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One commonly overlooked appliance is the range hood, which is quite surprising. You often hear homeowners plan a kitchen remodel and upgrade the oven, microwave, and even the home air conditioning system just to control the heat generated in the kitchen. But all of those appliances pale compared to kitchen range hoods in terms of kitchen heat control.
This oversight hides the startling fact that it ranks among the most important appliances in a kitchen. For example, imagine a scenario where the kitchen is smoke-free, the cooking area has no contaminants, and there is no humidity from hot steam or vapor. The scenario where you don’t need a literal gas mask to cook is one great benefit of a range hood in your kitchen.
This article will explore the important benefits of a range hood and why they are essential kitchen appliances. But before we get started, it's important to understand what kitchen range hoods are.
A kitchen range hood is an appliance that helps keep the kitchen air pristine and free of contaminants by removing smoke, vapors, fumes, and odors that occur while cooking. They are perfect for controlling air pollution in the kitchen or the entire house but are primarily kitchen ventilation devices and are usually situated above the cooking area.
There are three types of range hood systems:ducted, ductless, and convertible.
Ducted range hoods are vent hood units that use an external pipe or duct system to vent air containing potentially toxic pollutants from the kitchen outdoors. They are powerful range hood units that help improve air quality in most commercial kitchens because they can vent large volumes of air in record time.
A ductless system has no external ducts, and polluted air is purified through a range hood filter and recirculated rather than expelled. They are often found in smaller cooking spaces or in a kitchen space where light cooking takes place.
Convertible range hoods are vent hoods that can function as either ducted or ductless, depending on the kitchen's needs. They have strong motorized fans for suction and connection ducts to work as a ducted hood or a filtration system to work as a ductless hood.
Even though there are functional differences between the three systems, they all share the same benefits listed below.
There is almost always some contamination in the kitchen air, whether it's grease droplets, smoke, steam, or vapor. Most kitchens leave their windows open to foster cross-ventilation and keep the air clean, but this rarely cuts it! Here are some more reasons why it's a good idea to install a kitchen range hood in your home.
When you cook, you create large amounts of smoke, vapor, and grease, all of which linger in the kitchen atmosphere and are harmful when inhaled. A range hood eliminates this quickly.
With powerful suction fans, range hoods draw in any toxic air and either expel it outdoors or filter it out and send it back. This constant removal or recycling of air keeps the kitchen air clean and makes a big difference in the quality of the air in the kitchen.
It is known that the kitchen gets considerably hot because of the heat from the stove. This is even more prominent when preparing high-heat foods like stir-fried meats or sauteed vegetables. This is where range hoods can help with temperature regulation.
Range hoods remove the hot air and excess heat produced by the stovetop, thus creating a more relaxed atmosphere in the kitchen. They have built-in suction fans that pull in the generated smoke and steam and expel them outdoors, leaving a pleasantly more relaxed internal
One downside of cooking is the buildup of odors and how they eventually stick to your clothes and linger around. No one wants the persistent smell of fish or cheese around the kitchen and even seeping into other parts of the building.
These odors are tough to dispel, but by constantly sucking in unwanted smells, a range hood can help remove odors and prevent any buildup of unwanted odors in your home. It is an effective way to maintain clean air in your home and get your kitchen and the surrounding area to smell fresh.
The kitchen area is usually the most complex to clean up because of the greasy surfaces that have attracted dust and formed an unpleasant sticky film. This is generally because the grease in the air, often made when cooking, has finally settled on most kitchen’s soft surfaces. This means more cleaning time and effort and an additional cost for grease removal detergent.
All of this can be considerably reduced by installing a vent hood. A good exhaust hood makes removing contaminated air much easier and more efficient. You can remove airborne grease particles, unwanted by-products, and excess moisture before they settle down on your kitchen cabinets.
Range hoods are often built over cooking surfaces and are equipped with LED or halogen lighting. This can be an excellent source of kitchen lighting when cooking, making it easier to see.
The additional illumination, particularly from overhead lights, also helps during extra kitchen non-cooking activities. You can clean better as the light beams reveal dirt or stains in hidden crevices. The LEDs are also energy-saving, which helps reduce your electric bill.
Realtors know the value of having a kitchen range hood in homes they are trying to sell. They add more to the price because they can tell potential buyers about the extra health and safety benefits range hoods offer.
As these devices add a modern and upscale feel to homes, the resale value of your home is bound to rise. In some parts of the country, they are even required by building codes to have one installed. The more appealing the range hood, the more likely it is to attract buyers and raise the value of your property!
Having a range hood in your kitchen gives you a comfortable environment and the freedom to prepare many different meals that you otherwise could not prepare. For kitchens with limited space, a working range hood will eliminate any smoke, grease, fumes, or steam from the cooking process that would have filled the kitchen.
A good example is cooking Asian cuisine, where the intricate frying and steaming involved generate many unpleasant odors that discourage cooks from making them.
Range hoods are not just feature-rich kitchen equipment purchased only for their functionality. They are aesthetically pleasing devices that add a modern, minimalist feel to your kitchen. They add style and improve the visual appeal of your kitchen.
A range hood can be the focal point of your kitchen or blend in with the other cabinets. For example, a ceiling-mounted kitchen range hood can be fitted with eye-catching patterns that make it stand out, or a retractable range hood can be hidden and incorporated to blend with the kitchen countertop or cabinets.
Range hoods foster a healthy kitchen environment by constantly filtering out the by-products of cooking, like harmful smoke, vapors, and hazardous fumes. Cooking without a proper range hood exposes everyone in and around the kitchen to all those potential irritants.
Cooking stoves are also one of the most significant sources of nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. These are very harmful pollutants, and in the case of carbon monoxide, it can be pretty deadly when it builds up in your kitchen. A range hood will vent all these lethal hazards outside, keeping your kitchen free of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide.
It is not unusual to regularly trigger the smoke alarm in the kitchen because of the build-up of smoke from the cookstove. Before cooking, most individuals remove the batteries from the alarm, as they find this frustrating.
With a range hood installed, this becomes a non-issue, as they provide proper ventilation by quickly removing any smoke or heat generated by the stove. No smoke, and the alarm don’t get activated.
Range hoods are a staple in any modern or updated kitchen space. The benefits of installing a range hood are immense; there is no middle ground. The correct range hood offers your home many health, safety, and monetary benefits. It also boosts the resale value of your house, so it is highly advisable that you get one installed now!