Unsure which hood to buy for your cooktop?
Here’s a quick guide to kitchen ventilation options and factors to consider.
Annie Schlechter
Kitchens can get smoky, smelly, and hot.
Credit:Annie Schlechter
Proper ventilation allows comfortable use of your kitchen, regardless of whats on the menu.
Range hoods are integral to common kitchen ventilation systems.
They work toremove smoke, airborne grease, and heat from cooktops.
Credit:Laurie Black
They can also enhance the aesthetic of your space by adding a dramatic focal point.
Types of range hoods include wall canopy, under-cabinet, and island canopy hoods.
They tend to be large enough to work for residential and commercial kitchens.
Under-Cabinet Range Hoods
Under-cabinet range hoods are installed under kitchen wall cabinets.
These hoods have space-saving benefits.
They are less bulky and can be seamlessly integrated into any kitchen design.
Some can recirculate clean air back into the kitchen.
They are easy to install and cost-effective.
Some models come with a light and energy-efficient capabilities.
The downside is that they have limited ventilation power and can be quite noisy.
Also, these types of hoods may not be very compatible with larger cooktops.
These hoods offer a flexible kitchen design.
Compared to ducted island range hoods, the ductless ones are easy and inexpensive to install.
Over-the-Range Hoods or Micro Hoods
These range hoods are built into the microwave.
They areplaced above the stove or cooktopand act as a range hood.
This punch in of hood can either be ducted or ductless.
Downdrafts
Downdrafts are ideal for kitchens that cannot spare upper cabinet or ceiling space.
They usually remain hidden, integrated into the stove, or installed separately.
Smoke and odors are sucked downwards and vented out through ductwork beneath the floor.
Recirculating or ductless kits are also available.
Cooktops are measured by the British thermal units (BTU) of energy they produce.
The general rule of thumb is that for every 100 BTU, you need 1 CFM.
Cooktop manufacturers typically specify the CFM each range hood should have.
Ducted hoods work by pushing air out of the house through ductwork in the wall or ceiling.
Ductless hoods pass air through a filter before recirculating it back into the room.
A convertible range hood is a hybrid with external venting and recirculating capabilities.
Size and Fit
The width of your vent hood should be slightly larger than your stovetop.
For DIYers, ductless hoods, such as canopy and microwave hoods, are simple to install.
Filtration System
Mesh filters consist of layers of stacked metal mesh.
They are hard to clean and can deteriorate quickly over the long-term.
Slow extraction and loud noises indicate that the filter isnt fully clean.
The price can go up to $6,000 for artisan-grade, riveted, and hammered copper range hoods.
