Let’s go through some of the main reasons why you would need a range hood, then you can decide for yourself if you actually need one in your kitchen or not!
Why Does Anyone Need A Range Hood?
A kitchen range hood has been designed over the years to collect all the moisture, bad odors, and airborne grease that daily cooking releases into the air.
However, the size of the hood can be a problem for some people as these appliances tend to be huge and take up a lot of space. Its huge size can be an eyesore if the design is not done right. Also, most building regulations don’t require you to have a hood over your cooking stove, so it is not a necessary addition to the kitchen.
These points are enough to keep people away from range hoods, but you need to keep its functionality in mind as well. Let’s break down the reasons why you need a range hood in your kitchen.
- It keeps your health in check by filtering out the air quality
A range hood eliminates all the pollutants that could be potentially toxic or cause damage to your health. In fact, studies have found that bad air quality can lead to many health issues such as nausea, skin irritation, and chest pain to name a few.
You are not always aware of what you are cooking with. You could potentially be releasing dangerous chemicals into the air. Also, constant exposure to airborne oil and other elements can lead to detrimental effects on the lungs in the future.
- It makes it more comfortable when cooking
Cooking generates a lot of heat. If you don’t have enough ventilation (too much ventilation makes it harder to cook), you will be uncomfortable through most of your cooking time. A range hood will suck out the hot air along with the toxins, thereby making the surrounding area cooler to stay in.
- It provides more illumination
This will depend on the range hood you have, but most of them do have some handy lighting pre-installed. The kitchen lighting sometimes may not be sufficient enough for proper cooking. This overhead light directly aimed at your cooking utensils can really make the cooking experience much easier for you.
Examples Of When You Will Need A Range Hood
Not every home is the same. Depending on where you live and the pre-existing conditions, you may need to install a range hood for the following common reasons:
- You cook every day for most of your meals. You are releasing a lot of smoke and chemicals into the air. It wouldn’t be safe without a hood.
- You tend to use strong-smelling ingredients in your food. For example, using garlic and many spices for all your meals is going to release strong smells into the air. Over time, this will settle on the surrounding furniture, especially fabrics, and they will start to smell weird.
- Your method of cooking causes a lot of smoke to gather around you. If you are constantly (a few times a week) seeing large volumes of smoke gathering around you while cooking, you need a hood to direct that smoke outdoors.
- Your smoke alarm goes off occasionally. If you have no other way of stopping the smoke from reaching the alarms, then you will need a range hood.
Making Your Time Spent In Kitchen Even Better
Whether you require a range hood or not will depend on your home, the kitchen, and your cooking style. If you use the kitchen sparingly and you have a big space with enough ventilation, you can keep the style minimal without a range hood. You can also customize it so that the kitchen hood adds to your overall home décor.
However, for families and those who cook often, the range hood offers many advantages that outweigh its bulky size. It can provide you with a comfortable cooking experience while keeping you and the surrounding furniture safe from any harm!