Range Hood Buying Guide
Convection and other added features help make over-the-range microwave ovens an enticing choice over space-stealing countertop
models. But if you care about venting smoke and fumes, you're better off with a range hood, especially if you cook on a higher-powered
stove.
- Getting started
- Types
- Features
- Brands
Types
The layout of your kitchen largely dictates the type of range hood you can use. To choose the right size range hood, be sure that any model you consider is at least as wide as the cooking surface it goes above. Here are the types of range hoods to consider.
Under-cabinet hoods
These mount under the bottom of a wall cabinet. Ductwork inside an adjoining wall, chase, soffit, or ceiling can exhaust smoke and fumes to the outside. In a few models, a shallow hood slides out of the upper kitchen cabinet when you need it. Typical kitchen cabinets extend only about halfway across the stove, so this extension routes steam and smoke away from cabinet faces and back toward the suction end of the range hood. This design steals cabinet space, but might be the only choice for those who cannot achieve the recommended stove-to-hood clearance with a standard under-cabinet-hood design.
Wall-chimney hoods
Wall-chimney hoods work where there are no cabinets over the range and mount with exposed vent stacks on the wall to vent to the outside.
Island hoods
These are mounted to and vented through ductwork in the ceiling. They lack a wall or cabinets alongside them to help funnel fumes.
Downdraft hood
These try to reverse the direction of rising smoke and fumes and exhaust them through ducts running beneath the floor. Our tests showed them to be among the least effective at removing smoke and steam. While they can be used anywhere in the kitchen, their main application is in islands where it might not be possible to route ductwork through the ceiling.
Ductless hoods
This is typically an option on some hoods, whether under-cabinet, wall or island. This type of installation directs steam, heat, and smoke away from the stovetop, but back into the kitchen. Its main filters can trap oil and grease droplets dispersed into the air above the range, and in most cases an optional carbon filter is available to reduce odors. We do not recommend a ductless hood, as it will take the smoke and odors being generated by the stove and disperse them throughout the kitchen and the rest of the home.
