Hoods Buying Guide

Guide to Buying a Kitchen Hood

A kitchen hood can serve as a functional and stylish addition to your kitchen. With a variety of hood styles available, it's important to choose one that complements your cooker. Hoods help eliminate cooking odors and reduce humidity in your kitchen, keeping it clean, organized, and safe. Here are some factors to consider when buying a kitchen hood:

Size

The size of your hood should be proportional to the size of your oven or the amount of ventilation currently in your kitchen. A larger oven or minimal ventilation requires a larger hood.

Filtration Type

There are two types of filtration for hoods:

• Extraction hoods require a duct to transfer air through a vent in the wall.
• Recirculation hoods use carbon filters to purify the air before recirculating it back into your kitchen as "new" air.

Type

Choose the hood type that best suits your needs:

• Built-in hoods are ideal for narrow spaces or when you want to hide the hood. They're usually best suited for smaller hobs.
• Chimney hoods are the most aesthetically pleasing hoods, with a long chimney and wide canopy made of glass or stainless steel. They're often best suited for hobs with four or more burners.
• Island hoods are similar to chimney hoods and are highly aesthetically pleasing due to their size. They're directly attached to the ceiling above the hob and are the most powerful type of hood.
• Freestanding hoods are the most affordable, but they're larger in size and directly attached to a wall above the hob.

Noise

Hoods can be quite loud, especially when running at high extraction speeds. Their noise levels can range from 40dB to 80dB.

Extraction Rate

To determine the extraction rate you'll need for your kitchen, calculate the room's volume in cubic meters and multiply it by 12, which allows for 12 recommended air changes per hour.

Energy Rating

Every new kitchen hood must have an energy label showing its energy rating. They range from C (low efficiency) to A+++ (high efficiency). You can calculate an appliance's annual running costs by multiplying kWh used by 0.1427 (the average national cost of electricity + VAT), but this figure may vary based on your local electricity supply rates.

For more information or assistance, don't hesitate to contact us.