Kitchen range hoods serve the primary purpose of ventilating the kitchen stove when you are cooking. They suck in excessive hot gases and replace them with fresh clean air. They add value to your home as well as comfort to your living when cooking. Due to this and many other benefits, kitchen range hoods are fast becoming popular in many homes. With the many brands in the market, you are probably wondering the best range hood to buy for your kitchen. This article looks at several aspects you need to look at to ensure you choose the best hood.
- Ventilation Type
When it comes to ventilation as a factor, there are two types of kitchen range hoods; ducted range hoods and ductless ones. A ducted range hood is more reliable than the ductless one in that it serves three purposes altogether. It removes hot gases from your cooking, removes carbon particles from stove area as well as blowing in cold fresh from outside the house. A ductless range hood on the other hand only removes hot gases and carbon particles from the cooking stove. It however does not provide cold fresh air since it only re-circulates the hot gases after cleaning them, meaning that you will need extra air conditioning.
- Ease of Installation
A ducted range hood will require you to hire a professional to put one in place since it is very complicated. It has a system of pipes that negotiate their way out of the house, which makes it hard during installation. This becomes even harder especially if you are living in an apartment or a condo. It also provides a huge inconvenience in that the cooking cannot be positioned just anywhere in the kitchen area. It has to be directly below the end of the ducts, or the area where they pass. In contrast to this, a ductless range hood is easy to install and for this reason, it is compatible for small kitchens.
- Cost of the Range Hood
New technology has helped companies to come up with range hoods with luxurious designs, shapes and features that provide for the perfect look and feel. Some have adjustable fan speeds, with LED remote control. Others have been customized to look like a sculpture and you can hardly differentiate them from the drywall. Some have lights to illuminate the stove so that you are able to see what you are cooking without struggle. The more the aesthetic features, the more expensive they are and vice versa. Fortunately, due to competition in the market, most range hoods come at very affordable prices, regardless of the features.
- Aesthetic Features
Nowadays, range hoods have extra aesthetic features that provide your kitchen with the perfect look and feel when you are cooking. Some of them even make it easier for you to cook in more comfort than with just normal range hoods. There are also versatile designs, sizes and shapes so that you can choose one that fits your specific needs in your kitchen. Some have three adjustable fan speeds for maximum ventilation during heavy duty cooking such as frying. Some have shapes that allow them to be installed below the cabinetry, so that you make the most out of your space in the kitchen.
- The Kitchen
The size, shape and location of your kitchen also determines the type of range hood you will install. If you have a small kitchen and space is limited, you can have your range hood mounted on the wall or placed under the cabinetry, so that you make use of your small space. If your kitchen involves heavy duty cooking, a ducted kitchen with three adjustable fan speeds will be highly recommended for you. If you rarely do cooking at home, you may want to install a range hood that has a single fan speed since you will not require powerful blowing. If for example you live in apartment or a condo, a ductless kitchen is most appropriate since it is easy to install and can be put at any part of the kitchen. In addition, if you have a kitchen with so much space, you can have a range hood that looks like a sculpture and color that matches your walls.
The factors to consider when settling for the best range hood for your kitchen are many. They all revolve around what you are looking to achieve in your kitchen. If you are finding it hard to make this choice, a range hood professional is a perfect source of expert advice on this.