What are the hoods for the kitchen (48 photos) - how to make the right choice
Gone are the days when the window was also part-time hood. Nowadays, there are special devices for these purposes. And everyone is trying to pick up the hood, taking into account both its technical characteristics and appearance. However, in order not to make a mistake in choosing, you should know what kitchen hoods are and what are their main differences.
Pyramid shaped kitchen hood.
What is useful hood
The most basic function of a kitchen hood is to clean the air from grease, soot, and food odors. At the same time, depending on the device, the air can be removed from the room to the street or into the ventilation shaft, or filtered without leaving the kitchen.
Another useful feature of the hood is the illumination of the working area with built-in lamps. In addition to purely functional properties, there is also an aesthetic advantage, since the presence of a hood gives the kitchen a certain majesty and completeness.
The device of modern hoods
The kitchen hood device is much simpler than it might seem at first glance. Inside the case is one or two fans, which are driven by motors.
They may immediately be followed by an air duct that leads to a mine or to the street, or there may be several more carbon filters in the event that we are talking about a suspended structure.
Old models had a grease trap in the lower part of the case, in new ones it is hidden behind a decorative cover.
Types of modern hoods
The hood is not considered something outlandish these days. Literally every housewife dreams of such a simple device, because it is thanks to him that you can keep freshness in the kitchen, avoiding burning and stuffiness.
Today, hoods are offered by many manufacturers and exist in various versions.
- Suspended. They are also called "flat hoods". They are mounted on the wall directly above the stove, used in cases where there is no outlet to the ventilation. Their components are the case, which has control buttons and lighting, as well as a fan and filters. As a rule, such designs contain additional filters in order to purify the air from burning, soot, grease and neutralize odors.
The principle of operation of this type of hood is recirculation, that is, during their operation, the air is not removed outside the kitchen, but is only cleaned of odors, grease, burning and soot, returning to the kitchen again.
The advantages of such designs are their low price and stylish design. In addition, you can easily install such a hood with your own hands.
The main disadvantages are a rather high noise level and the need for frequent filter changes.
- Built-in hoods. Their installation is carried out in a hanging kitchen cabinet located above the stove. Hoods of this type can be divided into two groups: fully built-in and retractable, retractable only when the stove is in operation.
This type is of higher quality than hanging counterparts. However, its price is somewhat higher. In addition, in the event that the vent is not located next to the stove, such hoods allow you to hide the pipes, so that the view of the kitchen is not spoiled.
- Dome, which are wall and island. Such hoods differ in various design solutions and are made from a wide variety of materials. The installation instructions for each individual model are different. Their body can be either all-metal or include finishing elements made of wood and glass.
In this case, wall hoods are more common, the installation of which is carried out on the wall above the stove. Islands are a less common species.
Their use is justified only when the stove is located on a remote platform. Such structures are attached to the ceiling.
This type of hood, as a rule, is made from higher quality materials, which is determined by the operating conditions.
Often they are equipped with special sensors that show the level of filter contamination, as well as remote controls. Their main consumer property is the ability to quickly and efficiently remove air.
Performance
The main indicator of the effectiveness of any hood is performance. It is determined by the allotted cubic meters of air per hour.
Based on accepted sanitary standards, the air in the kitchen should ideally be completely updated at least 10 times within one hour. Thus, you can easily calculate the required power for the hood that is optimally suited to your kitchen.
Simply put, the volume should be multiplied by 12. In most cases, hoods have a capacity in the range of 200-600 cubic meters / h. However, there are also very powerful installations of 1000 cubic meters per hour.
Noise level
Having learned what kitchen hoods are and choosing a model that suits all parameters, do not forget to check the noise level. According to the standard, it should not exceed 40 decibels.
And this is no less important than performance. You can see this information in the technical data sheet.
Advice! When buying, pay attention to the size of the hood. As a rule, it should be the same size as the stove or larger. Standard hoods are 60, 90, 120 cm.
Conclusion
It is difficult to say unequivocally which type of hood will be better. In this matter, it is necessary to take into account many factors, among which the material one is not the last.
A wide variety of such devices provides a huge choice, and therefore, nowadays it is not difficult to choose the best option.
If you want to install the hood yourself, you can watch video materials on our website. There is a lot of useful and interesting information here.
