(Tatsumaki) Chef 30" PS18 Under Cabinet Range Hood Review

• The capture area and depth of this range hood together with its suction capabilities ensures that almost all of the grease and fumes emanating from your cook top are captured and exhausted. So if your powerful burners are on the front of your stove, you’ve got nothing to worry about as their exhaust is still going to get out of the house.
• With a maximum suction of 860 CFM and six speed settings you would not find yourself seeking more suction nor would you have to complain about the excess use of power and the additional noise that comes along when you do not absolutely need it.
• It’s the ideal range hood for those of you who cook a lot of greasy food, steaks, Indian, East-Asian or any other cuisine that calls for strong exhaust. Among the reviews I’ve read there was someone who pointed out that their home no more smells like the meal they cooked, a week after they’ve cooked it. Instead, they find that the area in close proximity to their home smells like a restaurant when their burners are on.
• The hood ships with all the parts that you would need for the installation. This is usually the case, but it is important to point this out, because quite a few people were wondering whether the screws sent along would be sufficient to hold the weight of this hood. Home owners and customer service responded saying that there is no need of additional support. If I were you, I would however, make sure that my cabinet was sturdy enough to take on the additional weight.
• Straight out of the box the range hood can only be installed under a cabinet, but customer support says that on calling or writing to them they would be able to guide you with a wall installation. You should know that the hood does not have screw holes at the back, so this mode of installation would need some work on your part. If you’re looking for a wall installation, contact the support department before you make a purchase. The contact details can be found in the specifications above.
• It comes with three venting options, a circular and rectangular vent on the top surface and a rectangular vent at the back of the hood. Both circular and rectangular adapters are provided.
• The model is a plug and play unit, which means that it does not need to be hardwired. With the right skills, you could always strip off the plug and hardwire the unit if necessary.
• Most range hoods in this price range and below do not have an automatic shut-off feature and when they do, they tend to have fixed time shut-off functions. The good thing about this model is the fact that you can set it up to be anywhere between 1 and 15 minutes.
• The hood ships with a backdraft damper which prevents warm air from escaping when not in use and at the same time it prevents insects from getting into your kitchen through the exhaust vent.
• The stainless steel baffle filters are dishwasher friendly. It is suggested that you clean them up every two weeks or sooner depending on their use. The grease and residue capture unit that attaches at the bottom and back of the range hood is also easy to detach and empty, further making clean up a breeze.

• It’s super heavy! 41lbs on its own is not extremely heavy, but you need to slide it onto the pre-screwed screws and hold it in place while you securely screw it in, this makes it impossible for most to do it on their own. Let’s not forget the amount of room you’ve got to work in. The company does in all fairness say it is a two man job. A few people have reported that they’ve used jacks to hold the hood in place while they screw it in and a few people found it difficult to install even with cabinet and car jacks! It’s not impossible to install and not the hardest installation. An expert at DIY projects would say it’s a moderate. But if you’ve not prepared for it, it can turn out to be an ordeal. I must add that they have made improvements to their installation manual outlining the installation procedure to make it easier for you. One reviewer commented that screwing the rear screws was the hardest part because they were hard to see. Pointing the flashlight on the back metallic surface reflected light the best way to see the screws, rather than pointing the light onto the screw directly.
• Installation would have been a whole lot easier if the company included a mounting plate that the range hood could later be attached onto. You are asked not to disassemble the hood while you set it up, so don’t do this hoping to make it lighter.
• It would have been extremely helpful if they included a template with the screw holes and the upper exhaust. This would not cost more than a dollar or two, let’s be super fancy and say 5 dollars, it’s definitely worth the extra cost if you’re going to help make the installation ten times easier!
• The clock that shows when the hood is not in operation cannot be turned off or made dimmer.
• On operation the control panel makes a beeping sound which can be irritating to some of us. Having an option to turn off these notifications would be nifty.
• The Chef logo is etched onto the front of the range hood, I don’t mind it as it does look good, but this must be pointed out as a con as I’m sure not everyone is indifferent to this.

Can the PS18 be installed ductless?

What are the venting options with the PS18?

What is the noise level at different levels of operation?

Can the Halogen bulbs be replaced by LEDs?

How do you adjust the time on the clock?

Does this model have an auto-clean function?