ZLINE 600 CFM Ducted Under Cabinet Range Hood in Black Stainless Steel with Size Options (BS623)

The product itself is pretty good. The mounting system is horrendous! Installers beware: there are 4 "keyhole" type mounting holes in the top of the hood. No template is included, so you have the pleasure of holding the very heavy hood in place while you try and reach up and either install the screws (without the holes being predrilled), or use a very long marker/probe to mark the hole location so that you can predrill them. It is very awkward and tough to get exactly right. It is absolutely a 2-man job, and with a 30" wide hood, you are going to get very intimate with your helper!

I am a professional handyman and have decades of building experience and I have to say this is a very, very poor design. At an absolute bare minimum, a paper template should be provided so you can have exact locations for the screws, which cannot be off by more than 1/8" or you'll be out of luck.

There are also many errors in the manual. Pretty dissapointing for "designed in California".

Also - the body of the hood (rather than a 'frame') is holding the entire hood up, and it feels quite thin.

Lastly - the 4 modes are all very similar to eachother. The "Q" (quiet) mode is disappointingly loud and high flow. A much wider range of flow rates would be better.

Fit and finish is very good.

Performance is very good (but pretty loud, as mentioned, even on low setting)

I purchased this range vent due to it being a true recirculating unit that blows the filtered exhaust back into the kitchen.
Using a ducted vent was not practical for my kitchen, otherwise I would have gone that route.

First off - this vent hood is aesthetically beautiful. The fan power is more than adequate for my needs above a 30" electric range.

However, I encountered a few hitches during installation and in getting it up and running. These are close to being resolved, but, as a headsup to future potential buyers, there are some things to be aware of.

1. The paper installation and user manual included with the unit is intended to cover several models, but offers little to no help regarding the recirculating unit. The online version offers only a bit more information. Ironically, I found the installation and user manual online more readily here than on the Zline website.

The manual was not helpful as to how it is to be mounted to the wall, once the recirculating vent section was attached to the blower unit. I had two electricians working together, seeking direction by phone with Zline. The Zline rep (I spoke with at least 3, over time) had to consult with a superior, who relayed to the rep steps that contradicted the order of the one instruction that is given in the online version of the manual. It took the electricians a couple of hours and some trouble-shooting and innovation to get it installed.

2. There are two LED lights toward the front of the hood, which work nicely. In addition to those lights, I discovered a switch inside the hood, at the right front, which works two sockets at the back. There is no mention of this second set of lights in the specifications here nor in the manual. No bulbs were provided.

A rep at Zline was able to inform me that the two rear sockets are intended for heat lamps. He said that, if desired, medium-base light bulbs could be used instead, which I thought sounded perfect, until he specified it had to be no more than 25 WT. He said a "flood lamp" bulb shape could be used, (which would look a lot nicer, since the hole is large and the socket is deeply recessed) but, thus far, I have not found a flood light bulb that's only 25 WT.

3. The vent grille for the Recirculating Kit sits 6" from my 8' ceiling (with the lower edge of the hood being at the minimum distance of 30" from the range top.)
The vent is angled to blow toward the ceiling. This gave me cause for concern, knowing the filter cannot possibly catch every bit of grease and such and the likelihood of my ceiling becoming dirty from the exhaust is moderate to high. I will keep a watch on it and stay on top of changing out the filters as soon as they look like they need it. Hopefully I will not be needing to periodically clean my ceiling. One would think that blowing the exhaust straight into the kitchen, where it could disappate, would be preferable to blasting the ceiling. (The vent can, alternatively, be turned to point downward to the head of the cook - definitely not a better option.)

4. The recirculating kit has a hole in the right top through which the power cord is fed. An electric outlet must be installed in the wall above the unit. In order to have a way to plug in the unit once it was installed, a large hole was cut in the top side wall of the cabinet adjacent to the left of the hood, to allow an arm to reach in. My cabinets are custom, and there is a 6" x 30" panel between the hood and the ceiling. See photo of kitchen, taken pre-backsplash..

5. The information provided in the manual regarding the placement and changing of the charcoal filter does not apply to the recirculating model, I eventually learned. As it turns out, the filter required is rectangular in shape and fits behind the vent grille. A filter did not come with the recirculating kit, though it was suppossed to be included. Zline has promised to send out 4 filters (a year's supply) for my trouble and for the delay in getting answers. However, after 2 weeks since that promise, I have not yet received a notification of shipment, let alone the filters..

Zline has been attentive to my calls and emails and has made good effort to satisfactorily resolve my concerns, and there is quite a long email thread to show for it. However, it is quite unfortunate that the Recirculating Kit does not have a dedicated installation and user manual, and that even the reps have to do some research in order to provide basic information unique to that model. They were very apologetic and acknowledged the gap in the manual and in informed customer support and that improvements need to be made.

This has been a long process, going on 2 full months since the inital installation. I am hopeful that filters will arrive soon and that I can finally start doing some serious cooking on my new range. Despite the many hitches, I do not regret the purchase as I anticipate it will serve me well.

We were replacing a Dacor hood that vented from the back. The ZLINE was the perfect replacement, we could use the same outside vent.

Happy overall with the unit. Quality built, clean lines, good stainless steel. Beeper for the light on off is very loud. Wish it could be adjusted. And while I know the response will be they have the quietest fans in the industry, it is a bit loud. But short of having a unit with a remote fan motor, I'm not sure how much quieter it could be.

The hood is gorgeous. The lighting is more than adequate for the entire 48" of my range. The fan will take care of any smoke or scents in your kitchen. The air output outside is impressive. My hood was dented upon arrival, (NOT due to the shippers, it was packaged dented) It is quite high and I can't see it. It doesn't affect the performance of the hood, but for the price, I did expect perfection. Now, only one thing: It is quite loud and sometimes I refrain from using it as I cook because it's too noisy.

In the remodel of my leaky kitchen, I ordered two different styles of vent fans. The first one arrived but did not fit. It was beautiful quality. I called for a return pickup (free returns). The label arrived two days later. After looking through all the specs on all the styles I thought I had an idea of what would fit. I talked to Delaney, who walked me through my concerns. She even when above and beyond by taking photos of the top and back of my choice. These photos help me choose the fan now in my kitchen.

Mounted it myself and the bracket system is solid once you figure it out, but honestly the instructions wasnt very clear and I had to rewatch a video. Once it was up it looks sharp and moves a ton of air on high. Worth the effort.

Picked this because the brushed stainless is a dead ringer for my fridge and range, no mismatched metals in the kitchen anymore. It feels like a quality build and works well so far. Looks like a high end built in.

On the lower two speeds you can barely hear it running, which means I can keep it on while we eat without shouting over it. It still moves plenty of air when I crank it up for stir fry night. Very pleased with how it performs.

Had a question about the damper during install and their support answered within a few minutes and walked me through it. You do not get that kind of help everywhere. The hood itself looks fantastic and runs smooth.

The shallow depth design fits my tiny galley kitchen without me bumping my head, which was the main reason I chose it. The 280 CFM is plenty for everyday cooking, though I will say if you do a lot of heavy frying you might want something stronger. For me it has been just right.

The shallow profile and clean look drew me in, and it performs well for the size. One thing to know, this model is hardwired with no plug, so I had to bring in an electrician to wire it up. Not a dealbreaker, just budget for it if you are not comfortable doing that.

For the price this hood punches above its weight, the build feels far more expensive than what I paid. My only small issue is that I expected a duct cover to be included and it was not, so I ordered one separately. Still a great deal overall.

I never realized how dim my old hood was until these bright leds lit up the whole cooktop. Now I can actually see what I am simmering. The stainless looks sharp over my new range too.

The width spans my entire cooktop, so steam from the back burners actually gets captured now, not just the front ones. Such a difference when boiling pasta or canning. The convertible vent was a bonus for our setup.

Running a duct through our exterior brick wall was going to cost a fortune, so the recirculating charcoal setup was a lifesaver. It filters the air and vents it back into the room and keeps odors down nicely. Glad this was offered as an option.

We love the soft rounded corners on the 520, it looks more finished than the boxy hoods we considered. Our only issue was a small dent in the housing from shipping, the box was a little flimsy. Custome service was quick to make it right, and once up it looks great.

Our condo has no exterior duct, so the convertible setup was exactly what we needed. We run it in recirculating mode and it still pulls steam and odors well. Took the guesswork out of an awkward kitchen layout.

We have a 48 inch range and this hood finally matches it, the coverage over all the burners is excellent. Heads up that it is heavy and awkward, definitely a two person job to mount. Once it was up though, it has worked flawlessly.

Did a ton of comparison shopping and the zline brand was the only one offering a lifetime warranty on the motor, that sealed it for me. Its been running strong for months now and pulls air great. Honestly cant beat that kind of peace of mind for the price.

I am tall and was worried about clearance, but the slim under cabinet profile sits flush and I never knock my head reaching over a back burner. Sleek without sticking out into the room. Couldn't be happier with the fit.

Went with the black stainless finish to match my appliances and it gives the kitchen a low profile, modern vibe I am really into. It blends in instead of dominating the wall. Suction is solid and it wipes clean easily.