A kitchen vent hood (also known as a fume hood or cooker hood) is an essential kitchen appliance that removes smoke, steam and airborne grease from the cooking area, protecting your home’s walls and cabinets. It also improves your home’s air quality. Whether you frequently fry, broil and saute or just bake, having the right kitchen ventilation system helps reduce odors, steam, heat, smoke, and chemical gases, so you can enjoy healthy meals.
The type of kitchen hood you select is important, as there are many different options on the market. Some are ductless, while others use filters to filter and recirculate the air, rather than expelling it outside. There are also vented hoods that have a fan that blows the filtered, cooled air to the outside, while other types of kitchen hoods have a vent that expel the filtered, cooled air back into your kitchen.
Ducted kitchen hoods are typically the most powerful, with a high cubic feet per minute (CFM) rating that indicates how much air they can suck up in one minute. They can be vented through ductwork to the outdoors or, depending on your preferences and your home’s existing ducting, may be converted to a recirculating vent with an external kit.
Retractable downdraft hoods are a sleek and efficient option. They stay flush with the countertop when not in use, and when activated, rise up and over the cooktop to extract smoke, vapors, heat and odors. These can be vented through the wall and ceiling or, if you prefer not to install ductwork, they can be converted to a recirculating kitchen ventilation system with an included carbon filter.
Island range hoods are installed in the ceiling over your island, and they offer a sleek design that blends with the rest of your kitchen. These can be vented through a duct or recirculated, and they’re available in several sizes to fit over your island cooktop.
Stainless steel island vent hoods are another popular choice, and they can be mounted in your ceiling or wall. They’re available in multiple widths to fit over your stovetop, and they have a high CFM rating to ensure that you can capture even the heaviest cooking. They also come with a built-in LED lighting and dishwasher-safe stainless steel baffle or mesh filters that are easy to clean.
Wall mount range hoods are installed on your wall above the cooktop, and they’re typically a more cost-effective option than other types of hoods. They’re available in a variety of widths to accommodate different cooktops, and they often have a more minimalist design that doesn’t detract from your space or decor.
A wall mount range hood can also have a curved front, which is ideal for spaces where a corner isn’t easily accessible or when there’s a lot of wall space to cover. These models are also available with an incandescent light that brightens your cooktop for better visibility while you’re cooking. They can also be recessed into the wall for an even more seamless look.
