A downdraft range or cooktop integrates the ventilation system directly into the cooking surface, eliminating the need for an overhead vent. ... These systems help capture smoke, steam, grease particles, and odors at the cooking surface, pulling them down and out of the kitchen before they can escape into the air.

Are downdraft stoves good?

Limited Effectiveness. The experts at Reviewed consider downdraft vent systems inherently flawed. ... Because of their design, downdraft vents work harder than updraft systems to remove air, and are usually ineffective at drawing steam, odors and smoke from burners that are farthest away, and from tall stockpots.

Do downdraft vents need to be vented?

Downdraft ranges have built-in vents between the burners, and suck smoke and steam through an exhaust pipe or filtration system. That means they don't need an external vent hood—a trait that makes them popular in open kitchens, and kitchens with cathedral ceilings.