Cooker hoods remove excess smoke, steam, grease, and fumes created through cooking, which leaves your kitchen and the rest of your home smelling clean and fresh. Hoods can be slimline or a chimney hood, generally mounted above the hob, at least 70cm from a gas hob and 65cm from an induction hob. The right hood replaces the air in your kitchen 10 times an hour, measured in cubic feet per minute, which gives a CFM rating. The larger the room or cooking surfaces, the higher a CFM rating will be needed. The air is either moved outside through a duct system or is filtered and recirculated into the kitchen. Some range hoods also come with lighting, which can be very helpful when you are cooking.
For under cabinet: XtremeAir Ultra Series UL10-U30
This stainless-steel range hood looks and behaves like a professional chef’s range hood and comes with a 10-year guarantee. It has a 900 CFM rating, which means it can cope with heavy smoke and odors. Whilst it is very effective at the highest setting, it is quite loud. Yet, the XtremeAir Ultra Series UL10-U30 requires minimal maintenance and is easy to clean, since the grease filters can be cleaned in a dishwasher.
Best wall mounted: Kitchen Bath Collection
With a 400 CFM rating and bright LED lights, this wall-mounted range hood looks good, works well and has convertible venting options without needing an additional installation kit. The fan is three-speed, and with the lighting, is controlled via a digital touchscreen. The value of this hood is excellent, though the fan is not particularly quiet.
Best high-power wall mount: Cavaliere SV218B2-30
The Cavaliere SV218B2-30 is a sleek stainless-steel wall-mounted range hood looks great with a wide range of décor and offers high-power fan operation. It offers a choice of six-speeds, with the highest being a 900 CFM, the highest rating for a residential hood on the market. It also includes a timer function, a 15-minute auto-shutoff option. Fan noise is muted, being between 25dB (barely there) and 56dB (quieter than a normal speaking voice). The halogen lighting is at the back of the hood, so it is not much focused on the cooking area.
Best convertible: Cosmo QS75 30-inch under-cabinet
The Cosmo QS75 Under-Cabinet Range Hood is a sleek, modern looking under-cabinet range hood with a digital touchscreen control panel and remote control that makes it simple to use. It comes with a 900 CFM rating, three speeds, and two motors to extract the air a filter that can be cleaned in the dishwasher. LED lights give extra lighting to the stovetop while you cook, or you can use it as a kitchen nightlight. The fan also has a timer so you can walk away and not have to return to turn it off.
Best Value: Broan F403011
Offering four installation options, including vertical or horizontal, and an efficient operation that will meet basic kitchen needs, the Broan F403011 is good value. The fan operates at low or high speeds, with a maximum 160 or 190 CFM rating, depending on which installation option is used. Another bonus of the F403011 is that the light uses standard bulbs and not specialized or expensive light bulbs.