How to Choose a Range Hood for Your Kitchen

Every cooktop or stove needs a range hood to provide ventilation for unwanted cooking odors, smoke, grease, etc. If you are in the market for a new range hood, there are several factors to consider in choosing one that would be the best fit for you. The following are 6 tips will help you with this choice.

Tip 1 – Determine Where the Hood is to be Used

Before you begin shopping for a range hood, you must determine where the hood will be used. Is your range located in an island in your kitchen? Will you need a wall-mounted range? There will be several different styles available to meet any of these needs.

Tip 2 – Decide Which Features You Want

The main purpose of a range hood is to filter and remove smoke, grease, steam, etc. When looking for a range hood, you may find other features you may feel could contribute to your choice of a hood. For example: lights, a timer, hooks to hang your cooking ware on, etc. When choosing your range hood, also check out the fan carefully. Some fans are more high-powered than others (also noisier), some have a multiple speeds and some are quite noisy, although you can often find fans that come equipped with sound buffers.

Tip 3 - Choose a Range Hood that Vents to the Outside

You may be happier with a range hood that vents to the outside of the house vs. a hood that filters cooking exhaust but does not vent outside. The reason for you may prefer the outside vent is it will help keep the air and surfaces in your home cleaner.

Tip 4 – Consider Your Cooking Frequency

If you will be cooking on your stovetop on an average of once each  day, you might want to consider purchasing a hood with a fan that can move the air at a rate of 200 to 300 cubic feet per minute. If, on the other hand, you plan to cook more often, then a fan with capacity of 250 to 400 cfm would be a better choice. If your cooking area is somewhat drafty, you should consider an additional 100 cfm. Consult your stove operation manual to determine how many cfm’s are recommended

Tip 5 – Measure Your Cooking Range Size

Before purchasing a range hood, measure the top of your range. The ideal size of a range hood extends three inches beyond both sides of the range, itself. In addition, the hood width should match the width of the cooking surface. The distance from the bottom of the hood to the surface of the stovetop should be 18 to 24 inches.

Tip 6 – Improve the Ventilation by Other Means

Another thing to consider is whether your home is constructed tightly. If it is, even with a range hood, you will need to also open doors and windows to provide additional airflow to replace the air that is typically exhausted from the house by the hood range fan.