Which hood? Vented or re circulating? We are often asked if a hood can be vented or is it re-circulating. In fact virtually all hoods will do either, but if you are venting remember that the kits are not normally supplied with the hood. If you have access to an outside wall from where your hood is located, there is no question that a vented hood is the best. It may cost more for the fitting but once it is done you will reep the benefits. If you have no access to an outside wall and smells from your cooking are a problem, you might consider adding a carbon or charcoal filter. Again these are not supplied with the hood and can be quite expensive, so it might pay to check before you buy. Carbon/charcoal filters soak up fat and nasty smells and can make a big difference to the quality of air in your kitchen. How often you replace them is dependant on how often you cook, but as a rough guide every 6 months seems average. All hoods have a more basic filter at the bottom where the air enters hood, this is either metal or acrylic. If you have an acrylic type, these are supplied with the hood and will need replacing regularly. There are universal kits which you cut to size available in most DIY shops at a cheap price. If you have a metal filter, these are best as they are normally washable in the dishwasher (but do check the makers instructions). Carbon filters and vent kits can be expensive, check out your local DIY shops as they often supply universal kits at up to a third of the cost. There are many types of cooker hood on the market, so we have listed each one below.
Standard hood: This is the cheapest type of hood, it is fixed to the wall, and is about four inches high, usually with a flip out glass visor on the front. As with all hoods, a standard hood can be ducted or re circulating
Chimney Hood and Island Hoods: These are probably the most fashionable type of extractor at present, and there are a huge amount to choose from. As the name describes a chimney hood looks just like a chimney coming down from the ceiling. Again all chimney hoods can be ducted or re circulating, although the ducting is a flexible or rigid hose which is purchased separately and hidden inside the trunking of the hood. With a chimney you can spend as much as a £1000.00 if you want o buy the best available, fortunately there are lots of really great hoods for under £200.00. For most people a basic chimney will have more than enough extraction power to cope with their needs, but for people who really use the kitchen to its full potential the extraction rate should be considered. As an example if you cook a lot of spicy dishes or fish, the last thing you need is for that smell to be circulating around your house as it can linger for days! So always check the rating for any extractor and if possible compare it to the one you are using at present so you have some idea of what to expect.
Integrated hood: This is hidden away behind a furniture door, you would usually pull the door and the hood would be turned on automatically. This is the most unobtrusive method and luckily one of the cheapest too.
Canopy hood: A canopy hood is hidden behind a static panel or canopy. These are ideal if you want to have an olde world look of a large chimney or canopy, some people place their cooker inside an old chimney breast and these are ideal to fit above.
Telescopic: Slowly becoming more popular, these fit below a small cupboard and as the name suggests slide forward when in use. Do remember that the workings of the hood sit in the cupboard above. The front of these can be detachable so that you can get a matching door from your kitchen maker. contact us. |
