Hauslane | Chef Series 30” C400 Range Hood Slim Under Cabinet Kitchen Extractor - Stainless Steel Design with Self Cleaning - 6-Speed Setting Exhaust Fan and Halogen Lamp - 3-Way Venting

******************UPDATE 09/06/2018********************I have owned this for a year and a half and wanted to share my experience. It has performed flawlessly thus far and has been a great addition to our kitchen . The self cleaning process works like a charm. We needed to replace one of the bulbs and the customer service was very responsive in that process. It is low profile and looks gorgeous. Highly recommend!**************************************************************Original review:We are very pleased with the Tatsumaki TA-400 range hood. I am generally a conservative shopper and usually don't buy products with fewer reviews. However, we took a leap of faith with the TA-400 because: 1) we were looking for a powerful hood as we cook a lot of South Asians spicy/flavorful food (desirable) using a lot of frying and high heat cooking that make our entire home (and clothes) also smell flavorful (not desirable!) – especially in the winter; 2) we wanted ease of cleaning; 3) we preferred a low profile design; 4) we needed rear vent option as we were replacing an over the range microwave that was venting outside through the rear and all ductwork was already in place; and 5) we were on a budget! The TA-400 met all of those criteria. I am not an expert or super handy, but I will do my best to share my perspectives. I also don’t always take the time to review our Amazon purchases (mainly because we buy things that have already been extensively reviewed), but in this case, I decided to write in support of a less reviewed product.Shipping and Installation:• Shipping was fast, packaging was good, all accessories were in place.• The venting options were nicely laid out (came with top round vent, top rectangular vent and rear rectangular vent. We use the latter.• Installation was easy. We had a local electrician assist us. We took out the existing microwave, adjusted the rear opening of the wall to fit the Tatsumaki (simple expansion of the slot on the wall for the adapter to fit in). It mounted securely under the cabinet on top. We finished by adding backsplash to cover the exposed wall at the back (microwave was bigger!).• Three things to note: 1) It comes with open electrical wires for direct connection, but our microwave was plugged in. Our electrician installed a plug to the wires; 2) We were unsure about what to do with an open water line (for self-cleaning). A quick call to customer service informed us about the little hole through which that should be channeled; and 3) Since our duct routes through the garage into the attic and then outside, we took the baffle out of the adapter. The CS person mentioned that most client complaints about rattle type noises resulted from the baffle hitting duct or something. With no baffle, the sound is uniform.Performance:The performance of this 750 cfm range hood is awesome! You can select six speeds. It starts at 3 by default and you can toggle to higher or lower speeds. We used 3 for simple frying: eggs, hot dogs and such. We used 4 or 5 when we reheating food on the stove and 5 or 6 when cooking curry type dishes or fried stuff. In all cases, the strong smell that used to linger in our home is gone. There is a faint smell of food in the living/dining room that you would normally get if you serve hot/steamy food. What amazed us is that even the clothes we were wearing while cooking didn’t catch much smell. The self-cleaning process is a nice additional feature that seemed to work well during the one time we have used it so far. The hood is not whisper quiet and we didn’t expect it to be while moving air at 750 cfm. It is, however, less noisy than our microwave vent at high speed and the sound of the fan is very even and not harsh. We couldn’t ask for more in terms of performance.Critique:The only critique I have is about documentation. It came with documentation for TA-195/TA-395. Hence, there were no instructions about the self-cleaning system and installation of the water line. The Tatsumaki CS told me that they were experiencing delays in the production of instruction manuals of TA-400.Customer Service:While installing, we had the question about the open water line. I called Tatsumaki CS and Calvin picked up right away (no recorded message, no wait and no international call center!). We exchanged pictures via iMessage and the problem was solved. I later spoke to Calvin a couple more times (regarding baffle, self-cleaning process, etc.). He either picked up right away or called/messaged back within a reasonable time frame. I am not sure if it is a one-person show for now and how this level of service will sustain in the long run, but for now this has been the most attentive customer service I have ever experienced.Final words:We were a bit skeptical about the absence of full size vents and came with the two fan-like vents. We think it looks pretty good after installation in our kitchen, but you can form your own opinion from the pictures we posted. We have been using it for two weeks and are very pleased with its performance. We look forward to smooth performance and high quality service going forward.

I purchased this hood after doing a good deal of research on hoods, after living for decades with the cheapest range hood ever made. The reviews of the TA-400 were very impressive, and although I wanted a less-expensive version, I opted for this one because of the auto-clean feature, and the twin light fixtures (as opposed to the single lamp in the less expensive models). I have not tried the feature yet, but it must be easier than the painful and messy cleaning procedure of the old hood.The hood is a high-quality product, and is sturdy, well-finished, and attractive. I had expected the stainless steel to be a heavier gage material, but it seems adequate to resist oil-canning and minor dings. It draws very well, especially compared to the single-fan, cheap hood it replaces. I will say that it is loud, but this is not objectionable to me as the noise level is equitable to the work the hood is doing. Installation was of moderate difficulty and really did require 2 people (if you do not have jacks or some type of adjustable stand to get the hood in the correct location prior to drilling pilot holes). The one thing that I have read other reviewers mention is the halogen lamps in the hood. I like the amount and color range of the light that the lamps provide, but must say that they get extremely hot to the touch. Not that I go out of my way to touch the lenses, but it would be great if the lamps were cooler or replaceable with an LED lamp (they are not).I am very pleased with this hood! Nothing emanating from the cooktop escapes the draw from the twin fans, even on the medium speed setting. The unit may seem a bit pricey to someone that is replacing a $49.99 unit, but I will say that this unit is worth the price.

Have used it for 1 year - very happy with it.The good:One year and going strong - Good suction - tolerable noise - happy with the self-cleaning function. When the Black thermoplastic insert for the waste water container at the back broke after 6 months, the Chef support was kind enough to work with me and mailed me the part free of charge - so they do seem to be sensible and supportive of their product (A shout out to them for doing the right thing - though it did require a couple of calls due to some miss-communication internally on their end).The bad:Initial quality: One of the motors had an imbalance when new - so check your delivery before you install. Points towards spotty quality control and potential bearing or motor failure before its time down the road. Installation instructions are of marginal quality - installation is doable but needs 2 people and not straightforward.Initial operation: Instructions on the self-cleaning process very poor. Hint: use 10 drops of dish washing liquid for the full jar of water in the pouring container provided along with the hood. To switch on the self-cleaning, press the fan symbol on the far left side for 3 - 5 seconds and then let go once the fan starts (make sure there is fluid in the system - refill @ the top when empty). You can get 3 operations before needing to refill. Regular use of it after heavy cooking once a day seems to keep the fans grime free. The lack of a grill is a plus.Initial installation: Tip - the black thermoplastic holder for the water reservoir should be set in a bit loose - so do not tighten the screws too much - else it may develop cracks over time due to differential expansion and break off (happened within 3 months - but Chef support replaced it for free - no issues since then).Meidum term Operation:The bulbs don't last very long (have instructions below and pictures on how to replace the bulb). One went off after 9 months other after an year - much less than the 2000 hrs expected. You can get new bulbs from amazon ( example: Vstar G4 12V 20W Halogen Bulb JC Type Bi-Pin Light,Clear, G4 Bi-pin Base, Halogen Light Bulb (20W 10Pack) )- The bulb-replacement Images show that the most tricky step is prying out the ring like holder - use a knife to gently pry the bulb cover off - be careful not to knick the stainless steel. The gap is small so thinner the safety blade the better. Replacing just the bulb is then fairly easy. Then line up the cover with the tabs lined up to the holes and press to reset - don't forget to check the light before you put the cover back on.Hope this helps some of the users. In summary - I like this hood, don't regret buying it inspite of some issues and am hoping that it lasts for a while.