Product review (4 stars): ... kitchen that gets used for cooking should have something like this, but UX10 would serve you much better
Every kitchen that gets used for cooking should have something like this, but UX10 would serve you much better.
I really shopped for 2 years before I bought it.
I got down to final 3.
1. viking Pro style 30 VWH53048
2. Miele DA1180
3. Thermador HPWB30
4. Xtremeair UL30

Let me go one by one here....
1. Viking Pro would cost around $1800 for a 600 CFM build. It's expensive, noisy and too weak. My cousin ended up buying it. This made the final 2 with a different config. With a 900 CFM EXTERNAL blower, it would have set me back 2100 bucks.

2. Meile is cute and it looks great for the kitchen, but it's just way to weak...for 910 bucks, I'd get something not much better than a microwave oven that blows at my face

3. Thermador - this is nice, but the 30" model only comes with 600 CFM blower that isn't very quiet. Why pay 1900 bucks when I can have better.

4. Xtremeair UX10 was the winner. For 450 bucks, I get a quiet, yet powerful unit that's relatively easy for a contractor to install.

Basically all 4 units had top notch build quality. I was very surprised that xtremeair has the same build quality as the others. The parts were well manufacturers, no cut corners, all edges polished off and nothing rattles if you install properly. It also has the best material, on par with the viking. When they advertised non magnetic 1mm stainless steel, they mean exactly that.
I hired a contractor to install it. All he does is install range hoods, NOTHING ELSE. He actually has never seen one of these before. He was surprised at the quality of the material and the finish. The down size of having the good material is that it's really heavy. Based on his experience, he decided that unless he drills size holes to hold this up, it will have weight problem in a few months. That means it will start rattling and making noises, and it won't be the machine's fault. It'd be improper installation (and manufacturer's fault for not suggesting it).
He drilled holes on the side for additional mounting points. He had to cool his drill bits every few seconds, and even had to change bits when it snapped. It took half an hour to drill 4 holes. Now that's solid material:)
I really got lucky there. He quoted me $200 bucks including duct work. He ended up running into hole drilling issues and obstruction in the box that I wanted the duct run. A one hour job turned into 5 hours, and he honored his quote. O^O. I certainly wasn't trying to take advantage of him. I'm not handy, I wouldn't have known.
Internally, the 2 fans pull the air out very nicely. does it reach 900 CFM? I seriously doubt it, but neither does any other unit that's rated for 900 CFM. Those fans, however, did more with less noise, especially if you compare it to a unit with one large fan. The closest configuration was really the viking with external blower. I just didn't feel like dropping over $2000 then drop some more for someone to install that external blower.

So, if it's better and cheaper than everything else I cross shopped, why isn't it 5 star? Well, here comes my regret:(
Last minute, I switched my order from UL10 to PX10. That's a huge mistake.
I know I wanted the mechanical buttons..... I have never seen the PX10 with the touch buttons, but I made a judgement call based on the reviews. I made the wrong call. It took me 5 minutes with the new unit to regret my decision.
When I read the questions and reviews, I actually thought...well you dumb people just can't figure out how to use touch buttons. Stop pressing them, just touch them and cover the buttons.
Well, those touch buttons are horrible. They are not really touch sensitive even if you cover the entire button. Basically, the sensitivity varies. Sometimes all of them are hard to trigger. Sometimes the inner ones are a bit easier (50%). The outer ones (auto sensor and timer) have a 10-20% chance of registering. It's extremely annoying. I ended up using the remote like other owners, but I really don't want to use the remote. I just want to hit a button that works.
Whether is 50% or 20% of activating the function, it's bad, really bad. It needs to be 100%....not even 99%.
So, please, if you are reading this, it's not PEBKEC. Those touch buttons are your enemy. The sensor is useless. The timer could have been useful, but being unable to trigger it when I need it, it becomes useless. Get the UL10, and be extremely happy with it. This is the same recommendation I'm giving to all my family members getting a new range hood.

I'm in the process of order a piece of stainless steel plate to cover the wall. When I have i5t covered, I'll try to submit a picture with it:)