How To Choose A Range Hood

Fitting out your kitchen shouldn’t be a stressful process but it’s important to make sure that you have all bases covered when it comes to finding the right appliances.

Range hoods are a great choice for any kitchen because they are a great way to keep the air quality high and clean while you cook.

Range hoods are metal canopies that sit above your stove and use fans and filters to capture smoke, grease and odors.

This will keep your kitchen’s air smoke-free and clean as you cook all kinds of food in your kitchen.

However, there is not one range hood to fit them all so you need to carefully consider all of your options - but how can you choose between all the options available?

Let’s take a look at all the areas you need to consider before you settle on the right range hood for your kitchen!

Size And Layout

Of course, not every range hood will fit exactly in your kitchen.

The layout of your kitchen will dictate how much space you have to fit a range hood including how high up it should be.

Most range hoods sit around 30 inches above the cooktop so you have enough space to see clearly and cook with ease without having to duck underneath your range hood.

However, it is always best to check with the manufacturer’s recommendations just to be sure before you install your range hood.

Also, some range hoods can be incorporated into your cabinets, others can sit neatly between two cabinets.

Some are attached to the wall while others are suspended from the ceiling, particularly with island cooktops.

Overall, you need to look at where your cooktop will be and work with the space you have.

Make sure you take accurate measurements and do not get stuck with a range hood that is too large or too small.

The Exhaust System

Range hoods come with different kinds of exhaust systems including vented systems and non-vented systems.

Vented or ducted exhaust systems use a special duct to channel the contaminated air away from your kitchen and out of your home.

Because of this, it is best to install this kind of range hood on an exterior wall that makes the ducting shorter and more efficient.

If you install a vented range hood onto an interior wall, you will have to spend more on the ducting and the system will be more complicated.

A non-vented system or duct-free exhaust system filters the air and returns it to the kitchen rather than venting it outside.

These systems are less efficient and require more maintenance but they are great for installation on interior walls and ceilings.

Think about where you plan to put your range hood and see which type of exhaust system will be more advantageous for you.

Fan Power

Fan power is what dictates how efficient your range hood will be, so if you desire a kitchen with very clear air that is odorless and smoke-free, you should look for a range hood that features a very strong fan.

Which fan power is ideal for you is determined by the volume of your kitchen.

Multiply the ceiling height of your kitchen with the width of the room and you will be left with the volume of your kitchen.

You will want a range hood that can clean the air in that volume around eight times an hour - that is the ideal cleaning power for the volume of your kitchen.

Keep this in mind when searching for the right range hood for you.

Keep the volume of your kitchen on hand while you are shopping so you can see if a range hood is powerful enough to efficiently clean your kitchen’s airspace.

Fan Noise

With fan power comes a lot of noise and noise can be a huge deal breaker for a lot of potential buyers.

While some people find it easy to tune out the rumbling of a range hood, others may find it irritating and distracting.

A great way to know if a range hood is quiet is to see if the range hood works by drawing air towards the edge of the hood instead of moving it over a larger area.

This makes the range hood more efficient and more silent, reducing noise that can be super annoying while you are cooking.

If you are not convinced, check out a range hood in a showroom at plenty of stores before you settle on a range hood.

Energy And Costs

Everyone will have a budget set out and decide on a fixed price, but some range hoods cost more to run than others.

This is because they use up more energy to do the same job so if costs and energy prices are on your mind, try working out how much energy your desired range hood uses and compare that to how much you pay to use that much energy.

Most range hoods should already tell you how much energy they use per hour of use so if you intend to do a lot of cooking and get a lot of use out of your range hood, going for an energy-efficient range hood might be a wise decision to keep costs down.

Style And Appearance

And, of course, there is style and appearance.

Everyone has their own tastes when it comes to interior design and furniture so you should also consider how you are going to style your kitchen and make your range hood match.

Do you prefer more modern kitchens, or something more classic? Colorful or monochrome?

What kind of material would you prefer your range hood to be made of?

All of this should be considered when choosing your range hood.

Conclusion

So, there are many things to take into consideration when choosing your ideal range hood for your kitchen.

While there are obvious areas like style, size and price, many people tend to forget about other areas like efficiency, power and noise.

These are all important factors that you should take into consideration.

So, work out what you would ideally like in each area and then shop around until you find the perfect range hood.

You may have to compromise in certain areas, but that is all down to you.