Do You Really Need a Hood in Your Kitchen?

The thing about cooking – especially grilling and frying – is the lingering odours, smoke and grease left behind. Although largely overlooked, a hood is actually one of the most important appliances in the kitchen. Here’s a quick guide to help you decide whether to get a hood and which one is ideal for you.

Why though?

Perhaps the most important job of hoods is to improve the air quality of your kitchen. They’re designed to remove odours, smoke, grease and other pollutants that are released into the air while cooking. A hood will suck all this through a motorised fan, either carrying it outside or filtering it and recirculating it. Moreover, using a stove generally results in elevated levels of carbon monoxide, which may actually lead to CO poisoning… but get a decent hood and you’ve got nothing to worry about.

So which hood should I get?

Firstly, decide whether you’d like to get a ducted or ductless hood. Basically, a ducted hood must be connected to a duct with pipes that carry the airborne particles away from the kitchen to the outdoors. Conversely, a ductless hood (aka recycling) operates by filtering the air it sucks in and then blows it back out into the room, essentially using a recirculation process.

How big and powerful should my hood be?

The size of your hob and kitchen, as well as the width of your hob will dictate how powerful and big your hood needs to be. For instance, whilst gas, electric and ceramic hobs become warm themselves and thus enhance he updrift of the steam, induction hobs draw the steam up in a fan-shape, requiring a more powerful hood. When it comes to size, as a rule of thumb, we recommend a hood that’s wider, or as wide as your hob.

The future is bright

Nowadays, there’s a myriad range of styles and designs to choose from, making it easier to find one that fits perfectly in your kitchen. If you really want an elegant showpiece in your home, go for a hood with an adjustable lighting feature. With different levels of lighting, your kitchen will become more balanced and inviting, with an intimate glow… perfect for cooking or creating a relaxing atmosphere.

Think outside the box

Of course, there are also options for those who would prefer not to show a hood at all in their kitchen. It is still possible to ensure efficient extraction by opting for an aspiration hob. This unique innovation combines the hood with the hob, cleverly hiding the extractor at its centre.

The NikolaTesla range offered by Elica offers a wide range of elegant yet functional aspiration hobs which blend in seamlessly with modern kitchens. Even though aspiration hobs are most commonly designed with induction burners, Elica was the first to design an aspiration hob with gas burners, offering a practical solution for those who would not give up flame cooking.

With so many options to choose from, we know it might be a tough choice to make. When in doubt, we suggest setting up an appointment with a specialist to take you through the most viable options for your kitchen, both in terms of design and functionality.