Cooker Hoods

Style: The cooker hood has long been used as a platform for injecting style and individuality into the kitchen; an object of function so versatile in its design that a mere extractor fan can practically become a work of art. But even if you don’t crave a statement hood, it will still sit within your line of sight, so choose wisely.

The most obvious – and attractive – hood is a chimney — either wall mounted or suspended from the ceiling, island style. If you’d prefer something more discrete, opt for a hood that fits snugly under an overhead canopy kitchen unit, or an integrated pull-out design.

When it comes to looks, stainless steel and glass make for a perfect combination, but for a more contemporary take, the trend is moving towards glossy black glass — bear in mind this will show up smudges more.

Geometric styling is very in vogue, so hoods that demon strate bold lines with angular corners are more cutting edge than classic – but lovely – curves.

Clockwise from top left: Platinum remote-controlled steel hoods by Elica, from around £770 each (01252 351111); DHD790GB stainless steel and glass hood by De Dietrich, around £750 (0870 750 3503); Miele’s DA 289-4 stainless steel hood with glass canopy, around £1,160 (01235 554455); Rangemaster’s GLX 4 stainless steel and glass hood, £1,199 (0870 755 6485)

Functionality: A cooker hood must be powerful enough to change the air in the room at least ten times an hour when in use. Before choosing your extractor, you should therefore carry out the following calculation: volume of kitchen (length x width x height) x ten changes of air per hour = minimum extraction rate (m³/h). Buy a cooker hood with at least this resulting rate.

The best way to remove steam and odours is to extract the air out of the room through ducting. The larger the ducting (opt for at least 120mm diameter), the less noise and the better the rate of extraction. If your hood is too far away from an outside wall you will have to opt for recirculation, where stale air is sucked through filters and then pumped back into the kitchen. Noise reduction is also an important factor — especially in open plan kitchen/living areas. Many hoods are as quiet as 55 decibels (60 decibels is normal for a conversation) and you should aim for as low as possible.

There are other functions worth considering when choosing your extractor, including: perimeter extraction where air flows around the edges of the hood panels, offering superior levels of efficiency; automatic cut-off times which allow you to leave the hood running for a short time when you leave the room; continuous 24-hour low-level ventilation; ultrasound sensors which detect the amount of steam and automatically set the most effective setting; air curtains, where air is forced downwards to enclose smoke and cooking vapours in the hob area; and also remote-control operation.

Further reading:

• Range Cookers in the Sustainable Home
• A Buyer's Guide to Range Cookers
• How to Remodel Your Kitchen