HMCB42FS

What we most often repair on units like this

1. Pushbuttons that need repeated presses
2. Display digits that fade or disappear
3. Intensive stage that does not engage
4. Blower vibration in the wider canopy
5. Grease-filled cassettes across the full 42 inches

Six more inches than its 36-inch sibling is a big difference over the range: the HMCB42FS is 42 1/2 inches wide, so it can cover a six-burner or a range with a griddle, while keeping the same 21 1/2-inch depth. A wide, shallow canopy leaves more cooking area toward the front edge, and steam from the front burners may slip past it.

This is where the intensive stage earns its place. When someone says the hood cannot handle searing, we run each of the three stages and the intensive one in turn and listen for the change in speed. A stage that sounds the same as the one below it points to the control or motor, not the filters.

The model is no longer available from Thermador and no successor is listed. Our work follows a fixed order: cassette filters, then duct, then the controls and blower. A longer canopy also means more to support when it is lowered.

Key features

• 42-inch wall-mounted pyramid-design hood
• Ducted; 31 to 35 inches high, 42 1/2 inches wide, 21 1/2 inches deep
• 7-segment display with low-lift pushbuttons
• 3 stages plus intensive
• Cassette filter with aluminum frame
• Mounting height 30 in. over cooktop