Range Hood Styles and Designs in a Kitchen

With all the different range hood design options varying from them all including very different features, it can be very difficult to narrow it down to which design element is the best for you. Range hoods are often thought of as just being added design elements for adding an aesthetic look to your kitchen, but they offer environmental benefits. This article is going to discuss what the purpose of a ducted vs non-ducted range hood is and the pros and cons of each style.

Ducted vs. Non-Ducted Range Hoods

The first thing to think about when choosing a range hood for your kitchen is to decide whether you want a ducted or a non-ducted range hood. A ducted range hood means that there is a venting duct for heat, odors, and fumes to go through to be released outside of the house. On the other hand, non-ducted is a range hood that has no venting to the outside, but it does eliminate grease residue and odors by filtering the air with a fan. With this choice of venting, it is
important to remember to regularly change the filters otherwise they will become clogged and useless. However, they do not eliminate heat like how a ducted chimney vent would. For that reason, it is important to think about what rangehood style might benefit your cooking concerns more so then just picking a rangehood by design aesthetics only.

Chimney Range Hoods

One type of ducted range hood style is frequently refered to as chimney range hoods. One of the most popular materials used for these chimney hoods is stainless steel because of it’s durablitity and it’s overall sleek appearance. Chimney hoods are typically placed above a stove when there are no cabinets in place above it. As a result of the material usually being more high-end, and the cost of installation for proper venting, these rangehoods are typically a bit more costly, but they do remove the highest amount of unwanted heat, fumes, and odors.

Under-Cabinet

At the other end of the spectrum is non-ducted hoods, and these are typically more economically friendly then ducted range hoods. Under-cabinet hoods, as the name suggests, are generally attached to the bottom of a cabinet that is above a stove and it will be able to cover the entirety of the stove top burners. Although, some may be ducted, most are not. Also, some microwaves have a rangehood installed at the bottom of them which provides the same
effects that an under-cabinet non-ducted, including ventilation for odors and smoke. It is important to remember that non-ducted ventilation can only remove smells, odors, and grease in the air, they cannot remove the overall heat produced by the stovetop. If that is a major concern, then it might be worth looking at ducted rangehoods.

Although there are many rangehood styles and design choices, it is important to take into consideration which features you believe are the most useful to you. By picking a range hood based on what characteristics are important to you, and not only based on aesthetics, you can reasonably decide if you are more concerned with odors and smoke being removed, or ultimately everything above as well as removing heat and moisture. If you are thinking about remodeling your kitchen, consider reaching out to Baine Contracting, Inc. to help you create your own dream kitchen space.

By Shannon Johnstone at Baine Contracting, Inc.