How to choose the hood in the kitchen: professional advice

Modern cuisine is hard to imagine without a hood. The stuffiness, the smell of cooked food, the unfavorable climate in the house, the dirty coating on furniture, walls and the ceiling - all this has long been left in the past due to the invention of such an indispensable helper. Before answering the question of how to choose a cooker hood, you need to understand what they are, consider their functional features, types and only then choose. Tips from the professionals in this article.

Why are cooking hoods required over a gas stove?

Quite a lot depends on the air condition: from the well-being of family members, to the taste of dishes that are stored or cooked indoors. Unpleasant odors impair appetite and spoil the mood, and dizziness may appear due to poor air ventilation, which is why air must be cleaned.

Airing in the kitchen does not save much from the smell of burning in the work area, therefore, to improve the microclimate in the house, odors must be eliminated directly above the stove. To complete this task, you need to know which hood to choose for the kitchen.

If there is a choice of hoods for the kitchen, then I want it to be quiet, efficient, stylish looked in the interior, was not very expensive, reliably improved the home microclimate, required a simple installation. How to determine which one is specifically for you? It depends on the many parameters that will be described in this article.

Do you need a hood in the kitchen with an electric stove?

Most people buying an electric stove often ask whether it is necessary to choose an extractor fan for it. There is a misconception about its unimportance when installing an induction or electric stove. Electric stoves do not emit carbon monoxide - this is their main plus. But when cooking on it, the smells are exactly the same as the presence of burning when frying dishes. The smell of food throughout the house is not a very pleasant moment. Therefore, we can say with confidence that the choice of hoods for a kitchen with an electric stove must be approached in the same way as if you had a gas stove.

Varieties of hoods and their correct choice 

Such varieties can be classified in form: domed, built-in and flat suspended.

Outboard

The most popular type is the pendant. These devices are cheaper than all other models, their installation is not very difficult and does not require the participation of professionals. This equipment is placed above the hob, and on top of it you can still install a cabinet, since the flat model does not require installation clearly under the ventilation channel.

Air purifiers of this kind in the interior may look bulky, but the right choice, on the contrary, will emphasize the notes of modern design or classic elements. The flat model is equipped with interchangeable filters, which are best replaced in a timely manner for efficient operation.

Recessed

Built-in equipment is mounted in a special cabinet and almost imperceptibly. Outside, you can see only the exhaust surface itself. They are equipped with an air duct that enters the ventilation duct: it is located behind the cabinet doors.

Most embedded products are equipped with a sliding panel, which makes it possible to increase the working surface of the device. These models have a low noise level, attractive design, which is invisible both in the modern interior and in retro.

Dome

These hoods are the most interesting and fashionable option. There are designer models that will occupy the main place in the kitchen interior. Devices resemble a chimney of a fireplace: a dome and a thick channel. They fit perfectly into the retro style or classic. In terms of design, these air purifiers are the most diverse. Colored, black or white, glass, wood or metal, hi-tech or retro range hoods - modern design solutions make it possible to choose the perfect device that will meet the most demanding to taste. Retrofit exhaust systems are quite popular in private homes.

In some cases, they are referred to as domed, and in some, such species as glass and an island air purifier are isolated separately.

• Island. They are installed in the center of the room, fixed above the stove to the ceiling. This original installation is used in the interior, in which the working part is made in the form of an island. The round shape looks most interesting - its surface can be either bent or flat. These types of products are suitable for kitchens in retrodesign in the spirit of culinary television shows.
• With glass. This model is designed to solve not only its main task, but also is a design element. The backlight looks most interesting in these devices, especially when the hood with glass is not just transparent, but black, white or, for example, smoky. Glass varieties are not suitable for retrodesign, because they look super modern.

Air Purification Mode

According to the method of operation, air purifiers can be of three types:

• recirculation;
• flowing;
• combined.

Flowing exhaust hoods are called air ducts (connection to ventilation). Air begins to be captured by the fan wheel and is immediately discharged from the room through the channel. According to this principle, the classic old retro models familiar to many work. Flowing types of devices produce less noise, unlike recirculating ones.

Kitchen hoods with an air duct, although more efficient than recirculation hoods, have one significant minus: a complicated installation. At the same time, it is not always possible to make a technological hole for their installation; the ventilation channel may be too far away or absent.

Many modern models can work in combined mode (circulation - exhaust), can be used autonomously, or can be brought under ventilation. At the same time, they are equipped with an ARS system that responds to the smell of burning. Due to this system, the air purifier is automatically switched on by a sensor signal, this makes it possible to detect even minor odors.

Parameters and Performance

This is another important parameter that shows how much air a device can “pump” per unit of time. The larger the kitchen, the higher the productivity must be.

To find out what performance you need to choose specifically for your kitchen, you need to calculate the volume of the room, multiplying its height by area, and multiply the resulting figure by 12. But even for a small kitchen, it is advisable to select products with a capacity of at least 300 cubic meters / hour. The most popular performance in modern exhaust systems: 1000, 850 and 700 cubic meters / hour.

Control Panel

Hoods differ in the way they are controlled. The following types can be noted:

• touch (non-convex flat buttons);
• push-button (convex buttons);
• remote (using the remote control);
• slider (horizontal mechanical switch).

It is difficult to determine which varieties are better for managing - the choice will be determined only by your preferences and general the interior of equipment in design: a button or slider panel will fit in a modern style, and in a retro - sensory. But it should be noted that buttons and sliders are more difficult to clean and more susceptible to pollution, which cannot be said about their more modern counterparts.

Connection to communications

Correctly installing the purifier is a guarantee of its high-quality operation. To connect the device to the ventilation system, it is necessary to use short nozzles. The larger the knee has a ventilation channel, the worse the performance of the device (one bend reduces this indicator by 4-6%).

It is advisable to select a duct with a large diameter and smooth walls. Corrugated hoses, despite their convenient installation, significantly reduce productivity.

How to choose the size

The choice of size will depend on the dimensions of the plate: the size must be no less (and preferably more), narrow devices will not be able to fully perform their work. The standard sizes that are usually on sale are 900, 600 and 450 mm.

The height of the air cleaner is set taking into account the type of hob. All hobs, without exception, require air cleaning - from the Soviet old retro stove to an induction or modern electric panel. The level above the gas stove, on which the air purifier is placed, is at least 85 cm, and above the electric one can be set within 65 cm.

Noise level

This is also one of the important indicators when choosing any device for home use. No matter how efficiently he copes with his task, an excess of noise causes discomfort to the owners, causes irritation and can even trigger migraines.

The ideal model should be quite powerful, but at the same time quiet, not to create excessive noise, so as not to cause inconvenience to its owners. Professionals advise purchasing a hood with a noise level of not more than 60 dB. The less the manufacturer claims a noise floor, the better.

Production material

The choice of quality material for the case is quite important. Budget exhaust systems are made of enamel. Polished stainless steel looks more solid, but this is reflected in the cost of the devices. At the same time, steel is more finicky in care, carbon deposits adhere to it more strongly, and it is impossible to clean with abrasive compounds - scratches will appear.

A glass hood made of tempered glass, which is resistant to temperature and damage, closes the ventilation channel, protecting it from pollution. But the glass surface needs almost daily cleaning, otherwise stains and stains will ruin the whole look. In order to properly care for this surface, household cleaning products are needed.

Lighting

Lighting over the stove will never be superfluous, because modern kitchen hoods are equipped with lighting. It can be an incandescent, fluorescent or halogen lamp. As a rule, light sources are installed in the back of the device.

In modern models, you can find a rotary lamp, with it you can focus the light stream in the necessary part and change its intensity. An exhaust system with glass, as a rule, is equipped with a significant number of fixtures and can even replace a chandelier in the kitchen.

Additional functions

In addition to the main function, modern models have additional ones. It will be correct to pick up a good device that is equipped with them. As a rule, there can be two additional functions: residual stroke and interval switching.

• Residual run - after the device is turned off, the fan will operate in quiet mode for 10-20 minutes for the best air purification and elimination of odors that remained on the stove after cooking food.
• Interval inclusion - the hood is switched on periodically after a certain period of time. This function is required in order to constantly ensure the flow of fresh air.

A range hood is a necessary appliance in the kitchen. It makes it possible not only to enjoy fresh and clean air, but also protects the interior decoration and furniture from premature wear. Choose the right hood, even a budget model can create comfortable conditions in the kitchen.

Which one to choose? Professional Tip (VIDEO)