We Need to Vent
Ever since we first posted about our vent-tastic Arietta hood back in October, it’s been one of the most asked about items in our home. Does it work? Does it really look that good? Is it too good to be true?
We had to dodge those questions for months while the hood just sat on the floor waiting for its friends, the cabinets. But now it’s been up for a few weeks and we’ve been able to put it to the test.
So let’s put all the speculation to rest. Yes, it works. Yes, it looks pretty darn fine. And no, it’s not too good to be true.
For all of you out there who worry that the low $350 price tag means a sacrifice in quality, know that we’ve been overwhelmingly happy with our choice. It’s quiet (check out the demo in our house tour), it’s functional (3 fan speeds, timer, clock, light) and it certainly looks like a million bucks.
Please chime in if you’ve got your own Arietta hood review to share, we’d love to get a concensus. Until then, here are some of the fun meals we’ve thrown together under our stainless steel sweetheart. Gotta love a kitchen that inspires you to cook more:
Tomato Basil Shrimp
Cilantro Lime Chicken with Pineapple
Note: For the recipes, please click the comment text-bubble on the top right hand corner of this post. Mmm…
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Wow, that is very pretty! Glad it works, and looks nice, instead of one or the other.
your blog is sooo lovely! would you mind sharing the source of the picture above the stove and recipes…?
Hey Izabug,
Thanks for your sweet comment. The art above the stove is actually part of a poster that I cut up and framed. The entire print was huge, so I cut out a few of my favorite parts and put them in smaller frames throughout the room. I found it on http://www.allposters.com (it’s also where we got the poster in our bathroom that we referenced in the house tour video). If you visit their home page and search “apple vanilla” you should find it right away.
As for the recipes, we’re not very exact in our measurements, but here’s our best attempt. Get fresh shrimp from the counter at your local grocery store (never use the frozen kind, fresh ones are only around $4 for half a pound, and so worth it) and cook them in a pan (in some butter) and add some fresh basil and a can of diced tomatoes (drained first). It’s delish when served over spaghetti or zitti. No sauce necessary thanks to the tomatoes and butter which create a nice sauce with lots of flavor thanks to the basil.
The cilantro lime chicken is easy too. Cook bite sized chunks of chicken on the stove (in a pan) while preparing some rice in a pot (we love jasmine rice, so much tastier than instant rice and it doesn’t take that long at all). Put cooked chicken chunks over the rice once it’s done and squeeze a lime over the whole thing, add sliced cilantro and some canned pineapple chunks. Stir and enjoy.
Yummy! We’ve wrestled with the idea of adding recipes to the site (they’re sort of house related, and very kitchen related) so please speak up if you guys want more of them. We’d be happy to share them from time to time!
xo,
Sherry
thank you so much for the quick response! yes to more recipes!!!!
Can yhou tell me more about the Arietta vent hood. How many cfms? Dees it remove odors? Did you vent to the top or through the wall? Thx
Hey Ram,
Hmm, we don’t know the cfms off the top of our heads, but I’m sure a trip to Home Depot would definitely answer that. As for the removal of odors, it’s fantastic (I’ve burned enough things by now to know) and we configured ours to vent through the top (up through the ceiling- we live in a one story ranch) but I’m sure it can adapt to vent though the wall if you have another floor above the kitchen.
Hope that helps!
Sherry
Hi,
I found your blog about a month ago, and am really impressed that you do this, it’s great! I do have a question about the Arietta Hood you installed. Was wondering if you had to install the “non-return valve” shown in the manual? We are in NH, COLD weather zone and I’m having trouble locating the item shown. Thanks for your help! Keep up the good work! And Burger is such a cutie!
Hello:
We too are re-modeling our kitchen and I chose the Arietta Dekor range hood also for its sleek Italian design and price. I am so glad that it works well and you like it. However, ours came without a manual – I was looking on line for our carpenter when I came upon your info and many others. Tell me did you get a manual with your hood?
Thanks so much,
Robin
Hi Robin,
We’d love to see your hood in place once your kitchen is done. As for a manual, we did get one in ours so it’s probably just an oversight by whomever packaged yours. Maybe try your local Home Depot to see if they’ll swipe one out of another box for you?
Good luck!
-John
i can’t tell from the pictures or the specs if this has to adhere to the wall, or if it can freestand over an island worktop. was it convertible? the man at home depot told me it was duct-free. it also looks like it is not. could you elaborate? thanks. annie
Hi Annie,
The particular model we purchased must adhere to the wall and is not duct-free, as you suggested. Perhaps you and the man at Home Depot were looking at a different model? Ours also can’t be hung above an island as it has a definite front and back (which shouldn’t be exposed).
If you look at Home Depot’s listing online you’ll see some of the other models that have non-ducting options and can be hung over an island. Ours is the one at the very top of the page.
Good luck and happy vent hunting!
John
Very beautiful home and kitchen. Do you have any more pictures of the vent you could email me? How is it holding up? Is it still working well.
Your home is very very well decorated. The laundry is very cool.
Thanks,
Hi Rory,
Here are a couple other posts you can check out for more shots of our purty hood:
http://www.younghouselove.com/2007/12/all-good-in-the-hood/
http://www.younghouselove.com/2008/01/113-days-later/
We’ve had our Arietta for about six months now and it’s holding up great and still working perfectly. Absolutely no complaints. We’ve been able to cook plenty of steamy dishes under it- in fact, I’m off to make something on the stove now. Hope that helps!
-John
I’ve had my Arietta installed for a year now. I works great and looks good except for one problem. The stainless steel started to tarnish constantly after the first 6 months. The chimney section needs to be scrubbed of tarnish every month now. We have lots of stainless in our kitchen- all appliences, pot racks, coffee pot and utensiles. Our stove is stainless and certanly a lot closer to the heat and grease but no problem with corrosion. The only thing I can figure is that the quality of the stainless must be inferior(maybe that explains the low price). Any suggestions? Thanks, Mike
Hey John, me and my wife purchased the same Arietta vent hood and I was wondering if you guys had any problems with getting the top of the vent hood flush with the ceiling. I spent all day trying to install it and hit a snag when I tried to get the duct cover on. How did you guys handle this? If you did not install it yourself, who did you hire to handle the job?
Thanks, Darsh
Hi Mike,
I’m sorry to hear that you’re seeing so much tarnish on your stainless steel. We haven’t had the same issue with ours yet, but perhaps that’s just an indication that we don’t cook as often as we should! But you’re right that it could be an indication of the lower price. We’ll keep you posted if we experience anything. In the meantime, I’d recommend checking with your Home Depot to see if they have tips for dealing with the corrosion.
Darshan – we actually didn’t install the hood ourselves, we had it installed by the Home Depot team that installed the rest of our cabinets during our kitchen remodel. I don’t recall our installer having any issue with that portion of the installation – is it an issue with getting the duct cover around the duct itself or getting it to line up with the ceiling? Ours it pretty tight around the ceiling, but not perfect – since our ceiling isn’t 100% event. But a thin line of caulk around gap can help it appear seamless. Like with Mike, perhaps a call to Home Depot could offer some suggestions?
Good luck!
-John
Thanks John, I will try that out, hopefully they will be able to help.
Hello lady and gent –
My husband and I just purchased the Arietta Hood yesterday. Our ceilings are 8’6″ and the instructions state to install the hood 24-30″ above an electric cooktop, which would leave a 6″ gap at the top. It appears that your hood may be placed higher. Can you give me the exact height above your electric cooktop? Since your install was professional, I would trust they were confident in the placement of the hood.
Thank you!
Gina
Hey Gina,
The bottom of ours measures 32.5 inches above the stove, so it’s a tad high but seems to work perfectly. As for your height disparity, you might want to purchase the extender piece that Home Depot sells to elongate the chimney part of the hood (at least they sold it a year ago when we got ours). Due to our sad eight foot ceiling we didn’t need one, but we’d totally trade having to buy the extender piece for higher ceilings- lucky you!
Happy hanging…
xo,
Sherry (& John)
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly! The electrician is coming to hard wire today and I wanted to give him the proper height!
Keep doin’ what you’re doin’! You are my #1 resource for all things home…
~~Gina~~
Hi Sherry (& John),
I am so glad to have found this site! You addressed all the concerns that I have with the Arietta. I chose the Toscana model (without the pyramid top). I am concerned about head injuries by placing the hood too low. With a gas stove, I can go higher, but wanted to know if you have bumped your head (or friends helping out) on the sharp corner while cooking?
I’m having a friend install on this holiday Monday.
Thanks
M
Hey M,
So glad we can be of help! Since the hood of our stove doesn’t protrude nearly as far out as the stove and is still pretty high up, it would be pretty hard for us to bump our heads. In over a year it has yet to happen. It’s 70″ high and about 9 inches back from the front of the stove, so a super tall person would have to bend forward an almost unbelievable amount to hit their head. Hope it helps! I don’t know how the model that you picked up varies, so you might want to have your friend hold it up to see whether you’d like to go higher. My guess is that it’ll be well out of the way. Good luck and happy hanging!
xo,
Sherry
Hi Sherry,
Thanks for getting back so quickly. I incorrectly calculated that your hood was installed lower. I’ll make sure not to go lower than 70″.
This is an awesome site. I’ll be checking it regularly and may send pics..too.
Thanks,
Marien
Came across your site while researching the Arietta hoods, very nice site. I’m just starting my kitchen remodel and I’m also in disbelief on the cost of hoods. I did see the model you installed, and am considering myself, at Home Depot. The HD website has the owner’s manual in pdf format for downloading if someone doesn’t get one with their hood. It looks like you’ve had your’s installed for about a year now, how is it running and looking?
Thanks
Tim
Hey Tim,
So far so good! We couldn’t be happier with our hood and it’s totally stood the test of time! Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
Does anyone have the arietta hood witht he curved glass at the base? I’m just wondering how the glass does with the steam/grease from cooking and if it contstantly has to be cleaned.
I’m thinking of getting the same Arietta hood that you have. I read the comments re the tarnishing from another poster and wondered if you have had the same problem (or any other problems) since installation. Love your house!
Hey Suzanne,
Not only have we had no other problems with our hood, a few friends of ours also got the same hood and didn’t have any either. I’m wondering if the person who experienced tarnishing got theirs from a bad batch of them or something. Maybe they got recalled or were made from a different material, but ours are humming right along. Installation isn’t the easiest thing in the world so it helps to have an expert or at least some extra hands around just to help things go more smoothly, but once it’s installed the hood should be a great addition to your kitchen for years to come!
xo,
s
Thanks! Based on your experience, we’ll go ahead and get this hood – and get HD to install it…
Hi,
Your Arietta vent hood looks really nice. I’m planning on getting the same pyramid design but oppting for the 36in wide hood. My question to you both is about lighting. It seems there is one vent hood light, located in the rear of the hood. In your honest opinion, do you think the lighting is adequate for your 30in range? I seems as though having only one light would be a problem. Further more, having it toward the rear of the hood (rather than the front) seems to illuminate the wall more than the burners. Again I’m after you honest/cut-throat opinion.
Thanks you!
We’re still loving our hood, including the light. It’s more than bright enough and super easy to pop on and off. We use it all the time and it’s always sufficient. And we don’t even have other under cabinet lighting around the kitchen. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I never heard of Arietta, and would not reccomend it.
One person commented that it tarnished. That’s unacceptable.
Service and parts, where do you go?
The finsih does not match with the stove in the picture.
Conclusion: If budget is the main conern then I quess it’s ok to buy this vent and a non-self cleaning stove.
Hey Kirk,
So sorry you haven’t heard of Arietta! It’s sold nationwide at Home Depot stores (among others) so that’s one place you can go for service and parts as well as directly to their website if you have any questions/concerns. And the stainless steel finish does match our stove perfectly (which is one of the reasons we selected it) so we apologize if these photos don’t demonstrate that very well. Here’s a post with a better lit photo that shows everything more clearly for ya: http://www.younghouselove.com/2008/01/113-days-later/
In short: over a year and a half later we’re still loving our Arietta hood and we just had to mention that we have not had the tarnishing problem that someone mentioned above and we’re still so glad that we snagged ours for our big kitchen makeover. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
s,
It does help and it does look great! I’m a dealer and my brother in law is purchasing top of the line Kitchen Aid appliances from me and he is asking about the Arietta hood. He sent me this link and I was responding to him. I’m sorry if I offended you or disrespected you in any way. I have not read all the posts or researched this forum. Those pictures are really nice.
Kirk Rivas
Can you tell me the width/depth of the vent cover? It looks a lot wider than the 8″ duct that runs inside it. Whoever installed the ceiling/roof vent in my kitchen did not center it over the stove. I’m hoping this vent cover has enough extra room so that I can shift it 3 or 4 inches to the right. Thanks for your help.
David
Hey David,
It’s 13″ wide and almost 11″ deep. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Just thought I’d throw it out there that I’d love to see more recipes! Both of those meals look delicious! :)
Hi Sherry,
I posted to your site last March regarding the Arietta hood. I bought and installed it last June, the installation was tricky but it wasn’t too bad. It runs and vents great. It hasn’t tarnished at all, I use a stainless cleaner on it about once a month. The light could be brighter or in a better location, I put in undercabinet lighting so it’s tolerable. I’d like to post a photo of it, how can I do that?
Tim
Glad to hear it! You can upload pictures to a site like shutterfly or kodak and post a link if you’d like. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I just purchased the same range hood. This unit has 8″ ducting. Do you know what type of roof vent was used to vent this fan? Apparently this is not a common size for kitchen vent fans….
Our installer used our home’s existing roof vent (which is decades old but still goes right up and out of the roof since we have a one story ranch). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hey,
Looks very nice and thanks for a nice site. I found it because I too bought the Arietta Dekor glass for my remodel and was getting ready to install tonight. But, like Robin, I didn’t receive a manual either (and think missing a bracket). Thought you might be willing to forward my e-mail address to hers…just looking for quick resolution? Glad to hear so many are pleased with this and hope to have the same experience. Cheers and I’ll post review once installed.
Ugh, so sorry to hear that Adam. We’ve emailed Robin with your info so here’s hoping she’s able to help you out!
-John
Hello, I have been looking over all the comments and was just wondering if anyone has anything positive or (more importantly) negative to say about the Arietta Lazio model? My family is looking into the possibility of getting it, but can’t find a review on it aside from the one on the Home Depot website… help?
Anyone have any advice for Jaqueline?
xo,
s