Italian beauty...

For years I had a good old NuTone range hood, cheap & reliable with a great warranty. Earlier this year, it started acting up a bit (getting really noisy) and although I could have had the unit fixed, I decided to take a look at other options.

I found the Zephyr Pyramid and was captivated by it's appearance. It's made in Italy and imported by a California firm. Performance was stated to be about twice the airflow of the Nutone (400 CFM vs. about 180 CFM) & quieter to boot. Only one issue... at over $400, was it really worth it?

After talking with a couple of vendors found one who would sell a unit for a total of about $420 inc. shipping (this was in March '02, prices may have come down slightly since then)

When it arrived and was unboxed, I must say I was impressed. The comparison between the stainless Italian hood and the good old Nutone was night and day. This unit just oozed sex appeal... if a range hood can have "sex appeal" :D From every angle it looked GOOD!

As is so often the story, there's often a fly in the ointment, and the problem with the zephyr was in the mounting. Seems you have to remove the switch assembly to access one of the mounting holes. Only problem is removing the switch usually results in its being broken. The importer is aware of this issue, and supplied me with a replacement switch at no charge, and it has been working well ever since. I did burn out one of the two halogen lights recently, so you may want to order a spare or two if you decide to try this hood.

It is quiet, it is powerful, the halogen lighting looks much better than the regular incandescent in most hoods, and the thing just makes the kitchen. The switches (one for the lights and a 3-speed fan switch are flush and located underneath (out of sight but readily accessible). The filter screens are flush mounted and washable. And there is an attractive stainless filler piece at the back to neatly cover any gaps. It's also available in white or black (and ductless) but the stainless did it for me! But is it really is that good looking? Is it worth the extra $ for all that? For me I'd have to say yes. I may not be able to afford a Ferrari, but I've got the hottest range hood on the block!

Two thumbs up!

(this is available in 30 & 36" widths, I got the 30")
depth is 19.7" & height is 6.7"
I have the stainless ducted model. (I think the stainless was ~$40 more than the painted versions)