Best Gas Cooktop with Downdraft – Detailed Review and Buyer’s Guide

We can all agree that nothing messes up a cooking session more than odor and excessive smoke. This is a problem that can be solved in different ways including ducted vents and range hoods or exhaust fans. You will find that the problem with smoke can be a bigger issue in smaller kitchens. Luckily, we have the solution right here.

If you want to get rid of the smoke and you have some cash to spare, then you will love what we have in store for you.

This post contains 6 of the best gas cooktops with downdraft to help you solve your smoke and odor problems. To be honest, it is about more than the downdraft system. These are cooktops that will give you more features and functionality compared to the regular gas cooktops in the market.

You will find a detailed review of the 6 cooktops in this article, as well as their pros and cons, and finally, a detailed guide that should help you choose the best one for you.

Let’s get started.

Understanding Downdraft Cooktops

Before we go any further, what is a downdraft cooktop?

When it comes to cooking in your kitchen, what you need is a system that controls the smoke, steam, and odor. That will not only reduce the stress of cooking but also keep your kitchen in the best state possible.

With that in mind, downdraft cooktops have a feature that helps control everything. In simple terms, the fumes and smoke are sucked into the cooktop. There is an additional ventilation system that is under the cooktop.

Our Top Picks

Let us look at downdraft gas cooktop reviews to help you understand their different features, strengths, and weaknesses.

• KitchenAid KCGD500GSS 30-Inch Gas Cooktop with Downdraft

This gas cooktop with downdraft is the final item on our list. It features a high-output burner that will produce up to 17K BTU for all your cooking requirements. Whether you want to cook with low heat or high heat, you can be sure that the burners on this cooktop have your back.

Whether you are cooking with a wok, searing, or simmering, you can be sure that this amazing cooktop will not allow any smoke or odor to escape to the air in your house. They will be sucked in through the downdraft ventilation that is located between two sets of burners.

You can install a duct-free kit for the ventilation system. However, you would have to purchase it separately.

The fan system inside the ventilation has three settings. You can use these to adjust the power of the ventilation based on the intensity of smoke and odor in your house. The speed settings are meant to improve the functionality of this appliance in removing all the unwanted smoke, odor, and steam.

The cooktop also features cast-iron grates that will give you a larger space for your pots and pans.

There are complaints of the downdraft being so powerful that it pulls the flame together with the smoke. That means that even when the smoke is intense in your house, you will have to lower the speed of the fans. In addition to that, it has a finish that can be scratched very easily.

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• GE PGP9830DJBB 30-Inch Gas Cooktop

This cooktop features four all-purpose burners. These burners allow the heat to spread rapidly and uniformly so that your meals can be cooked properly. The fact that this cooktop has four burners means that you will be able to make a range of foods very fast at a go.

Burners on this cooktop will produce different levels of heat. You can adjust the amount of heat to be produced using the knob on the cooktop. That means that you can work on any type of meal regardless of the heat level requirements.

We can all agree that having a messy cooktop after cooking can drive you crazy. Fortunately, this is not an issue with this amazing cooktop. It is designed so that all spills and splatters can be contained. In turn, the clean-up after you cook will be effortless.

The exhaust system on this cooktop is impressively powerful. You can expect the best results from this amazing cooktop.

It features an indicator that helps you know when the surface is hot so that you do not burn yourself. This is one of the reasons why we loved this appliance.

Unfortunately, some people have faced some challenges trying to install it in their kitchens. But you can easily avoid that by having a technician do the installation work for you. It is a safer choice.

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• JennAir JGD3430GB 30-Inch Gas Cooktop

Prepare any meal, lunch, dinner, or even breakfast, without the stress of having to deal with smoke or odors. This cooktop allows you to prepare your favorite meals without any challenges such as smoke. It might just be the best downdraft gas range for your kitchen.

The downdraft ventilation system, located between two-burner sets, has adequate suction to ensure that not a bit of smoke or odor will escape. The result is clean air inside your kitchen for a smooth and pleasant experience.

The construction features a surface made with stainless steel, coupled with brass burners. Together, they provide a very strong and durable cooktop. More than that, they give your kitchen a modern, sleek appeal that you can boast of.

The burners are also amazingly unique in several ways. First of all, there are different burners with different performances. There is a high output burner that gives you up to 17000 BTU and the lower output burners give out 5000 BTU.

You can prepare any type of meal with these amazing burners. You can work on any recipe regardless of the amount of heat required to perfect it.

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• Frigidaire RC36DG60PS 36-Inch Downdraft Gas Cooktop

These amazing cooktops allow you to bring great cooktop performance to your house. You will be able to prepare your meals like a pro without the stress of grease, smoke, or bad odor.

The cooktop features burners that provide you with 5000 t0 21000 BTUs of heat. That means that you can prepare almost any meal using any cooking method including simmering from the comfort of your home.

The downdraft ventilator on this cooktop, coupled with the 500 CMF power will capture all the smoke and odor from your kitchen and suck it into the cooktop. The smoke goes through a stainless steel filter that is very easy to clean. You can expect it to get dirty, considering that the smoke, odor, and grease will go through that filter.

The fan on the ventilator has three speeds. These are supposed to help you adjust the built-in ventilator depending on how bad things are in the kitchen in regards to the amount of smoke and odor. If there is too much, run the fan faster.

As for the cooking surface, it is made using cast-iron grates. They will give you a broader surface for the four gas burners on the cooktop. Space is, therefore, larger but you will have an easy time transferring your meals from one burner to the other.

The reason why the gas burners are sealed is to ensure that spills will not fall on the fire directly. Additionally, there is a lower risk of burns caused by open flames.

You will realize that the controls on this cooktop are more precise than most cooktops in the market. Pro-select cooktop controls provide adequate precision when you are preparing your meals. But that is not all.

You will also enjoy additional features meant to make maintenance and cleaning easier for you. These additional features include the stainless steel construction that you can clean by wiping using a damp cloth. The filter is also dishwasher safe for easier, thorough cleaning.

So, how do you duct this cooktop? It is up to you. You can duct it through the floor or the wall.

On the negative side, customers complained that one burner is more powerful than the rest, which is intentional. Nevertheless, the overall performance of this cooktop is not affected by that.

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• Kenmore Elite 3113 30-Inch Cooktop

Kenmore has been recognized as one of the best brands when it comes to designing functional products. The products have some amazing, unique features that should help make your work generally easier. For more than 100 years, this brand has received great admiration for high-quality products. This specific cooktop is among the best they have done. Here are some reasons why it is on our list.

First, you will get the 5000 BTU burner that provides just the right amount of heat to simmer food without a problem. But it is not for simmering. If you want to melt some butter or chocolate, or simply keep your food warm before serving it, then you should consider this amazing burner.

You will also get the 18,200-BTU turbo burner that will help boil any liquid extremely fast, faster than the other burners will.

This cooktop has ventilation with three-speed settings. The ventilation, coupled with the speed settings ensures that you get adequate power to eradicate all the smoke, steam, and odors from your kitchen. It does not matter how strong the smoke or the odor is. The hidden fans are very strong and function perfectly.

In regards to cleaning and maintaining, you should not have a problem with this cooktop. It features some wide grates that are dishwasher safe to make cleaning easier. Additionally, the cooktop cleans easily with just a simple wipe using a damp cloth.

The recessed, modern design ensures that you can contain the spills and splatters that result from cooking without affecting the cooking space.

The cast iron grate, coupled with the four burners allows you to be more flexible when you are cooking. Moving pans and pots from one burner to the next should not be a challenge.

Some adjustable knobs will easily regulate the amount of heat produced by the burners. So, you will have a very easy time working on any recipe regardless of the amount of heat required in the instructions.

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• KitchenAid KCGD506GSS 36” Downdraft Gas Cooktop

Improve your kitchen with the use of this amazing cooktop by KitchenAid. It is an appliance that will simply suck in all the bad odors, grease, and smoke when you are cooking. With this gas cooktop with downdraft, you can be assured that your kitchen will be relaxing to cook it. What qualified it for our list? Well, there are a couple of things we loved about this cooktop.

It features three settings, each of which is meant for different cooking needs. It also features a 300 CFM exhaust that allows you to clean your kitchen’s air effectively.

The brand also sells a conversion kit separately for any kitchen with venting installation as well as restrictions for filtering any contaminated air before you allow it back.

This is an appliance for a large family. It features five burners, each of which has a different amount of power from the rest. With these burners, you can easily cook different meals at the same time. The largest burner gives you 17K BTU for the immense heat requirements such as boiling water. You will also enjoy the smaller burners that help you simmer, and work on recipes that require less heat. With this burner, you can cook with smaller and larger pots without damaging them.

The burners on this cooktop make use of electric ignition. That allows the cooktop to relight the flames if they go off for any reason.

On the cooktop, there is a cast iron grate that is meant to provide you with more space for large pots. At the same time, moving a pot from one burner to the other is now easier with the grate in place.

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What To Look For When Buying A Gas Cooktop With Downdraft

There is a range of cooktops in the market, each with a different set of features and performance. That is why you need to narrow down your options.

This section provides you with some features that you should consider before you decide to purchase a downdraft gas cooktop.

Safety

Safety is very important, especially when you are dealing with fire and gas as a fuel source. There are specific cooktops that feature automatic features to turn on and off.

We have also seen a cooktop that has an automatic re-ignition feature.

Size

How big of a cooktop do you want for your kitchen? You will need a cooktop that is just perfect for your kitchen. Therefore, you will need to consider the size of your stove, then decide the size of a cooktop that you need.

You might also need a cooktop that allows you to prepare a couple of meals at the same time. A larger model should help you to achieve that.

The Burners

As you have seen on the downdraft gas cooktop reviews, different cooktops have different types of burners. Some have more burners than others. These burners are also different in regards to the types and sizes.

Larger burners tend to produce more heat, which in turn speeds things up. You need to make sure that the burners on the cooktop will give out just the right amount of heat to protect your cookware and give you the best results.

BTU Power

BTU is a unit of measurement that helps determines how much heat a burner is producing. You will need to consider just how much heat is being produced by a certain burner.

In our list of top picks, we have found that these cooktops have different burners.

A single cooktop can have a set of different burners that can produce different amounts of heat. They allow you to work on different types of meals that require different amounts of heat.

Dial and Controls

Control over your cooktop is very important because it ensures that you have adequate control over how your food is cooking. Some controls help control the heat temperature, cooking time, as well as flame height.

Your cooking experience might be enhanced by these dials and controls. You need a cooktop that has dials that are easy to read.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How effective are downdraft cooktops?

Downdraft vents are very effective. They go the extra mile to make sure that all the odor, steam, and smoke are tackled regardless of the number of burners that are on a cooktop.

But you should know that the downdraft system will only work if the burners are close to the downdraft vents. So, when you are comparing them with the upright vents or hoods, they are less effective.

2. Do you need a downdraft with a gas cooktop?

If you have a kitchen that does not have adequate ventilation and smoke tends to be a problem once in a while, you might need to think about this option. You can choose to go for a range hood that might be expensive, or simply choose a reasonably priced gas cooktop with a downdraft system to eradicate all your problems.

Wrapping Up

We hope that your search for a good downdraft gas cooktop has ended. You will realize that the different cooktops on our list are very good, each with different strengths from the others. However, what you need to do is consider what you need and find a cooktop that will solve them.

You can rest easy knowing that your kitchen will not be filled with smoke or odor anymore, thanks to the amazing downdraft cooktops.

Also, read:

• Review of Best Induction Cooktops with Downdraft
• Difference Between Glass Top Stove And Coil

Now I’d like to hear from you.

Did I miss one of your favorite gas cooktops with downdraft?

Or maybe you have a question about something.

Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.

Feel free to share your observations with me in the comments section!

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