Product review (3 stars): Works but poorly packed and gets damaged in transit
It's a good downdraft. So why 3 stars?
1. Don't be surprised if this unit arrives with damage. This is because the packing is poor and the unit is very heavy (>70 lbs). Inevitably gets damage in transit as a result. For me the ends of the top (the shiny, fancy part that sticks out above the countertop was badly bent on one end). The bottom aluminum where it connects to the external vent pipe was also badly bent out of the box.
2. The vacuum fan is enclosed in a heavy steel cube making it very hard for existing gas countertops with existing piping to be routed underneath. Much easier to route around round edges (which is the case inside the cube). So not sure why that extra steel cube? Adds to the weight too.
3. Comes with 2 extra filters but no mention of where to fit them, no instructions whatsoever.
4. Not sure why the cost is $756! I understand heavy duty steel and fan has some sunk cost but this is wildly expensive. Also not sure why they didn't just use lightweight Aluminum and make the installation much easier. Fair price for a commodity unit like this should be in the $300-$400 max in my humble opinion. It's basically a vacuum fan housed in a steel box with a lifting mechanism. Not sure why it's $756. Probably because it's a "kitchen" item. All in all, product works good but it looses out on damage in transit owing to poor packing, poor ergonomics, inexplicably high weight and inexplicably high cost.