The choice of hoods in the arrangement of kitchens is often given less attention than other household appliances. This is partly due to the simplicity of the device itself and a small list of functions. However, you should not buy the first hood that comes to your eyes, because of her work will depend on the cleanliness of the ceiling in the kitchen and the absence of smells in the entire apartment.
The most important thing is the type of hood
First of all, you need to determine the type of cooker hood. The main household are two - outflow and recirculation. The first take the exhaust air to the ventilation riser or to the street, the second - clean, passing through the filter system, and return back.
If it is possible to connect to the general ventilation or to make a hole in the outer wall, then it is worth giving preference to exhaust hoods: they are easier and cheaper to maintain, more reliable, better remove smells. In such a hood, a coarse filter is installed, more often a mesh aluminum, to prevent accumulation of fat inside the unit. It does not require replacement, as it is easy to clean with soap and hot water.
Power
The power of the hood depends on how effectively it will remove dirty air from the kitchen. Most often for household models, this figure ranges from 150 to 600 cubic meters per hour. General recommendations are as follows: the power should be approximately equal to 10-12 volumes of the kitchen, that is, when the extractor is running, the air must be renewed 10-12 times per hour. Most models provide for operation in several modes, at least two. This makes it possible to reduce the noise level, if necessary, not to update the air very intensively.
When selecting the hood, it is worth taking into account not only the cubic capacity of the room, but also the ventilation capacity, if the device will be connected to it. It is clear that the kitchen hood of low power will not be able to cope badly with the removal of foreign smells. But excessive capacity is fraught with problems:
- insufficient capacity of ventilation ducts, which does not allow to remove all the amount of polluted air,
- high noise level at work,
- possible disruption of the operation of all indoor ventilation,
- need to provide the proper amount of air intake.
More powerful models in the presence of plastic windows in the kitchen require mandatory organization of the draw ventilation.
Size, material and shape of
To effectively catch odors from the prepared dishes, the hood should be at least the same size as the cooker, or better - a little more. Standard sizes of 60 and 90 cm wide allow it to be integrated into the majority of ready-made kitchen sets.
The most common are hoods made of steel, both chrome plated and coated, glass, plastic. Modern means of household chemicals allow you to easily keep any of these materials clean, so that when choosing you can follow only your own ideas about beauty. It is only necessary to take into account that the hoods in the plastic housing should be located far away from gas burners.
There are
- hinged,
- built-in,
- island in the shape of the hood.
Hinged models are installed separately above the plate and attached to the wall. They are subdivided into dome and flat. Dome hoods are usually inscribed in the interior in the classic or country style, flat - in the kitchen in a modern style. On the top surface of the flat hood can conveniently arrange spices and other small things that should always be at hand, but the dust accumulates on it faster, and it is more difficult to wipe it.
If you want to hide the hood from prying eyes, then you should take a closer look at the built-in models. They almost completely disappear under the hanging cupboard, and their presence gives out only a small panel. When working, it stretches forward to better capture the polluted air. Such hoods - the optimal solution for a small kitchen, as the locker above them can be used for storage, and the place above the hinged models is used irrationally. Most embedded models operate on the principle of recycling. It is better if the grease filter is metallic, not synthetic, as the latter requires regular replacement.
Island hoods - satellite kitchen islands. They are fixed to the ceiling, therefore, if it is planned to connect such an extract to the ventilation, preparatory work on the laying of the ventilation duct will need to be carried out at the initial stages of the repair.
What else to look for: noise level, control system and other details
The hood is not the quietest unit in the kitchen. Her work will always be accompanied by noise, but it is better if the passport indicates a value of up to 60 dB.Most buyers do not use the kitchen hood just because it's too noisy. If the noise level is particularly important, you can purchase a model with a noise block. Also more silent are the hoods with two motors or those in which the ventilation unit is not installed in the housing, but at the entrance to the ventilation duct.
Most modern models are equipped with push-button or touch control. Under the touch buttons, dirt does not accumulate and is easier to keep clean, but the sensor is sensitive to voltage drops. Mechanical control is also very common because of its reliability. It is convenient, if the extractor is equipped with a small display on which the operating mode is displayed. A grease filter filter indicator will be useful. It will tell you when to clean or replace the filter.
Manufacturers of
There are many offers of kitchen hoods on the market - from unknown to the world famous brands. Models from Bosch, Siemens, Miele, CATA are reliable, their design and management are thought through to trifles, but the price for them is higher by approximately 30-50% than for similar models of lesser known manufacturers. In the middle price segment, Krona, Exiteq, Inox enjoy a good reputation.
Quality hood in modern kitchen is irreplaceable. Choose a fairly powerful model with a step-by-step adjustment, which, if possible, drains air into the ventilation duct. And shape the shape and appearance to your liking. How to install the hood, I wrote in this article.
