How to choose a hood for the kitchen? Advice from professional craftsmen

The kitchen is one of the most popular places in the whole house: all family members gather there in the morning, greet guests and discuss the latest news. However, it also happens that being in the kitchen becomes an impossible task. This occurs due to polluted air and unpleasant odor. Indeed, how can you enjoy your morning coffee when the aroma of last night's dinner is in the air?

A kitchen hood significantly improves quality of life

A kitchen hood can help get rid of bad smells once and for all. It will not only provide comfort to your family, but will improve the quality of your life. Read on to find out whether you need a hood and how to choose the right hood for your kitchen. It will be informative and extremely useful. Rest assured that this article will help you choose a good device.

Hood efficiency

Before you start choosing a hood, familiarize yourself with the factors that directly affect its performance. Professionals will help you choose the right hood for a gas stove. Device performance is affected by certain factors.

1. The air pressure created by the motor. High pressure equals the same performance.
2. Operating mode. In recirculation mode the efficiency is lower.
3. Filter density. High density equals superior efficiency.
4. Performance reserve. Air purification occurs when food burns.
5. Size. A larger device equals more air capture.

Which kitchen hood is best for you, we’ll figure it out further.

What is hidden under the name "hood"?

Not everyone knows that the standard ventilation system does not fully cope with its purpose. Sometimes the amount of air pollutants is so large that additional help is needed. The device will help eliminate all the consequences of combustion and any unpleasant odor. Its action occurs thanks to special filters. Choosing a kitchen hood requires knowledge of all the details and intricacies of the device.

To choose the right hood, you need to understand how this device functions. It eliminates all unnecessary elements thanks to the filtration system. Models are divided into several types, united by common features. Which hood is best for you?

Recirculating and flow-through hoods. They are united by a method of air purification.

In a flow hood, air is supplied using external ventilation

In the first case, the air is purified thanks to reliable filters, after which it is released back into the room; in the second case, the purification also works, but the air is supplied using external ventilation. Both filters perform their functions perfectly, but the latter are recognized as being of higher quality and more expensive. For a small kitchen, flow-through hoods are not the most suitable solution due to the complexity of installation and the required air duct.

Device differences

Hoods differ in appearance. So, there are: built-in, suspended and wall-mounted types of hoods. Which one is better for you?

1. Built-in appliances are perfect for kitchens with a built-in stove. Any specialized store will help you choose a built-in hood for the kitchen.
2. Hanging models are cheap and popular among buyers, also due to their ease of installation.
3. Wall-mounted hoods are popular because they work in both modes described above.

Filter functionality

Air purification occurs thanks to the work of special filters. Some of them are needed to remove extraneous odors, and others are needed to capture fatty particles and soot. Depending on this, filters are disposable and reusable.

1. Disposable removable filters collect oily particles; the product material is plastic, padding polyester.
2. Reusable filters capture grease elements; the product material is aluminum and steel.
3. Disposable carbon filters neutralize unpleasant odors.

How to choose the right hood

The quality of the hood depends on its performance. Hoods that are selected wisely and meet all requirements provide six or ten times the change of air in the kitchen. Room plays a big role in productivity. I would also like to note the fact that the best kitchen hoods also have powerful fans that operate at 2 or 4 speeds.

When choosing a hood for the kitchen, it is important to consider not only its performance, but also the absence of noise during operation. Below you can find out how to choose a hood so that it does not interfere with your life.

The choice of kitchen hoods depends on many factors

1. If the device creates noise similar in sound level to a whisper, then do not hesitate to choose it (measured up to 35 decibels).
2. A model is quiet if the noise emanating from it is similar to a conversation at a distance of 10 meters (up to 45 decibels).
3. The device will not cause much noise, comparable to a conversation 3 meters away from you (50 decibels). This is normal noise level.
4. It is not advisable to purchase hoods with a noise level above 50 decibels. You will feel her presence throughout the apartment.

When the volume of operation is over, it’s time to take a closer look at what the device that interests you is made of. Here you need to know all the subtleties and varieties. Materials from which the device can be made:

• plastic;
• aluminum;
• stainless steel;
• tempered glass;
• enameled steel.

The most popular is the aluminum hood, due to the ratio of price, quality and attractive matte finish. Aluminum is easy to clean and does not get dirty with fingerprints. The most stylish type of hood is a device made of stainless steel. However, if none of the materials catch your attention, there are models made individually from other materials.

If the points described above do not raise doubts in you, then it’s time to move on to the next selection criterion. Let's try to answer the question of how to choose a hood for the kitchen, depending on the type of control. It happens:

• touch – you only need to touch your finger and select a task;
• push-button – standard and familiar control, where each button corresponds to a mode;
• slider – you are provided with a mechanical slider that fulfills your requirements and settings.

When choosing a hood, its dimensions play a significant role. You don't always have to buy what you like - sometimes circumstances are stronger than us.

What volumes should the hood have? The device will be considered correctly selected when it is similar to the dimensions of the slab or completely equal to them. But, if you are fans of miniature household appliances, then a small model corresponding to the size of the stove is unlikely to suit you. In this case, the amount of hood should be clearly greater.

The hood will not harm the design of the kitchen, but, on the contrary, will add some charm to it

Don't worry about the hood damaging your kitchen design. Modern models are distinguished by style, and built-in models are generally not noticeable. The hood must also be installed carefully. It would also be correct to consider the height of the device. Low-mounted equipment may overheat and cause a fire or stop working. Choose a distance from 65 cm.

Subtleties you didn't know about before

It is also interesting that the hood must be correctly connected to the ventilation. To do this, you can use short pipes. The operation of the device directly depends on the diameter of the air duct and its walls.

There are various professional tips on how to choose a hood for your kitchen. An important nuance is the lighting of the surface of the slab. It is recommended to choose high quality lamps, namely halogen ones. Even though their price may not seem attractive to many, they will fit perfectly into any interior.

Since we are talking about pricing policy, it is important to remind you that the best kitchen hoods are unlikely to be cheap. But in our country there is a choice of different options and price categories. You can find both budget options and more expensive ones. It happens that the quality and price vary, but, more often than not, this is not the case, and the purchase of an expensive product will pay off in full. Which hood is better: expensive or cheap? Read on and decide for yourself.

1. Most often, cheap hoods include plastic and metal parts. They have push-button controls, lower quality fan and performance. Lighting occurs using incandescent lamps.
2. If a cheap option is not for you, then manufacturers offer devices in the mid-price category. The hood is made of stainless steel, aluminum and tempered glass. In addition to standard control panels, there may also be a touch panel. Sometimes halogen lamps are present. Average productivity – up to 650 m3/h.
3. Undoubtedly, more expensive devices (up to 1300 m3/h) have better performance. The material used has its own variations: sometimes it can even be wood. The kit includes a touch control panel, remote control, and various sensors that activate the operation of the device. There is a shutdown timer and halogen lighting. Expensive models have very interesting functions, such as “interval switching on” and “residual speed” of the fan. If you periodically turn on the exhaust device at hourly intervals, this will help ensure the flow of fresh air into the room. Plus, the fan operates in low silence, and the air, as if with a click, instantly evaporates outside the room. Regarding the “residual stroke,” this means that after 5–15 minutes after turning off the device, the fan will continue to operate, but at very quiet mode. This will once again and finally cleanse the air polluted during cooking.

In view of all of the above, we can only hope that the information presented was useful to you and helped you learn how to choose a kitchen hood!