What to Look for in a Range Hood

For many people, replacing their kitchen appliances is a big decision and investment. One of the biggest ticket items to replace is the range hood. There are many different things to look for in a range hood. Range hoods come in a variety of styles and designs to match your needs and fit with your overall design concepts.

Types

There are many different types of range hoods available. The style you choose will depend on where your stove is located. There are island range hoods for an island or peninsula situation. There are wall-mounted range hoods. You can even get a custom-made range hood that is designed for your specific needs.

Features

The range hood removes the smoke that occurs while you are cooking. It filters the smoke, fume, grease and steam that rises above the stove. This is the basic purpose of the range hood, but many range hoods offer other features as well, such as lights, clock, timer and a place to hang your pots.

Considerations

There are many things to consider when looking into a range hood. Size is the most important factor. You will need to size the range hood according to the size of your stove and where you want to mount it. Another factor to consider is the amount of air the range hood will ventilate. Some have high-powered fans that are almost commercial-like in their ability to expel the air. Of course, this also comes at the price of more noise. Many range hoods come with a variety of fan speeds, and some have buffers to help lower the noise level.

Types

There are two types of range hoods to consider. One is the vented fan, which pulls the air up through a piece of duct to the outside of the house. The other type is a recirculation fan, which pulls the air through filters and pushes it back into the kitchen.

Differences

The vented range hood is better for removing the harmful air from the kitchen. It requires more during the installation process because of the duct it needs to bring the air to the outside of the house. Because of this, it can also be more expensive if you do not already have a duct installed. A recirculation fan can be hidden inside the cabinetry and made to pop out when needed just beside the cooking surface. It is not a good option if you cook a lot of food that creates smoke or for frying.