Cooking Ventilation Hoods
Cooking ventilation hoods are used in modern kitchen to suck out stale air and grease while you are cooking your favorite dish. The ventilation hoods in modern kitchen are classified into vented and “ventless” range hoods. Your choice would largely depend on the overall design and style of your kitchen. This kitchen exhaust system works by sucking stale air, and with vented hood, the stale air and fumes are forced out of the home while the “ventless” type sucks in the air and uses special filters to clean the stale air before the same is expelled back to the kitchen.
There are two main classifications of kitchen ventilation hoods. These are:
- Vented Range Hoods - Vented range hoods perform slightly better than their “ventless” counterpart when it comes to the reduction or elimination of smells and grease in the kitchen. This type of cooking ventilation hoods works by “shuttling” or moving the stale air out of the kitchen so that it can be replaced by fresh and clean air. Vented range hoods are installed on the exterior walls of the kitchen for them to work, and you need to consider the length of the ducting in your overall design. Cooking ventilation hoods with shorter ducting perform more efficiently than those with longer duct system.
- “Ventless” Range Hoods - The “ventless” range hoods are designed for modern kitchens where the cooking equipment or appliances are not located near the exterior wall. Since the design and layout of the kitchen do not provide direct access to the exterior wall, the air is sucked in and passed through a filtration system for cleaning and recycling. The filter material used in this type of range hoods can either be washable or disposable.
Common Forms of Cooking Ventilation Hoods
The under-the-cabinet variant is the most common form of cooking ventilation hoods in modern kitchens. As the name implies, this type of cooking ventilation hoods is installed under the kitchen cabinet just above the cooking appliance or equipment and generally comes with a multi-speed fan and light. Optimal performance can be achieved if such type of cooking ventilation hoods is set against the kitchen wall. Under-the-cabinet cooking ventilation hoods come in different sizes and colors, and you can easily find the model and brand that perfectly blends with the design and theme of your kitchen. While they work well under a typical kitchen setting, the under-the-cabinet hoods are not usually as powerful as the other hood variants.
If you are looking for extra power juices from your cooking ventilation hoods, then you should consider the high-performance ventilation hoods. This kitchen ventilation system is made of durable core material and offers a complete line of features found in most modern cooking ventilation systems. The core features of high-performance cooking ventilation hoods include high-performance fans, heat lamps, lights and grease trays.
On the other hand, the chimney ventilation hoods are generally designed for commercial uses and are commonly found in restaurants and other commercial establishments. This professional grade hoods are slowly finding their way to the kitchen of modern homes. As the term implies, this type of cooking ventilation hoods come with a chimney that extends up to the ceiling and connects to the vent.
Downdrafts Kitchen Ventilation System
Technically speaking, downdrafts are not classified under the cooking ventilation hoods, although they perform the same function as standard range hoods. Downdrafts are attached to the back portion of your range. Downdrafts are the ideal choice for kitchens with limited space. The only downside of this option is that it can only be used on ranges and not on kitchen ovens. This means that you cannot use downdrafts if you have a stove in your modern kitchen.
