7 tips that help you select the right kitchen hood
Jan 04, 2017 Home Appliances
Text: Rupali Sebastian
Photograph: Franke Faber India
Photograph: Franke Faber India
A chimney is a great tool that helps you keep your kitchen from getting sooty and greasy. What’s more, its aesthetic values are nothing to sneer at either. Vishal Raman, Head of Sales, Franke Faber India, gives you 7 tips to make the right choice.
1. What type of chimney am I looking for? Take into account whether you are looking for a wall-mounted hood or a ceiling-mounted one. The former caters to a traditional, running-along-the-wall kitchen counter, while the latter is better suited to an island kitchen.
2. Ducted or ductless? Ducted or vented chimneys have an extraction hood that expels fumes and steam out of the kitchen.. Ductless chimneys, on the other hand, have a recycling hood that filters the fumes and steam (usually with the help of charcoal filter) from the kitchen and returns the air into the kitchen. Ducted chimneys are more effective than the ductless versions.
3. How do I know which extraction capacity is appropriate? The extraction capacity is determined by the volume of the kitchen. A hood should be able to replace the air 10 to 20 times an hour. The formula is:
Volume of kitchen x 10 (air/hour changes) = capacity (m3/hr)
For instance, if your kitchen is 3m x 3m x 3m, its volume is 27 m3. Therefore, you should look for a hood with a capacity between 270 m3/hr to 540 m3/hr.
Other than the dimensions of the kitchen, how much you cook and whether the cuisine is oil-intensive or not, will impact the choice of ‘strength’ of your hood.
4. What size is good? It’s simple really. Get a hood that is at least as big as your hob.
5. Do filters play a role in the selection? Yes they do. Mesh filters are multi-layered aluminium meshes that ‘catch’ oil and spices to form a coating – which eventually reduces suction capacity. They need to be cleaned frequently, about once a week. Baffle filters separate smoke from oil and spices. Their suction capacity isn’t affected by accumulation of oil. They need to be cleaned every three to four weeks. The third type, charcoal filters, have charcoal granules to aid filtration. They need to be replaced every three to four months. Baffle filters are considered to be better for Indian cooking.
6. The word decibel is just noise to me! What does it mean? Decibel is a unit used to measure the intensity of a sound. Suffice to say that a silent hood would have decibel levels ranging between 47db to 55db, while a normal hood would be between 60db to 68 db.
7. Anything else I should look out for? Adequate lighting, which is built within the hood, and low energy consumption, would be nice to have. Also, good after-sales service, a 24 x 7 customer support and a pro-active interaction hold due importance.
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About the author
Vishal Raman
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