7 Best Rated Gas Cooktops with Downdraft Review (30″/36″)

Are you wondering what the best gas cooktop with downdraft is? Undoubtedly, having the right cooking tools will improve your culinary skills. But working with a conventional gas cooker could frustrate your cooking experience.

Why? Regular gas stoves do not have a unique venting system. Instead, they vent into your kitchen, releasing offensive odor or steam into your home. But that’s why you need the best-rated gas cooktop downdraft.

Downdraft gas cooktops help eliminate fumes, food smell, and excess heat from the kitchen. That helps keep your home smelling nice always. Besides, it does not impact so much on your stove cleaning or maintenance.

So, what are the 7 top best downdraft gas cooktops?

Top 7 Best Rated Gas Cooktop with Downdraft

• Best 36” Gas Cooktop with Downdraft – JennAir – 36″ JX3
• Best 30” Gas Cooktop with Downdraft – JennAir 30″ JX3

1. JennAir – 36″ JX3 Built-In Gas Downdraft Cooktop

Product Features:

• No. of Burners: 5
• Material: Grate surface
• Heating Capacity: 5,000 – 17,000 BTU
• Color: Stainless Steel/Black

Product Description:

If you settle for a 5 burner gas cooktop, it means you possibly love cooking a lot. JennAir JX3 will be your best choice.

One thing that gives JennAir JX3 an edge is its durable grate plate cast iron material.

Cast iron offers exceptional searing power. That’s one reason for grilling purists to love the JennAir JX3. In addition, you get several years of sizzling cooking experience to show off your culinary skills.

With the downdraft, you have very little need to worry about heat or smell within the home. The 36″ x 21″ surface area gives enough space to maneuver while cooking. Also, you get a solid base of 7 inches for increased sturdiness when stirring your meals.

I love the JennAir JX3 because it is excellent for concealing stains. It also blends easily with other kitchenettes or furniture and is maintenance-friendly.

The downdraft plastic catch tray located beneath helps reduce the possibility of rust. It also makes it easier to clean the vent after a spill. Having a smaller grease filter also helps for easy cleaning.

Likes:

• Best for high heating
• Multiple burners offer different heating options
• Easy to clean cooktop & downdraft
• Anti-rust properties
• Durable grate cast iron
• It’s spacious

Dislikes:

• Poor cleaning causes rust on cast iron
• No built-in oven
• Only three fan speed

2. JennAir 30″ JX3 Gas Downdraft Cooktop

Features:

• No. of Burners: 4
• Knobs: 5
• Downdraft: Downdraft extractor
• Heating Capacity: 5,000 – 17,000 BTU

Description:

Jennair Euro-Style 30″ presents a Euro-style gas downdraft cooktop. The downdraft cooktop uses an efficient proximity ventilation system for better air control. So, it dispels steam, smoke, and odor from your kitchen.

You get a stainless steel cooktop with an impressive all-black finish. Jennair Euro-Style 30″ gives you the smaller version of the 36” cooktop burner with downdraft. You still get all the exciting features of the 36″ but with a smaller surface area.

You enjoy even heating at 5,000 to 17,000 BTU with four brass burners. In addition, brass burners make it easy to clean your cooktop stove. Also, the Dura-finish protection system offers an anti-scratch and anti-staining feature.

Likes

• Impressive knob control
• Efficient downdraft extractor
• Even heating for a variety of meals
• Durable, scratch-free product
• All black ergonomic design

Dislikes:

• No hot surface indicator light

3. GE Profile™ 30″ Built-In Gas Downdraft Cooktop

Features:

• No. of Burners: 4
• Knobs: 4
• Downdraft: Downdraft exhaust
• Heating Capacity: 5,500-11,000 BTU burners
• Material: Gas with glass ceramics

Product Description:

GE Profile presents a standard grate cooktop with a stainless steel finish. The manufacturer says its gas on glass-top is a perfect fit even for other brands.

With the 4 gas burners, you get even heating for different meal preparation. The front and rear left burners give medium heat of 9,100 BTU. When it’s time to steam your veggies, you need low heat from the right rear burner (5,500 BTU). But you can get more heating of 11,500 BTU from the front right burner.

The GE Profile has the lowest heating capacity than the other reviewed cooktop. But you can still put your culinary skills to work, creating mouth-watery dishes always.

GE Profile standard grate with a glass-ceramic surface and stainless steel appearance increase the durability. And since it uses a downdraft exhaust, you get more exciting meal preparation. That means less greasy spills, smoke, or smells in the kitchen.

Likes

• Dishwasher friendly
• Firm and easy-use knob control
• Glass cooktop for easy cleaning
• Durable & rust-free surface
• Impressive black color finish

Dislikes:

• The glass cooktop requires proper cleaning without streaks.

4. JennAir 5805507 – 36″ Gas Cooktop with Downdraft

Features:

• No. of Burners: 5
• Knobs: 6
• Downdraft: Downdraft exhaust
• Heating Capacity: 5,500-11,000 BTU burners
• Material: Stainless steel

Product Description:

The JennAir 5805507 36” is unique due to its grate surface with stainless steel material. But the grate material consists of porcelain added to the stainless steel finish.

Stainless steel offers resistance to chemicals and heat. But porcelain grates are rust-resistant and can hold up the heat. Since the JennAir uses stainless steel finish, it eliminates rust.

One of the values of porcelain coating is that you get a non-stick cooking surface. That means you can grill your meat and foods without sticking to the grate surface.

However, the 5 burners offer even heating at 5,000 to 17,000 BTU. Thus, the downdraft helps keep the kitchen smell-free, with no fumes or sticky grease-free.

Likes

• Non-sticky grilling
• Easy to use & clean surface
• Durable stainless steel with porcelain
• Impressive color blend
• Downdraft dispels heat and odor

Dislikes

• No backlight knobs

5. Kenmore Elite 31113 30″ Gas Downdraft Cooktop in Stainless Steel

Features:

• No. of Burners: 4
• Downdraft: 3-speed fan
• Material: Stainless steel
• Heating capacity: 5,000-18,200 BTU

Product Description:

The 3-fan speed keeps odor and fume away from your kitchen. That means a splendid cooking experience.

Kenmore Elite 30″ gas cooktop downdraft offers a great cooktop for different meal preparations. It releases 525 CFM air power to clear out fumes or odor. That makes frying, searing, or stirring more fun.

With the 5 cast-metal knobs, you can keep grease away from the knob. That makes it easier to turn the heat low or higher when needed. The grate and stainless steel material make it durable and easy to maintain.

Likes:

• Dishwasher safe & easy to clean
• The cast-iron makes rust-free
• Easy movement between burners.
• Cast-metal knobs
• 3-speed ventilation
• Highest turbo boil heat

Dislikes:

• The 3-speed fan is not powerful enough for 18,200 BTU.

6. KitchenAid 36” Gas Cooktop with Downdraft

Product Features:

• No. of Burners: 5
• Material: Stainless steel
• Heating Capacity: 5,000 – 17,000 BTU
• Color: All black
• Control Knob: 6

Product Description:

What makes the KitchenAid KCGD506GSS one of the best 36″ gas cooktops with downdraft? That’s because the downdraft design comes with exceptional flexibility.

The downdraft is a great option if you have limited space for installation ducts and more. At least you don’t get to bump your head on the vent hood and more.

However, having 5 burners supplying 5,000 to 17,000 BTU means better heating for different meals. So, do you love pan-searing, stir-frying, or steaming your veggies? Well, the KitchenAid KCGD506GSS has the appropriate burner for your needs.

Blending grates and cast-iron, stainless steel material offers an impressive ergonomic design for the cooktop. With cast iron, you get even heat distribution. Also, using a stainless steel material makes it rust-free.

Likes

• Multiple burners for even heating
• Better air circulation
• Improved downdraft customization option
• Improved space management with downdraft
• Easy installation and cleaning
• Variety of meal options

Dislikes

• Non-backlit knob

7. KitchenAid 30″ 4 Burner Gas Downdraft Cooktop

Features:

• No. of Burners: 4
• Knobs: 5
• Downdraft: Downdraft ventilation
• Heating Capacity: 5,500-17,000 BTU burners
• Material: Stainless steel

Product Description:

KitchenAid has a reputation for making exceptional electric and gas cooktops. And that’s why the KitchenAid offers one of the best 30” gas cooktops with downdraft. You get to enjoy 4 burners for preparing your meals from low to high heat.

The downdraft ventilation system makes preparing your favorite meal fun by eliminating fumes from the kitchen. You also don’t have to worry about odor and excess heat indoors. That’s because the 300 CFM exhaust and 3-fan speed help increase ventilation. So, you can sear, stir and simmer away without worries.

Using cast-iron grates and stainless steel finish makes the cooktop easy to clean. That also makes it easy to maneuver your pans without spills.

Likes

• Anti-rust stainless steel knob & surface
• Cast-iron grates increase durability
• Easy to maintain
• Different burners for even heating
• Perfect fit for other kitchen furniture

Dislikes

• 3-fan speed limits the air circulation
• Does not install over a built-in oven

Things to Consider When Buying Gas Cooktop with Downdraft

Burner Spacing

Sometimes people ask, what should I look for when buying a gas cooktop with downdraft. First, the spacing between each burner helps maneuver multiple pots. So, you can stir, sear, fry, or sauce with ease.

Type of Downdraft Vent

There are two ways the downdraft cooktop vents. It is either through the external or a kickplate downdraft vent. The external involves having a channel from the cooktop outside the house.

Downdraft kickplate uses a drum inside a cabinet that runs through a filter. The air blows out of the kickplate as the moisture and steam enter the drum.

Having any of the reviewed best-rated gas cooktops with downdraft reduces the need for a vent hood. Also, it helps eliminate toxic carbon dioxide and keep the air clean.

Heating Capacity:

The British Thermal Unit (BTU) determines the heating level. The closer the number is to zero, the lower the heat.

Final Thoughts

Do you live on an island or in mountainous areas like Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, etc.? Then, you will appreciate the best-rated gas cooktops with downdraft. At least you don’t have to bump your head on a vent hood and more!

So, owning the best gas cooktop with downdraft can help spice up your culinary experience again. And any of the reviewed downdraft gas cooktops above can make you a MasterChef. The good part is that the downdraft gas cooktop comes in different shapes and sizes.

Downdraft gas cooktop also offers an incredible cooking experience compared to the conventional gas cooktop. However, besides budget, durability, and aesthetics should help you decide what downdraft gas cooktop to purchase.