Range Hood Styles

What's under the hood?

Once relegated to standard issue colors and boring shapes, range hoods come in a great variety of designs and materials.  Although practical considerations, such as the feasibility of directly connecting to or creating an exhaust duct can seem paramount, ingenious innovations in the construction and installation of these pieces allow for the complete incorporation of range hoods into a room's look.  Whether redecorating or building from scratch, a great number of options exist, from the understated to the outrageous. Here are some of your choices:

Wall-mounted range hoods, the most common type of range hood, connect on one side of the wall to the outdoors.  The wide mouth of the hood draws in smoke, fumes, and odors as they rise from the cooktop and oven.  A direct, short path to reach the external duct is critical.  Current trends favor large, bright metal surfaces, sculptural forms, and colorful enamels.  Aside from providing much needed ventilation, this style of range hood can create a real focal point in a kitchen.

Under-cabinet range hoods work with whatever cabinetry surrounds your cooking area.  Compact and space saving, many under the counter range hoods do not connect to an external vent and are designed only to circulate air.  Although a fan and filter assembly disperses particles and vapors into the surrounding environment and thereby reduces their concentration, it does not remove these potentially harmful or irritating substances all together.  Ideal for cramped kitchens or apartments, an under cabinet range hoods should use a powerful charcoal filter if it does not connect to an external duct.

Island range hoods, for island stovetops, are suspended from the ceiling to accentuate the design of the room without ruining the exciting visual impact of the freestanding cooking surface.  Island range hoods use small pipes to transport smoke and fumes to an external duct.

Downdraft ranges use moveable vents to move dirty air through a filter or into a duct.  The vents sit on the back of the cooking surface and take up very little space.  Since they used motorized jets to control the flow of fumes and vapors in the cooking area, they appeal to people with a taste for the cutting edge.  Additional bells and whistles include the ability retract when not in use and electronic sensors to indicate power levels and filter status.

More information on range hoods