Surely every housewife suffered more than once, wiping the ceiling and walls from soot and dirt that remain after cooking. Perhaps the only prevention in this case will be a kitchen hood. Such devices do not allow grease mixed with dust to settle on furniture and walls, and also relieve the room of unpleasant odors and fumes.
So the hood is a necessary and practical acquisition, to which you say thanks more than once for a clean kitchen and fresh air. Today's kitchen appliances market is extremely diverse and pleases with a wide range of products. Therefore, for many consumers, more than ever, the question is urgent: "Which hood to choose?". User reviews left about specific models do not always help, because here the theoretical basis is primarily important. That is, you need to clearly understand what design is suitable for your kitchen, how much power will be enough and whether additional functionality is needed. These and other critical issues we will just consider in our article.
So, let's try to figure out which hood is better to choose and what to look for in the first place. When compiling the article, the opinions of experts in this field and the reviews of ordinary consumers were taken into account. After a short educational program, we outline several specific models that have distinguished themselves by their quality component and good feedback from users.
Design Features
In total, five main types of equipment can be counted: suspended, domed, built-in, island and retractable. Depending on the features of the kitchen, the available furniture, as well as the stove, you must choose a type of hood for the kitchen. Briefly dwell on each of the options.
Hanging type
This is the simplest and most popular type of equipment. In addition, a good half of suspended hoods has a more than affordable price tag. This design works according to the recirculation principle (circular air circulation) and has reusable filters.
Installation of suspended hoods is simple and does not take much time. Most users prefer to install them on their own, which also saves good money. Before choosing a hood, you should know that this type of equipment is perfect for rooms where there are no any air outlets to the ventilation.
Dome type
By its appearance, this type of equipment resembles a dome or umbrella. Some masters prefer to use another name - mantelpieces. The hood is attached to the wall above an electric or gas stove.
In contrast to the suspension type structures, the dome equipment can operate both in recirculation mode and as a flow system with the release of air outside the premises. If you are wondering: “What kind of hood to choose for a gas stove?”, Then the domed technique will be the best option, because it purifies the air much more efficiently, especially when cooking on a naked flame. This type of equipment is, of course, more expensive than suspension systems, but it beats its money with better filtration.
Built-in type
You can choose a built-in range hood if you have a stove of the same type. Here we have well-disguised equipment, which usually looks like a wall cabinet. Installation in this case is much more complicated, therefore it is best to turn to professionals so that the equipment does not get out of the overall style of the kitchen set.
Before choosing a built-in hood, you should know that it can also be both recirculating and flowing. The first option is more interesting in terms of design, because there will be no extra pipes, which means that the general style of the headset will not be violated. But in the case of gas stoves, it is better to stop on the flow system.
Island type
Here we have independently installed equipment somewhere in the middle of the room. This solution is used in cases where the plate is not located against the wall. Island hoods are most often seen in cafes, restaurants and other places of public catering. At home, such systems are generally not used.
Before choosing a cooker hood, you should also know that all island-type equipment works according to the flow principle. On the one hand, this technique is convenient, because you can put it anywhere, and on the other, the style of the room can be severely damaged.
Retractable type
The main advantage of this type of equipment is its compact size. Moreover, a good half of the equipment has sliding panels. That is, if necessary, the cultivated area can be almost doubled. But the equipment of the retractable type has its own critical disadvantages that must be taken into account before choosing a reliable cooker hood.
Of course, we don’t have to talk about flow systems - only the recirculation principle, therefore for serious gas stoves this is not the best option. Yes, beautiful, compact and very stylish, but ... ineffective. Of course, in the premium segment you can find some kind of “monster” that will filter everything and everything, but it costs a lot of money, and the electric meter will be properly lit at its power.
Which cooker hood is better to choose - you decide, of course, because first of all you need to look at your kitchen and the room itself. That is, it is to dance from the headset, and not vice versa, to adjust it to the hood. The market can offer a ton of technology options of such a plan for any interior, up to painting the equipment in the right color, so there should not be any serious problems.
Power / performance
Equipment of this kind comes with one or two fans powered by electricity. You should immediately warn that if you are offered to choose a 60 cm hood that is powered by a battery, then it is better to bypass such offers, because such a purchase will not bring you anything good, and even more practical.
As for the power indicator, here we are talking about the characteristics of the fan. The performance of the hood itself directly depends on this parameter. It is he who determines how much air a technician filters out per unit of time. The performance of the exhaust equipment varies between 180-700 cubic meters per hour (m 3 / h). To choose the right hood, you should also know that in some models the fans can operate at two or four speeds.
But chasing performance, especially in a small kitchen, is not worth it, because the higher this indicator, the more noise the equipment makes. In addition, equipment will rarely operate at maximum power. An experienced housewife does not run out of milk every day or burn food. When the soup is calmly boiling from day to day or the stew comes under a closed lid, then fans with a low power rating will calmly cope with the task.
Additional functions
This is not the most necessary part of the hood, but the presence of additional functionality or equipment allows you to use it with greater comfort. So it’s not out of place to pay attention to this moment, when the time comes to choose a range hood.
User reviews most often indicate such a convenient thing as touch control with a display. This addition has not only excellent ergonomic characteristics, but also shows detailed statistics on the operation of the hood. Similar models with mechanical control are noticeably cheaper, so here we are talking about convenience, and not about fulfilling the main tasks of filtering the room.
You can also mention features such as Interval Start and Residual Stroke. The first addition periodically includes air purification equipment, and the second involves the operation of an auxiliary fan after turning off the main fan for better filtration. Before choosing a cooker hood, be sure to consider that any major addition costs a lot of money, and be sure to weigh the practicality of such an acquisition. For a small kitchen with good natural airflow (windows, doors) it is not necessary to buy a sophisticated model.
Manufacturers
Choosing a good hood is quite difficult, especially when you consider the number of companies involved in the production of this kind of equipment. In the field of kitchen appliances, European manufacturers traditionally lead: Siemens, Bosch, Asko and Gorenie.
Reviews about the products of these brands are entirely positive. The equipment is characterized by high-quality assembly, good functionality and a variety of series. There were no critical comments on specific models. Users mostly complain about service and some organizational issues, such as the delivery or installation of equipment.
Consumers also speak well of the brands “Hansa”, “Shindo”, Kronasteel and the domestic manufacturer Elikor. The companies work mainly in the mid-price and budget segments, producing decent equipment with adequate cost. But here you cannot buy at random, because not every series from these manufacturers turns out to be successful. Before choosing a cooker hood from the budget segment, it is obviously superfluous to read reviews on specialized forums (namely on them, and not in online stores).
Next, we will consider several specific models that have been noted for their enviable popularity, as well as for their quality component.
Elikor Integra 60 (built-in)
This is a frankly budget embedded option from a domestic manufacturer, but this does not make it bad. The model with one fan is suitable for owners of small apartments and, accordingly, small kitchens. The equipment can operate both by flow and by recirculation principle if connection to a special ventilation duct is difficult.
The dimensions of the equipment are standard - 60 cm, and the assembly is quite acceptable: the equipment does not crumble, does not creak and does not play. Productivity also has a good indicator - 400 m 3 / hour with two power modes.
Users in their reviews mostly respond positively to the model. Naturally, a good half of domestic consumers are attracted by the cost of equipment. But the quality of the hood, despite such a low price, is at a very good level. Before you choose the hood of this series, it is worth considering that all models are very noisy, so you have to get used to it, well, or cook in tandem with a radio.
Advantages of the model:
- good power;
- intuitive controls;
- excellent backlight;
- more than a democratic price tag.
Disadvantages:
- noisy fan;
- very simple design.
Estimated cost - about 4000 rubles.
Bosch DFS 067K50 (built-in)
This is a premium built-in model from a renowned German brand. The equipment is designed for standard 60-centimeter slabs. The hood housing is made of metal, and on the front panel there is an informative screen of a retractable type. Thanks to the innovative coating, the structure is perfectly washable (in just one approach) with a sponge.
Functional management is completely touch-sensitive, and the panel itself is not afraid of high temperatures and especially dirt, so it’s not necessary to wipe (well or lick) your fingers before setting up another task on the display.
Two powerful fans (700 m 3 / h) received excellent sound insulation, so you can learn about the operation of the hood in the basic mode only by the indication on the taskbar. It also has effective LED lighting with adjustable intensity.
Separately, it is worth noting intelligent automation. If you put the equipment into fully automatic mode, then you can completely forget about the hood, as well as about polluted air. The pluses include the attractive appearance of the model, which will be pleasing to the eye.
As for the reviews, users leave completely positive feedback about this series. The only thing a good half of consumers complain about is the price. But exceptional German quality has never been cheap. So, how did you like the model?
Advantages of the hood:
- huge functional set;
- high rate of performance;
- sensible automation (turned on and forgot);
- informative touch display;
- the presence of an air pollution sensor;
- excellent coverage and trouble-free washing;
- exclusive assembly without a hint of marriage;
- silent work.
Minuses:
- the cost of the model is too high for an ordinary domestic consumer.
Estimated price - about 44,000 rubles.
Gorenje DU5345W (outboard)
This hanging equipment would be a great option for small kitchens. Before choosing a hood, be sure to check the dimensions of your stove, because this model is designed for a width of not more than 50 cm.
The equipment operates on a recirculation principle on replaceable carbon filters. The exhaust performance ranges from 300 m³ / h, with 3 modes of fan speed. There is also a heat trap filter and good halogen lighting.
Users generally respond positively about the model. With the dominance of equipment from noone manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom, equipment from Gorenie is perhaps the best choice in this category. It is reliable, cute and has real power indicators, unlike Chinese consumer goods.
The advantages of the model, judging by consumer reviews:
- effective work in small kitchens;
- 3 fan speeds;
- good backlight;
- nice looking appearance;
- high-quality assembly;
- quite adequate price for the available characteristics.
Disadvantages:
Estimated cost - about 5000 rubles.
Elikor Agate 60 (dome)
Powerful dome equipment can be made not only in Europe, but also in Russia. So before choosing a hood from venerable "Europeans", be sure to pay attention to the "Agate" series from Elikor. Judging by the reviews, the model turned out to be worthy and quite competitive.
The equipment is designed for standard slabs with a width of 60 cm. The fan power ranges from 1000 m 3 / h at four high-speed modes. The model also boasts an intuitive and informative touchscreen display, an off timer, excellent backlighting, a stainless steel case and low noise level. Here you can add sensible automation, which itself will adjust to the environment and conduct a competent air filtration.
Given the cost of European counterparts, Agat is an excellent and very inexpensive option for a patriotic consumer. Reviews about the model are completely positive. There are no complaints about the build quality, ergonomics, as well as the work itself. The benefits of the model can also be written and service. If the equipment breaks down, which happens extremely rarely and in most cases due to the user's fault, then maintenance, as well as accessories, will cost several times less than if it were venerable Bosch or Siemens.
The advantages noted by consumers of the model:
- high rate of power and performance;
- an abundance of functionality;
- Intelligent auto mode
- informative display on touch control;
- 4 speed modes;
- excellent backlight;
- almost silent fans;
- high-quality assembly;
- stainless steel case;
- Attractive value for available features.
Minuses:
- some users complain about the bulging body (you can touch your head).
Estimated price - about 13,000 rubles.
Summarizing
When choosing a technique of such a plan, you must first focus on your kitchen. If the room does not differ in impressive area or has good natural ventilation, then consider the powerful, as well as expensive, options does not make sense. It will be much more practical to choose an inexpensive solution, but with some additional functionality.
Separately, it is worth noting models from the Chinese manufacturers of names. Yes, such a technique is cheap, but there is no practicality in its acquisition, because it will break in a week or two. And the equipment from trusted manufacturers, who care not only for their reputation, but also for each client, has been working for years - just wipe it and change filters.