Which Range Hood is Right for Your Home?

The type of range hood you buy is greatly dependent on the environment of the kitchen. So, what type of kitchen environment do you have, or would you like to have?  Based on this, choosing your next range hood will provide several advantages for you to consider: 

1.       What is the size of your range?  Is it electric, conventional or gas? 

2.       How much room do you have above your range? 

3.       How tall are your ceilings? 

4.       What level of cooking do you do?  

5.       What is the style of your cabinets? 

6.       What is the color of your appliances? 

7.       What is the decorative style of your kitchen/home (traditional, contemporary, modern, farm-house, other)? 

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WOW!  This seems to be a lot of questions for just a range hood.  In a way – YES – but remember, your range hood is as important an appliance in your kitchen as the other more popular appliances (range, refrigerator or dishwasher).  The questions about your range hood are: 1) How often are you using it? and 2) How much should you be using it?  Most people do not think of turning on the range hood as the first thing to do before cooking.  As you may have already read, using your range hood has more positive results that outweigh the downside of the noise it makes while it’s on.  How often you are using your range hood is up to you. A good procedure to follow before you cook is to get into the habit of turning on your kitchen lights, then your range hood.  If you do, you will have a better cooking experience in your kitchen and fresher air throughout your home.  Your cooking experiences are important to us and being able to ventilate and provide your home with “fresh air” is our focus.   

Let’s look at some guidelines you need to consider for your specific kitchen environment: 

There are three main kitchen environment set-ups you may have.  First, you have existing cabinets that are functional and are good in appearance for your kitchen. If you have a cabinet above your stove (and you are not removing it), the undercabinet range hoods are very stylish with appealing design, easy to install and provide very efficient and effective ventilation for your cooking experience.  The undercabinet range hood simply attaches to the bottom of your cabinets.  If you have “custom” cabinetry, you may have a custom cabinet above your range or stove that serves as your range hood.  This custom cabinetry requires a special built-in ventilation system called a Power Pack or Insert.  It is designed to fit in and properly protect this custom hood like any other range hood – you just have a more stylish design.  

Second, if you do not have cabinets or want to remove the existing cabinets above your cooking range or stove, you will begin to create a very different look and feel in your kitchen.  This option opens up to more range hood styles and designs.  These range hoods are wall mounted versions and are referred to as chimney, pro-style and downdraft or hidden ventilation range hoods.  Depending upon your cabinets and the room you have available within your kitchen design, anyone of these range hood styles can provide the look and ventilation you need for your cooking environment.   

Third, open concept kitchens are becoming increasingly popular and many homeowners with this kitchen concept do not want a range hood in their line of site.  This open feeling must be incorporated into the style and design of the kitchen cooking space – especially when kitchen “islands” become that space.  To be able to maintain this openness above your kitchen island, there are various options you can choose from that can meet your design and style taste.  The most common option is an island range hood, similar to the chimney hood version, but is finished on four sides for a complete look.

Other options become more “hidden” and range from the down draft (installed behind your range) to a ceiling (installed directly above your range) designs to provide the maximum performance needed during your cooking experience.  The down draft is a ventilation product that installs directly behind your range and is raised when in use or lowered when not in use. There are different models with raised heights from 9” – 18”.  The ceiling is a ventilation product which is installed in your ceiling directly above your range – normally in an island.  Both design options provide the most “open” view to allow you to cook and be a part of family or hosting activities in your kitchen / open room concept.  

Now that you know your kitchen details from space to design to frequency of cooking, you are ready to make some decisions.  Next, you will need to decide what style of range hood is most suitable for your kitchen design theme and your cooking frequency.  Look for our next article “What Range Hood Style is Best For My Kitchen”, where we walk through the styles and types of range hoods available for you to choose from.  There are many decisions to make, but we will make the process easier for you.

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