Product review (5 stars): We could not be happier with our new hood insert
We could not be happier with our new hood insert.  Strong enough to suck the fillings from your teeth, yet quiet enough not to be obtrusive.  It's decorative front is made of "REAL" stainless steel (non-magnetic) and not that cheap crap used by most foreign manufacturers now days to wrap most of our modern appliances!

This unit it American made and no cheap lightweight but a hefty, robust and sturdy unit that should last for many years.  When installing, be certain to re-inforce your mounting brackets as this is one heavy boy.

Sucking 1,200 CFM of air means that every crack and crevice in your home will draft outside air to replace the vacuum.  Therefore we opted to install an air exchanger in our kitchen's outside wall to alleviate this problem.

Our older home was fortunate to have an old brick chimney from the basement, through the kitchen and out the roof.  As this unit was destined to be mounted next to said chimney, our contractor simply punched an 8" hole in the chimney and vented it directly outdoors through the roof.  However, come winter we quickly discovered a problem. Cold air is heavier than warm air and would drift down the chimney and cool off the kitchen my up to 20 degrees F.  This was quickly remedied by the installation of an automatic baffle to close off the chimney when the fan was not in use.  Therefore I would highly recommend that Z-Line consider pre-installing a baffle in ALL their units prior to merchandising them to the public.

As for ours, it has become the show piece of our new kitchen.  Everyone comments on it and we are very proud and happy to have it as a new addition.