How to Choose a Range Hood

Range hoods, like most kitchen appliances, need to be replaced eventually. Even if you're just upgrading the look and feel of your kitchen, a new range hood is a necessary improvement to make your stove space look polished. The best way to shop for a new one is to know exactly what you want before you leave the house.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure

Instructions

1. Choose the color. Match your range hood to the other appliances, specifically the stove. If you have a larger budget, you may be able to match it to your cabinets.

2. Identify the location. Island cook tops use a different type of range hood than built-in stoves.

3. Measure the space. For built-in stoves, where the range hood will be sitting between cabinets, this is the distance between the two cabinets. For cook tops, it is the width of the cook top.

4. Pick your venting. If you have an external vent, you should purchase a range hood that will use that. For new installations, or ones without an external vent, consider a filtered range hood, which uses charcoal (or another medium) to filter the air.

5. Decide on a microwave. Built-in stoves can use a microhood, a combination microwave and range hood. The dimensions of the microhood must exactly match the dimensions of the cabinet opening. They also must have at least 30 inches of space between their bottom and the stove top.

Tips & Warnings

• For new kitchen designs, choose the other appliance colors before purchasing a range hood.