Kitchen Accessory: Poise in the Hood

by Gabby Hyman
Face Your Kitchen Columnist

Range hoods are more than kitchen accessories. Consumers often select the least-expensive, utilitarian hood to grace the kitchen wall above the stove. But more and more, a well-designed hood can be the cornerstone of an attractive new kitchen design. Prices vary dramatically from bare-basics hoods in the $40 range to richly-crafted set pieces in copper, steel, or brass selling at $900 and more. If you're considering a new hood or hood accessory for your existing space, or if you're designing a new kitchen, you can become overwhelmed by the breadth of choices. You should consider hoods by type, functionality, cost, and your own cooking habits. Ask yourself whether the accessory is to be cosmetic, as well as functionally effective.

Are You Just Venting?

There are two types of hoods: venting and non-venting. Venting hoods extract smoke and odor to the outside of the house. They may be difficult for you to install on your own since they require attachments to new or existing exhaust ducts. Non-venting hoods re-circulate your kitchen air, filtering the odors through an accessory screen and requiring only an electrical connection.

Within the two major operational distinctions, hoods also are broken down by where they're mounted and how they distribute air. If you're in the midst of a new kitchen design, you have a lot of latitude in determining kitchen hood type and placement. You can use slide-out hoods that open only when you choose to use them. Chimney hoods are attached to a wall or installed beneath an existing cabinet. Island hoods mount in the ceiling above your cooking island.

Be sure to consider the hood lighting system (fluorescent, incandescent, halogen), as well as the power capacity. Hoods are ranked by cubic feet per minute (cfm), with a broad range from 200cfm up to more than 1000cfm.

By mixing the power, cost, lighting, and venting variables in the equation, you have a better chance of getting the hood you need, rather than some monstrous kitchen accessory that gathers dust and sounds like a crippled airliner.

About the Author
Gabby Hyman has written for print and online media for more than 20 years. He has created online content for eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Avaya, and Nissan UK. He has also been a web consultant to the Governor of California. As an author of fiction, journalism, and poetry, Gabby is a former English professor for the University of Illinois, University of Alaska, and Old Dominion University. He holds an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Alabama.