Built-in kitchen hoods

Built-in kitchen hoods: how to choose

One of the essential fundamental elements in the composition of the kitchen together with the worktop or top is certainly the kitchen hood .
Its main function is to maintain the recycling of the air saturated with cooking fumes, eliminating grease, fumes, odors and vapors of various kinds, through a process of filtering and evacuation of the air.
In addition to fulfilling the purely functional aspect, the built-in kitchen hoods also have an aesthetic role in the furnishing of the kitchen.
Of course, all of the above must meet certain characteristics based on the regulations dictated by law .
In fact, law 46/90 requires the extractor hood to be a household appliance that must be owned where there is a hob ; therefore an extractor hood must be installed in every kitchen which must satisfy certain criteria which must perform fundamental functions for the good condition of the air in the home in order to maintain the well-being of those who live in the house.
Not all hoods have the same characteristics, nor are they suitable for the same type of kitchen, so it is necessary to consider the different aspects such as; where it will be placed, how the kitchen will be composed, what tasks it will have to perform, etc., that is, in what context and in what conditions the kitchen will have to work so that all this can be done safely, guaranteeing a healthy state of the air.

Built-in kitchen hoods: the types

The types available on the market can be classified according to the following characteristics:

• Built-in kitchen hoods : they are the most common type, they come inside a kitchen cabinet and the suction pipe is covered entirely or partially by the door. The built-in extractor hood can also be: fully integrated , when they completely cover the suction pipe or semi-built- in, when they partially cover the suction duct.
• Exposed hoods with extraction ducts , also known as free-standing (like all non-built-in appliances), can be classified according to the position they occupy and the shape as: wall models, corner models , island models where the hoods are anchored to the ceiling above the hob located in the center of the island.
• Extractor hoods: these hoods suck in fumes, odors and gases and send them through a pipe connected to the facade of the house. Their greatest advantage is their efficiency, as they completely eliminate the suspended particles that are generated during cooking.
• Hoods with carbon filter or recirculation: in this case there is no evacuation pipe ; the hood sucks in the fumes and gases and passes them through a filter that purifies the air, sending it back into the environment. They are less effective when it comes to eliminating odors, moreover this type does not have the pipe which avoids perforating the facade, considerably facilitating its positioning. By law, the extractor hood to be installed is the extractor hood, which however can also be filtering. Only in cases in which it is not possible to make the evacuation duct, the filter hood is used, combined with an electric fan.
• Telescopic hoods : this is the cheapest type, they are activated by pulling the front to make them work. Most of these extractor hoods are usually made of stainless steel and lacquered surfaces.

Built-in kitchen hoods: extractor or filter?

Among the many models of built-in kitchen hoods that can be found today on the market, the first question to ask when evaluating the choice is whether or not the kitchen is equipped with a flue .
Therefore, if there is a flue in the kitchen, the choice will have to fall on a model of extractor hood , vice versa if the kitchen does not have one, the choice will be oriented on a model of filter hood :

• the extractor hoods are connected to a duct where the vapors are sucked in and expelled to the outside. In this way, fumes, odors, combustion residues and food fats are conveyed outside the home, guaranteeing the healthiness of the air in the kitchen. Surely this model of hood is very effective and works quickly, and it is an optimal solution especially when you have a single room for the living room and the kitchenette.
• the filter hoods do not expel the aspirated fumes outside, but purify the air through special filters, and then put it back into circulation in the environment. The extractor hood can be converted to perform the filter function as well.
• The filter systems are anti-grease : made of metal or synthetic material, they retain grease and cooking vapors, to prevent them from damaging the engine and the exhaust pipe when entering the hood. The honeycomb structures retain the particles of impurities. The anti-odor system with activated carbon, to be replaced approximately every four months.

The first two systems are usually also present in the extractor hood. Hoods are generally equipped with a light that indicates when the filter is saturated and should be cleaned following the instructions supplied with the appliance.

Built-in kitchen hood: what are the technical characteristics

When choosing the built-in kitchen hood, it is necessary to take into account many aspects, however in general the technical characteristics of the extractor hoods to which it is necessary to pay attention are the following:

• The dimensions: it must have a minimum width equal to that of the hob, although the most advisable thing is that it be a little larger so that it has a greater suction capacity. For example, if the plate is 50cm, the hood should be at least 60cm, although it will always be more effective if its size is larger. If you have enough space, you can install the 70, 80 or even 90 cm hood. The power must be calculated based on the size of your kitchen.
  The depth of a kitchen hood can vary from a minimum of 35 centimeters up to a maximum of 55.
• Noise: an element to consider when you are about to buy a product of this type is the silence , the sound level increases according to the absorption power. To be considered silent, these appliances should never exceed the noise threshold of 55 Decibels, calculated with the hood at maximum power.
  There are models that are produced nowadays that are increasingly quiet, but there are also some that include casings with coatings of materials that absorb noise and dampen it.
• Suction capacity: this term indicates the quantity of air sucked and expelled, or filtered, every hour from the kitchen hood and which is measured in mc / h (cubic meters / hour). it should aspirate at least 400m3 / h and guarantee a change of air equal to at least six times the volume of the room.
  The suction power of an appliance of this type must be evaluated especially taking into account the size of the kitchen and the frequency with which meals are prepared.