When picking out the perfect range hood for your kitchen, it’s important to think about both how it works and how it looks. Consider the size and layout of your kitchen, as well as how you cook, to choose the right style and size of hood. Whether you prefer a modern or traditional design, focus on features like strong ventilation, low noise, and easy cleaning. Also, check for energy efficiency and any extra features like built-in lights or adjustable fan speeds that match your cooking style. By thinking about your needs and tastes, you can find the best range hood to improve both the function and appearance of your kitchen.
Why Do I Need a Range Hood?
Range hoods in the kitchen are essential for collecting cooking odors, moisture, airborne grease, and carbon monoxide. They play a crucial role in extracting harmful cooking fumes and safeguarding your cabinets from grease buildup. However, not all range hoods are alike, as they employ various methods to purify the air in your kitchen. While many designs expel unhealthy smoke and unpleasant odors outside, others recirculate the air within the kitchen using filters and strong fans.
1. Improves Air Quality
Each year, approximately 4-1/2 liters of cooking fat and oil accumulate on kitchen surfaces such as walls, ceilings, and cupboards, leading to discoloration and paint damage. Installing a range hood above your stove offers significant benefits by removing toxic gases and pollutants from the kitchen environment, reducing the presence of germs, bacteria, and mold that can lead to additional issues. The hood’s blower creates suction to draw polluted air from the kitchen into the unit. In ductless models, filters capture airborne grease particles before releasing purified air back into the house. Alternatively, ducted hoods channel polluted air outside, enhancing your kitchen’s functionality.
2.Removes Excess Heat and Moisture
A range hood effectively eliminates excess heat generated by your cooking stove and steam produced during food preparation, contributing to a more comfortable kitchen environment. This not only enhances comfort but also translates to savings on heating and cooling expenses.
What Size of Range Hood Does My Kitchen Need?
The optimal size of a range hood for your kitchen depends on the dimensions of your cooktop and the available space above it. It’s essential to match the width of the range hood with the cooking surface to ensure effective capture of smoke and odors from cooking. Range hoods are typically available in widths of 30″, 36″, 42″, and 48″.
When selecting a range hood, consider CFM (cubic feet per minute) and BTU (British Thermal Units) ratings. CFM measures the amount of air the vent can remove in one minute, with a higher CFM indicating a more powerful hood. BTUs indicate the heat output from a gas burner below, so it’s crucial to choose a range hood with a BTU rating that matches or exceeds the output from your stove for proper venting.
How Powerful Should the Range Hood Be for My Kitchen?
The airflow of the range hood is quantified in CFM (cubic feet per minute), while heat is gauged in BTUs (British Thermal Units). It’s advisable to have a minimum ventilation rate of 1 CFM per 100 BTU for high-output gas ranges or cooktops. For instance, if your burner output is 45,000 BTUs, aim for a range hood with a capacity of at least 450 CFM to effectively ventilate the area.
Using the formula:
45,000 BTU gas stove ÷ 100 = 450 CFM range hood fan or higher.
Range Hood’s Type:
1. Island Mount:
The Island Mount range hood is typically used when a downdraft is required, as it cannot be attached to an exterior wall. In many instances, a retractable intake device is raised from the range or counter to draw air into exhaust ducts located below floor level. The retractable feature and the sleek design of many Island Mount models often make them more stylish compared to many under-cabinet models.
2. Wall Mount:
Wall Mount range hoods are large, stylish, and increasingly popular among homeowners. Typically installed on exterior walls when cabinets are not present, they resemble an inverted chimney in appearance. Stainless steel finishes are commonly found on Wall Mount range hoods.
3. Under-Cabinet:
Under-Cabinet range hoods are traditional and often the most economical option. Typically mounted beneath wall cabinets and attached to exterior walls, they pull air out of the kitchen through an exhaust duct in the exterior wall. Under-Cabinet models are generally functional rather than decorative.
4. Microwave Oven / Range Hood Combo:
Combo units save space but are not highly efficient. Most of the unit’s interior space is occupied by the microwave oven, leaving little room for the blower. CFM levels are typically low and not recommended for gas cooktops.
5. Built-In/ Insert Blower Type Hood:
In these hoods, the fan is concealed, with only the bottom plate visible. They feature a wood or metal hood with an opening in the middle for the built-in exhaust fan. Complete installation requires inserting a blower and liner, with duct size determined by the chosen blower.
6. Ducted or Re-Circulating (Non-Ducted):
Range hoods can be installed with either ducted ventilation to the outside or set up for air recirculation within the kitchen. Most models can be converted to ductless operation with the purchase of an additional charcoal filter set or ductless kit. While recirculating air may capture most grease and odors with a carbon filter, moisture can still contribute to condensation issues, and some odors may escape. External ducting, however, efficiently removes hot air, resulting in a cooler room.
