Jenn-Air JGD8430ADS 30 in. Gas Cooktop

Pros: 15,000 BTU high output burner, sleek design, powerful downdraft
Cons: Illogical burner layout; downdraft fan affects flame direction when on high; cleaning not easy

Here in Colorado having a gas cooktop with high BTU is definite must since the high altitude makes cooking a challenge without it. So it was pretty disheartening to find out that my fairly new home had a wimpy gas cooktop with less BTU than the one in my ...

Pros: Excellent functional and cosmetic design and build quality
Cons: Premium price.

We replaced an 18-year old 30" wide Jenn-Air electric downdraft cooktop with this Jenn-Air 30" wide gas downdraft cooktop. A Tribute to Builders and Jenn-Air: Before getting into the cooktop dirt, I feel a need to bestow a compliment to the ...

Pros: Good looks, good performance, durability
Cons: I wish I could get cast knobs for this unit.
These are plastic.

We have had this unit for about 2 years now and I really enjoy cooking on this grill. The large burner is great for getting my pans up to a high temp in a hurry, although the simmer burner puts out more heat than I thought it was going to, so keep ...

Pros: The flat glass top is very sleek and nice looking.
Cons: See above

Before installing this product, check that the glass top is not warped. We've had two delivered to the house, and BOTH of them had a twisted glass top, causing the stovetop to rock back and forth on the counter. One of the tops had more than a 1/4" deviation over the 30" length, and the majority of the defect was in one small area at the corner. It is very obvious, and I have to think that it could lead to the glass breaking unexpectedly. Apparently manufacturing standards are lax, since two stovetops in a row were this far out of whack.

Pros: Good build quality
Cons: Bad Design

We bought this unit about a month ago and we have realized a big issue with it's design. There is a slight gap between the central grate and the unit which causes the flame to be sucked into the downdraft system. It is impossible to cook with the downdraft fan turned on.

Update: We contacted Jenn-air and they confirmed that it is the way the cooktop was designed and there is nothing that they can do about it.

We did not expect such a bad design from a premium brand like Jenn-air. The downdraft system is pretty much useless while cooking.