Product review (1 stars): No functionality - just good looks for obnoxious amount of money
I wish I'd seen these comments before I too - got cheated on the (NON) PERFORMANCE of this appliance. I had an old Thermador really superior downdraft vent at the time - that worked perfectly for 26 years. It raised to 12" it had an EMPTY space between the top cap and front plates (not the stuppid little holes ) that perfectly accommodated the suction of smoke, smells and steam. I could not find anybody to dismantle it so that I can clean the bottom part of the unit (the inaccessible place where the vent detracted downward) which so many years later accumulated fat and was a fire hazard. I (WRONGLY) assumed that Thermador new downdrafts were even better. But no, this is the biggest piece of trash! It takes no smells or smoke or steam away. It makes such noise that you would think you are working next to the airplane engine. I also say SHAME ON YOU Thermador! Next time you make a new design of downdraft vent - get people that ACTUALLY COOK to help you with the design.
Another shameful thing Thermador does is that they sell you EXTERNAL BLOWER type of downdraft but force you to buy an extra piece at $150.00 in order to have that vent connected to the pipe taking smells to the external blower. Without it, no installation is possible. And if your sales person forgets to order that one extra piece AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA that you are missing a piece - then you get the blower, you get your cook top - you get a special installation crew - and then they discover you are missing a piece. No installation that day BUT you are charged for empty trip of the installation crew just the same. WHY ON EARTH IS THAT PIECE NOT A PART OF EXTERNAL DOWNDRAFT VENT????? Why? Because the big, classy Thermador wants to get more money on top of incredibly expensive and useless downdraft vent! Digusting!!!!