apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

That's insane!!!!

It shows how companies can be way ahead of their time.

Telescopic downdraft vents seem like a completely modern concept. Looks like they had a go with them way back in the 80's.

I've seen them work and they are supposed to be as effective as an overhead vent. They create some sort of a vortex that pulls the steam and vapors from the stove top right into the vent.

Hopefully you can get it fixed! Have you tried calling the mafr.? Viking/Wolf/Thermador? I wonder if there are still parts for it. Hopefully you can get a good fix-it guy that you know that can buy the parts himself and fix it.

Good luck!

that is so awesome!

We had one like this put in when we re-did the kitchen in my parents' house (I was maybe 13ish). I remember it working really well and my mom loved it. It was new at the time, but the theory is the same.

The kitchen appliances are at least 20 years old - but quite likely much older.

I grew up in a house that had a Jenn-Air stove with (non-telescoping) downdraft vent. My parents liked the downdraft so much, when they renovated the kitchen, they went with another Jenn-Air range.

This is hard to explain, but my folks had one of those when I was growing up and it would only work if you coordinated pushing the button to raise it up with the sudden appearance of a little red light on the front of the stove. In other words, you would hold down the "raising it up" button and watch the stove front like a hawk until the red light came on for a split-second, at which point you would quickly stop pushing the "raising it up" button. If you missed the light, the vent would have to go all the way back down and then back up again for a second try. Totally stupid (I think it was an Amana stove), but look for a mysterious light and that might make it work!

Wow, that's crazy! You have a built-in griddle on the stove too?? Awesome!

my parents have had this stove in black (in their otherwise up-to-date kitchen) most of my life (20 years). My favorite part was always the griddle/grill in the middle. I don't recall them ever having any issues with the vent.

My parents have a down-draft vent on a Jenn-air countertop stove. It works pretty well. It's situated in the middle, doesn't raise or anything, and you just flick a switch to turn it on. Only downside is that it collects a lot of stray crumbs and other bits.

My parents had a stove on a kitchen island that had vents built into both sides so you wouldn't have to have the overhead hood. It was nice to have the area open, but it drove us nuts to cook something ... they were EXTREMELY loud, and as the living room was open plan with the kitchen, you couldn't hear anything in the living room while mom was cooking. It was louder than the loudest dishwasher. If you were in the kitchen while it was on, it was like being outside at an airport ... you had to talk loud over it. I wish I could remember what brand it was.

I love that video. The speed of the mechanism and noise it makes reminds me of a robot... one that has become self aware... be careful... mwhoo ha ha ha...

Well the "vent up/down/on" switches might have given some hints :)

Haha! Gotta agree with you, pantzini. "Then we started pushing random buttons"...I would have thought the labels gave the secret away. :-)

Still, nice stove...hope you can get it working again.

A dear architect friend of mine installed one in his remodeled, open plan kitchen and he is on the verge of ripping it out. I've cooked with it, and it is ridiculous.

If you use a pot or pan that is even close to the height of the vent, it can't work. Boiling a big pot of water for pasta or blanching veggies? All that humidity escapes. Terrible design.

And, yeah, his is the very expensive cooktop with a surface coating that is impossible to maintain. Nothing like paying big bucks when it only looked good right after installation and is relatively unfunctional!