How to choose the right kitchen hood

It is difficult to imagine a modern kitchen without hoods. This household device has become an obligatory attribute in any apartment or private house. Its main purpose is to remove water vapors and smells of food cooked on the plate. In this article you will learn how to choose the right kitchen hood and not get confused among numerous manufacturers' offers.

Types of hoods

The kitchen is a special room in every house. All family members gather here, and each person spends about half of his home time. That is why it is very important that the air and the atmosphere in the kitchen are as clean and favorable as possible. The problem of air purification is in the first place, because the aromas of food are constantly hovering in the room, combustion products are produced. Under such conditions, it is very uncomfortable to be in such conditions.

Some believe that to ventilate the kitchen, it is enough to open the window, others have all the responsibility for natural exhaust ventilation, which is in every apartment of a multi -storey building. However, in reality, everything is a little more complicated. Note that the extract is placed directly above the hob or stove, so that combustion products and water vapors are obtained as quickly as possible into the device and are diverted from the room. If ventilation is carried out only through the window and grate under the ceiling, vapors with microscopic particles of products, oils and fats will inevitably settle on the walls near the stove and ceiling above it. Only a small part of them will be eliminated through ventilation holes, and literally after a year in such a kitchen you can observe the darkening of the interior decoration or obvious fat spots on the ceiling.

Now it becomes obvious that the hood helps not only to maintain air in the kitchen in cleanliness, but also significantly extends the life of the interior decoration. All hoods act on the principle of forced ventilation, tightening the air inside and passing it through the filter system. But what will happen to this air later depends on the design features of the device. Distinguish between recirculation and running hoods. The former, as you can understand from the name, pass the air through filters, clean it and release it back into the kitchen. The second only remove water vapors and combustion products according to the external ventilation system. They are easy to recognize by a pipe that goes from the device into the wall or ceiling. Stream hoods are considered more effective than recirculation, and remove the spent air out of the room faster.

To know how to choose a kitchen hood, you need to at least study the design features in general terms:

1. Suspended - a series of devices that differ in the lowest cost and the simplest installation, due to which they are the most popular. They work according to the recirculation principle using reusable filters, which significantly extends their life.
   
2. Domed-devices called so because of their original shape-outwardly they resemble an umbrella. More precisely, the first domed kitchen hoods were similar to umbrellas or classic fireplaces (the second name - fireplaces), but now the designers are farther from traditional forms. The devices are attached to the wall above the stove. They can act both in recirculation mode and in the flow.
   
3. Built -in - built -in kitchen hoods are created for kitchens with built -in equipment and stove in particular. The device is conveniently hidden in the closet above the stove and does not get out of the general interior design.
4. Islands are one of the most stylish and expensive devices mounted in kitchens, where the plate is located in the center of the room. The island hoods work according to a proper principle and are intended mainly for spacious kitchens. As a rule, they differ in high performance, and therefore are used at a professional level in the catering industry.
   
5. With a wound panel is one of the latest technicians in technicians, which managed to earn great popularity. The devices are of extraordinary compactness due to the fact that with unnecessarily, a narrow working panel “hides” into a wall or kitchen furniture. By the way, if in the name of the model you see the word inox, a kitchen hood of a built -in type. So, the CATA TF5260 Inox and Krona Kamilla 2m 600 Inox models are very popular.
   

Functional features

A properly selected modern hood can eliminate up to 97% of contaminated air from the kitchen, but the emphasis here should be made on the word “right”. Most people do not know which kitchen hood to choose, and are guided only by the price factor or the number of positive reviews on the seller’s website. However, the question should be approached from the other side, and first of all determine the necessary productivity of the device. The capacity affects performance, the level of noise of the device depends on it, in turn. The appearance, dimensions, body material, etc. also plays a significant role. There are quite a lot of factors that should be taken into account, but they need to figure it out so as not to buy an expensive beautiful and completely useless “toy”.

When choosing, pay attention to air pressure indicators created by the engine. If they are on top, then the hood has good performance. The pressure is pumped with fans, therefore, a powerful hood should have powerful fans: 1 or 2 pcs. They can work at 2 or 4 speeds, respectively. The power of the hood is the strength of its fans, and it is on this that the productivity of the device depends. Productivity is the ability of the hood to remove a certain amount of air in the set time. For modern hoods, this parameter ranges from 180 to 700 m³/h. However, there is one “underwater stone” - a powerful extract with high performance will be very rustling. Fortunately, for home use it is rarely necessary to turn on the device to the maximum, and if it is sometimes required to properly remove evaporation or smoke, if the food is buried, you can tolerate a few minutes.

To determine how powerful the hood should be specifically for your kitchen, it is necessary to make simple calculations. Find the volume of the room and the volume of furniture in it. Submit the second one from the first indicator and multiply the “clean” volume by 10. This number will determine the required exhaust performance. At the same time, the established sanitary standards should also be taken into account, requiring complete air replacement in the kitchen 10-12 times per hour.

There is another way to calculate performance that might seem easier for you. So, first find the area of \u200b\u200bthe kitchen, multiply it by height, and then multiply this number by 12 (air exchange indicator according to sanitary standards). Multiply the result by 1.3 (stock coefficient) and get productivity. For example, you need to choose an hood for a kitchen with an area of \u200b\u200b6 m² and a height of 2.5 m: ((6*2.5)*12)*1.3 \u003d 234 m³/h.

How to choose a kitchen hood

So, the most important parameter - the performance of the hood - is already defined, but this is far from all that you need to consider when choosing.

The main choice parameters:

1. Size - in theory, the larger the hood, the better, but the bulky device is unlikely to decorate the interior, and ergonomic devices are very expensive. Here you need to build on the size of the plate - the exposure of the hood should be the same or slightly larger than the width of the plate. Otherwise, she will skip part of the fumes and combustion products, which slowly but surely will spoil the suspended kitchen furniture and interior decoration. For example, if the plate is 60 cm wide, it needs an extract of at least 70 cm wide, and it is better all 90, if there is free space.
   
2. Management - each hood on the outer side of the case has a control panel: touch, button or slider. In terms of use and care, the touch panel is much more convenient than slider, where the extract mode is selected by a mechanical slider. With the buttons, it is still easier, but, as practice shows, over time, small particles of dirt and products are clogged in them, which worsens the appearance and operation of the device. It is enough to wipe the touch panel with a rag.
   
3. Working modes - you already know that hoods can be recirculation and running. If you decide to buy a recirculation model, we recommend that you immediately purchase a stock of interchangeable filters for it and choose a model for which filters are easy to find on sale.
4. Filters - filters delay microscopic particles in the exhaust air. So, they distinguish the filters of thin and rough cleaning. All of them are metal nets with a different cross section - on the size of the section and the efficiency of capturing the smells depends. Metal filters are reusable and, as they become contaminated, they must be washed. Also, an additional filter in the form of a disposable mesh of synthetic fibers can be installed in the hood. Such nets are not designed for washing and they need to be replaced with new ones. The replacement frequency depends on the intensity of the use of the hood in the circulation mode. By the way, almost all models can be reoriented to the recirculation mode. Some budget devices work without metal fat -down filters at all, removing the exhaust air through the ventilation channel, however, the effectiveness and durability of such devices are quite low.
   
5. Functionality - in addition to the ability to remove fat and unpleasant odors from the air, hoods can have additional functions. For example, the residual stroke of the fan helps to save energy consumed by the hood-the device continues to clean the air for another 5-15 minutes after disconnecting, working at the lowest power. Many hoods are equipped with an electronic timer that turns off the device after the end of cooking. Also, almost all devices have built -in lighting, and since the hoods are installed above the stove, additional light helps with cooking. It is most economical and convenient to choose hoods with halogen, and not with ordinary incandescent lamps.
   
6. The noise level - we previously mentioned that the more powerful fans in the hood, the higher its performance, but the stronger it is noisy. The noise level is measured in decibels, and a “very quiet” hood can be called if it makes no more than 45 decibels. For insulated kitchens not combined with other rooms, hoods of up to 50 decibels are suitable. But if this indicator grows to 70, the hood turned on will interfere very much-the noise from it can be compared with the situation when someone speaks loudly from you at 5 m.
7. The material of the case is important not only the technical component of the model, but also external data, of course, if you do not need to choose the built -in kitchen hood, which you then simply disguise him under the cabinet. The case can be made of aluminum, stainless or enameled steel, plastic, hardened glass. Processed aluminum has proven itself best - its cost is fully consistent with good quality. The surface of such hoods is matte that it fits perfectly into any interior. The main advantage of such a material is that traces of fingers are not visible on it, which can not be said about glossy surfaces or glass. Glass hoods, of course, look very stylish and modern, but to maintain such an appearance they need constant care.
   

The cost of hoods

A huge number of models from a variety of manufacturers are presented on the market, respectively, and the price range is very wide. First of all, it is worth noting immediately that in this case it will be mistakenly guided by the rule, the higher the cost, the better the product. For example, inexpensive kitchens of Hephaestus have proven themselves as durable and comfortable. Once again, we remind you that it is more important to choose the right model with the necessary technical characteristics, and its cost will play a secondary role. It should also be taken into account by the fact that its appearance has a great influence on the price of the device - stylish designer models cost an order of magnitude higher.

Differences in the models of hoods of various price categories:

1. The cheaper are hoods with a plastic case and a small amount of metal parts. Their control panel is usually button or slider, operating modes (fan speed) no more than 3. The performance of such devices is usually not more than 450 m³/h. Additional lighting is usually represented by one or two incandescent lamps.
2. The middle category is models with a stainless steel case, hardened glass or aluminum. There are already devices with simple sensory panels and even with displays. Lighting can be carried out by halogen lamps or incandescent lamps. The productivity of such devices is slightly higher compared to the previous ruler - up to 650 m³/h.
3. Expensive hoods have the highest capacity of up to 1300 m³/h. The case of such models is made of hardened glass, natural wood can be used for decoration. Functional capabilities are very diverse - temperature sensors, smoke sensors, humidity, filter pollution, remote control, etc. Lighting only by halogen lamps.

Review of manufacturers

Finally, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with a small list of the most famous manufacturers of kitchen and household appliances that offer extracts of various price categories. Many at the beginning of their searches immediately pay attention to the products of “promoted” German and Swiss brands Bosch, Siemens, Electrolux and Kuppersberg. The cost of such devices is quite high, but the quality and external data are fully justified by this price.

We will consider these and other brands that have managed to prove themselves from the best side:

1. Elikor-Association of companies engaged in the production of premium household appliances. Elite kitchen hoods are distinguished by impeccable functionality - they have adjustable backlight, protective transformers, timer. Management is carried out using the touch panel. Due to high power, Elikor kitchen hoods are suitable for professional use.
   
2. ELICA - products are characterized by simple and concise forms, collected from high -quality components. The manufacturer is not shy about constantly introducing new technologies, improving the performance and other operational characteristics of his devices.
   
3. CATA - the range of kitchen hoods Cata annually replenished with new improved models. The last most remarkable novelty is Ombu TCC with a capacity of 1260 m³/h with a futuristic design and low noise even at maximum speed.
   
4. Electrolux is a popular European brand that supplies one of the best kitchen hoods to the market. Recently, the DD8765 M model is especially popular - a stainless steel housing, neon lights, laconic design. Management is carried out remotely or using a special ball that controls the air treatment of the room.
   
5. Krona is a famous Italian manufacturer that produces multifunctional household appliances with a sophisticated stylish design. A distinctive feature of Krona kitchen hoods is low -noise, but powerful fans that can work in several speed modes. The functionality of the devices is also at altitude - there are sensors of filter pollution, temperature, humidity, smoke, halogen or neon backlight, timers, etc.
   
6. Best - the best kitchen hoods, if you translate literally. The name only confirms the build quality, the functionality and durability of the devices. Best kitchen hoods are distinguished by an original design, which immediately distinguishes them among models of other manufacturers. Products belongs to the middle and high price level. Most of the devices are equipped with advanced metal fatty filters, control can be sensory and remote, good sound insulation of fan operations even at maximum speed.
   
7. Bosch is a German giant of modern technology. It produces literally everything that is needed for a comfortable residence in a house or apartment, amateur repairs and professional construction activities. As for the Bosch kitchen hoods, they meet all the requirements of quality and convenience, are not devoid of aesthetics and design diversity.
   

The hood is undoubtedly a necessary kitchen device. It helps not only enjoy constantly clean and fresh air, but also protects furniture and interior decoration from premature wear. Choose the hood correctly, and then even an inexpensive model will create perfectly comfortable conditions in the kitchen.