How to choose a cooker hood: hood sizes for a kitchen

Choosing a cooker hood is not the easiest thing. It is necessary to take into account many nuances and details. Now on sale there are various types of cooker hoods. They vary in many ways: from appearance to performance. To understand what it is worth stopping at, you need to find out what this or that characteristic of the device means.

Why is it necessary to clean the air in the kitchen?

Many housewives, especially the old school, often ask this question. They simply do not see the need and advantages in the hood over the stove, they believe that simple ventilation is quite enough. However, this is not quite true.

During cooking, a huge amount of substances are released from the hot stove into the air, which are not always useful for the body. It can be small particles of food, steam, products of combustion, soot (if something is burnt), volatile substances and even mold spores. All this is in the air of the kitchen, settles on the walls, transferred to other rooms. As a result, substances accumulate both in the kitchen itself (which is why in rooms with poor ventilation a characteristic unpleasant odor forms) and in the hostess's body. Often the cause of ill health, rapid fatigue, and even various allergic reactions are precisely food particles.

When airing through the window, most of the volatile substances are eroded, but a significant part still remains in the kitchen. The hood works much more efficiently, because it traps air immediately above the stove. As a result, particles do not have time to spread in the room, stay on the walls, etc., and this is its great advantage.

What types of hoods are there?

There are 2 main types of hoods:

1. Flowing (or venting).
2. Recirculation.

During operation, they use various methods of air purification. In the first case, the hood is connected to the main duct or equipped with its own separate hood. Polluted air passes through a filter system and is discharged out into the street.

In the second case, after purification, the gas mixture enters the room. Such a "walking in a circle" is called recycling.

Types of filters for hoods

There are various types of inline filters. Firstly, they are:

• disposable;
• reusable.

Disposable hood filters vary with pollution. Most often, coal is used as an absorbent in them. They have a plastic case, some porous material, for example, synthetic winterizer, is attached to it. Carbon filters are arranged on the same principle. They must be changed as they become soiled.

Reusable hood filters can be cleaned and returned to their place. They come in steel or aluminum. Mesh material is attached to the housing, which can be brushed.

Filters are also divided according to the type of substances trapped from the air into:

• Oil-fat, i.e. trapping particles of soot, grease and oil. They are also called coarse filters.
• Filters to eliminate odor or fine cleaning.

Recirculation hoods use both types of filters. In flow-through - oil-fat. Some manufacturers save and do not always install cleaning systems in this type of hoods. However, if air is not cleaned, oily particles from the stove will eventually settle on the walls of the device, on the fan blades, and on other internal elements. It is extremely difficult to remove contaminants from these places, especially if the hood is not disassembled. And in a very short time the device may fail, stop purifying the air effectively and even break down.

What type of management to choose?

It all depends on the personal preferences of the user, which way of management seems more convenient, and that should stop. In kitchen hoods, various mechanisms are used:

1. Push-button. T. e. mode selection, air circulation intensity, on / off - all this is regulated by pressing the convex keys.
2. Touch. In this case, the control panel is made flat, and the device responds to touching the sensor.
3. Slider. In this case, a mechanical switch is used.

Design Features and Appearance

There are many options for the location and appearance of the hoods. The following varieties are distinguished:

• traditional (classic, hanging);
• angular;
• island (ceiling);
• built-in (telescopic);
• dome (fireplace);
• design.

Which option to choose is up to the buyer to decide. However, each type of kitchen air purifier has its own characteristics that must be considered.

Conventional and Corner Devices

The traditional hood has a familiar appearance to many. It is sometimes even called classic. Such devices are installed under the kitchen cabinets directly above the stove. Most often they are used in recirculation mode. They are equipped with disposable filters, which change as necessary. Some models may be equipped with a corrugated pipe for venting.

The same type includes corner hoods. They are simply designed for mounting in the corner and have the appropriate shape.

Built-in and telescopic hoods

Built-in and telescopic devices are installed in the hanging box itself, which is located above the stove. Such hoods are almost invisible. Telescopic, unlike conventional built-in, are equipped with an additional panel, which extends when the device is turned on. Due to this, the area on which polluted air is captured increases. When the hood is off, the panel can be removed.

They do not cost much more than conventional built-in units, but they work very efficiently, because they install multilayer filters, and at the same time take up less space. Often are flowing.

Dome type devices

Dome hoods got this name because of their appearance: a dome hangs over the stove, from which a rectangular pipe leaves, drawing air from the stove, resembling a chimney by the fireplace. These devices are most often of the flow type, but can also operate in recirculation mode. In fireplace hoods, the dome resembles the upper part of the fireplace.

Island fume hoods

Island (or ceiling) appliances are used if the stove is not standing against the wall, but in the center of the room. The hood in this case is attached to the ceiling and does not come in contact with the rest of the island-style kitchen. It is equipped with an additional air duct to connect to the main ventilation or window. Most often it can work in 2 modes: recirculation and flow.

Designer hoods

Designer products are called so thanks to the original appearance. As a rule, their design is developed together with the overall interior of the kitchen. Often made to order.

How to choose the size of the hood?

Of great importance is the size of the hood. You need to choose it correctly. This parameter is completely dependent on the size of the plate. The size of the catching surface cannot be less than that of the working one. T. e. if the plate is 60 cm wide, the hood must also be selected 60 cm or more, for example 90 cm. Otherwise, the air will not be cleaned properly. So, for 2-comfortable narrow cooking surfaces use kitchen hoods 50 cm wide, sometimes 60 cm. For standard plates, the preferred option is 90 cm, and for wide - 120 cm.

For dimensional plates, it is better to choose built-in or telescopic hoods. This will help make them less bulky, make the room easier. You can also hide the air duct (which has a larger size for wide models) inside the box.

Of great importance will be the height at which the hood will be installed. Here you need to choose, focusing on your own comfort. The optimum height is 65–75 cm, at least 60 cm. The hood will trap contaminants in good quality, but will not create a fire hazard situation. If the distance is less than 60 cm, then it will be inconvenient to work: you will have to constantly bend down to get to the stove. And when the oil-grease filter is dirty, the risk of fire is significantly increased.

Power / performance

The last technical characteristic to which you need to stop attention is performance. This parameter shows how efficiently the device works, how much air it can clean in a certain time. The most commonly used value is cube. m / hour. To choose the right appliance, you need to know the size of the kitchen, its cubic capacity. A suitable hood in an hour will have time to drive all the air through itself 10-12 times. Formula for calculating optimal device performance:

(length x width x height) x 10.

Length, width and height are measured in meters.

If the hood is placed at a height of more than 85 cm from the working surface of the stove, then you need to choose a more powerful hood. The volume of the kitchen (cubic m) need to be multiplied by 12.

What are the additional options for?

There are several more technical characteristics that you can select optionally. For example, the presence of a timer or automatic on / off function. You can pay attention to the noise level. Well, if this parameter is not higher than 50 dB. Then, during cooking, the sounds will not interfere and distract. Another nice bonus is the backlight. But here, too, everyone decides independently whether additional recessed lamps are needed. You can choose the best options only based on your own wishes and common sense.