go behind upper cabinets when running perpendicular to the joists…can you go down through a wall to a lower floor and then out to the exterior? jcarch ———————— James Cleary Architecture

http://brownstoner.staging.wpengine.com/jamescleary

snowman2 | 12 years and 3 months ago

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I get the idea of facing out while cooking but I would encourage you to consider having the sink (at least a prep sink) in the island instead of the cooktop. For most things, you spend more time prepping than actively working at the cooktop so having prep space and sink facing out is more important.  The cooktop functions better against a wall.

fhtudor | 12 years and 3 months ago

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Whatever you do, have ventilation for your cooktop/stove/range.  No ventilation does mean a sticky haze of grease will build up in the kitchen over time, and cooking smells can linger. We had ventilation in our coop, but not in our current rental, and the difference is notable.

housepoor | 12 years and 3 months ago

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If it is an island with seating, then I would re-think the stovetop. Splattering grease or other stuff adjacent to kids sitting at the island sounds less appealing that getting splashed by water from a sink.

daveinbedstuy | 12 years and 3 months ago

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A lot of messy cooks here who seem to cook a lot of greasy meals!!!  Ihave a cooktop in Philly and it’s the first real one (vented outside) I’ve ever had and I rarely use it.  I’ve never had an issue with grease buildup (WTF?) in any other kitchen.