We reviewed dozens of cooker hoods from chimney, island, built-in and ceiling cooker hoods and listed the our 10 best options
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Cooker hoods have an important role to play in the kitchen. Good cooker hoods will offer high power, extract air, cool the kitchen and remove odours. What type of cooker hood is best for you?
Ultimately, the best cooker hood will offer energy efficiency and protect the kitchen from a grease coating or lingering issues such as smells or discoloured paint. From chimney style hoods to Island hoods our cooker hood reviews have you covered.
This chimney cooker hood is an impressive piece of kit which will do plenty to get nuisance smoke and air out of the way, and to recirculate fresh, clean air throughout your kitchen and home. As a chimney style cooker hood, it is perhaps a little more complex than most, but instructions are clear, and reviews are certainly positive. It offers a clean, black aesthetic likely to look great amongst kitchen tech and goods elsewhere.
It’s extremely energy efficient, and the built-in technology even allows you to manage the hob directly. This is likely to be of huge benefit to anyone who has previously struggled to juggle both hobs and extraction units separately in the past. It offers three speeds of extraction, and is likely to be all you’ll need to get your kitchen air healthy and clean again.
At just over 70db, it’s also unlikely to cause much aggravation, as there are many more noisier hoods out there. Be prepared to ask for help to install it, however – as it is a behemoth piece of kit!
The Bosch Serie 4 line delivers the very best quality time after time. As previously mentioned, it isn’t easy to find A-rated energy efficiency when looking for a good value built in cooker hood, but this range is a fab example of the best of both worlds.
It is capable of removing unwanted grease from large kitchens with its impressive ability to remove 740 cubic meters of air per hour. When you need its services, simply slide it out from the body and it will kick in.
At 90cm wide, you can install it above any larger hob or range areas. The boost mode will rescue the atmosphere when you are frying steaks, cooking fish or using spices, and the lighting can be turned on if you’re struggling to see when it goes darker in the winter months.
The higher power and smaller dimensions means it is one of the louder hoods, but as it works quickly, there’s no doubt it isn’t going to be on for long anyway.
This appealing, modern and affordable cooker hood is likely to be one of Smeg’s biggest kitchen assets, and it’s likely to support kitchens of varying sizes. It’s an ‘A’ rated hood that’s ideally built for larger kitchens, meaning that if you’re struggling to clear greasy cooking air from a larger space, this could well be what you’re looking for.
Offering three speeds and two separate filters, you can tweak and fine-tune your extraction experience as you wish. There are four LED lights fitted to the hood, meaning you can illuminate your cooktop without spending much in the way of energy. It’s a recirculating mode, which means it is going to need some form of external installation.
Beyond this, it is exceptionally easy to use, and will likely appeal to anyone looking for island hoods with plenty of sheen.
Zanussi’s leading cooker hood is clean looking and offers plenty of air recirculation using a carbon filter to clean the air and is available at an impressive price. This simple hood installation option is likely to appeal to anyone who is keen to cut down on fan noise, too, with an upper limit on noise reaching 68db.
This is one of the easiest hoods to hide away, too, meaning that it’s never likely to jut out or look like it’s out of place. It’s easy enough to set up across most cabinets and kitchen systems, meaning that it might be the perfect choice for anyone who is keen to keep their spaces looking a certain way. This hood is also fantastic for extracting fumes and controlling air to a precision standard. There’s no more fumbling around trying to smoke up and out of the way.
Paper filters are easy to come by as well as to swap in and replace, and what’s more, there are three specific speed settings. This means that you can use it to help filter out small amounts of cooking smoke as well as heavier meal demands.
The Zanussi ZHT611N 60 cm cooker hood is our best cooker hood in the visor category/ It is available in either black, white or stainless steel, which is excellent if you’re fussy and want everything to match perfectly in your kitchen.
Ideal for smaller kitchens given its 60cm width and maximum extraction rate, it is a good sized cooker hood to not be too obtrusive. There are three speeds to choose from, as well as two lights which give a great level of illumination.
It is also a nice price under £100, so good if you’re after a great value cooker hood which still makes the purchase and effort worthwhile.
If you are lucky enough to have the space and room layout for a ceiling cooker hood then there is no reason why you shouldn’t go for one. It can sort out the fumes in your entire kitchen as well as being relatively out of view.
This model is 100cm wide, so good even above range cookers or large cooking spaces, as well as in the centre of medium kitchens. The powerful 760 cubic metres of air per hour will work hard to ensure every corner of the room is cleaned.
Boost mode will work overtime to rid the room of that curry or fajita smell which is very unappealing the next morning. You can pop the washable filters in the dishwasher too, so there are no further costs involved and you will have a cooker hood which is always working at its optimum.
When you want to keep your kitchen fresh, clean and fume-free yet don’t want an ugly cooker hood unit on the wall, it can be hard to find a happy medium. But this is where integrated models come into play.
Just open the cupboard door and the hood will come to life, working to banish bad air particles. There is a slider where you can choose between three different speed settings, and opening the door also means the light comes on to illuminate your kitchen.
At 60cm wide, it sits just nicely over a standard sized hob. It is very good value, comfortably under £100, and with a C rated energy efficiency, it is one of the more eco-friendly integrated options out there providing clean air.
Want the most modern answer to your extraction needs possible? Don’t like the idea of a big clunky appliance above your hob no matter how stylish it is?
Downdraft extractor hoods sit behind your hob, and rises out of the bench at the touch of a button. This means it is always hidden when not in use, yet there in seconds when you do need it.
As it is quite long, it is great behind either a large hob or at the side of a range cooker or similar. A boost mode will eradicate stronger fragrant smells and smoke, and the filter is washable so can be cleaned in the dishwasher or by hand using a mild detergent. This will keep it working at its best at all times, so you always get maximum performance.
Hotpoint bring a lot to the table with this chimney cooker hood. It comes with a sleek exterior and also packs a lot of power. Able to rid of any unwanted odours and grease from larger rooms, it will not interrupt your dinnertime with excessive noise either.
In terms of value, this cooker hood is up there with the best of them. If you are searching for a chimney cooker hood for comfortably under £300 then you will be surprised to see this efficient, quality cooker hood from Hotpoint fits the bill.
It has everything that you want and is simple to use. The buttons make switching between speeds easy, and a boost mode will help when the food is particularly fragrant.
Designed to sit over standard sized hobs, it has a maximum noise level of 60dB and is capable of removing 757 cubic metres of air each hour – perfect for mid-sized kitchens.
This super-efficient cooker hood is likely to be perfect for bigger kitchens. Not only does it make light work of getting rid of thick, greasy air from the general atmosphere, it also works hard to recirculate air that’s fresh to breathe, so that you can actively clean parts of the kitchen you won’t be able to take a sponge or mop to!
This hood has a washable grease filter, meaning it’s never too hard to maintain and keep working to optimum standards. You also benefit from built-in halogen lighting, meaning that working on those meals in the dark can now be a thing of the past. It’s also amazingly efficient with an ‘A’ rating, something of a rarity for bigger hoods and those built with larger kitchens in mind.
At just 52db, it’s also one of the quietest cooker hoods around, meaning that if you want to get rid of greasy air and smells without causing too much of a noise, this could well be the ideal choice for you. There are also four different speeds to pick from, meaning you can use it for a variety of different meals and cooking standards.
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The type of cooker hood you choose for your kitchen will come down to several factors.
There are two different types of extraction hoods; ones that ventilate and ones that extract.
A recirculation cooker hood will draw air and odours from the kitchen, filter then reintroducing clean particles into the kitchen. Recirculation cooker hoods require either a carbon or charcoal filter. The extracted air is filtered through either the carbon or charcoal filter.
This type of cooker hood eliminates the inconvenience of difficult installation and duct pipes. One of the drawbacks of this system is that the filters can become less and less effective over time.
Extraction hoods completely remove air and odour to the outside of the house ensuring grease build-ups are removed from the kitchen. They do, however, require professional installation.
Every recirculation cooker hood has a grease filter. The purpose of a grease filter is to filter the drawn air removing particles from your cooking. Filters are produced from ceramic or fleece and have an average lifetime of 6 weeks.
When you are looking at the best cooker hoods for your kitchen, you should to find out how easy the cooker hood is to replace and the costs associated with replacing it.
Carbon Filters are also used within recirculation cooker hoods that can’t be vented outside. These filters need replacing less frequently than grease filters on average every 3.5 months. However, depending on your cooking frequency you may not need to replace them more frequently.
Regardless of your cooking style, you must remember to replace your carbon filter.
Common Issues Associated with Not Changing Your Cooker Hood Filters
The best cooker hood will either extract or recirculate depending on the brand and model. Your new cooker hood will need to be:
Chimney cooker hoods are shaped like a chimney. They have a wide design and are wall mounted above the cooker. Like other hoods, the chimney cooker hood will come with downlights, often led, to help illuminate the cooking area below.
These hoods are wall mounted and come in lots of sub-varieties such as conventional and integrated. The most appropriate kitchen hood for you will depend on whether you need to use the cupboard above the hob.
These cooker hoods are, and technically only ‘hoods’ at a pinch. They bring the air down and behind the hob. They differ from the other hoods which are installed above a cooking space, and they are more expensive.
Extractor cooker hoods are made from a variety of materials, stainless steel is a popular choice, other options can include, copper, tempered glass, aluminium and heat-resistant plastics.
When choosing the best cooker hoods for your kitchen you will want to find the most powerful kitchen extractor fan you can afford. We recommend checking out their key features and prices to find the perfect hood to do the best kitchen hood fan for your kitchen.
You will need to ensure you get the most effective technology that will extract all of the greases from your cooking but you will also want to check power settings, price and other key attributes. If you need further information you can read our in-depth cooker hood buying guide.
As you can imagine it is integral to ensure you have the right level of extraction. It is the sole reason that you are buying a cooker hood. Depending on the size of your kitchen you will want a cooker hood that processes around 500-1000 cubic meters per hour.
Don’t overlook noise levels, especially if it will be on when you’re eating. The noise can vary from 30dB to around 80dB. Look for good cooker hoods that come with reviews that state they are a quiet cooker hood and back this up by reading what people say how have brought the cooker hood and taken the time to review it!
Check out the different types of cooker hoods and find one that most suits your kitchen. You can pick from several design types but will have to take into account dimensions, extraction types and maybe even colours and control options. Chimney hoods are extremely popular as are island hoods, your choice will depend on your kitchen style.
Filters are an invaluable aspect of any cooker hood. Look for a reliable, easy to use and sustainable filter. The options include fleece, metal, paper and charcoal. Metal is more durable but harder to access and will need to be cleaned periodically.
It’s no good getting a complex cooker hood that you are unable to work. The installation can be organised with a professional but from then on you should understand how either the grease filters or carbon filters work and how to use the push button controls to operate the hood. Control types include push button, sliders, digital options and even remotes. We think besides being easy to install you should also consider ‘are they easy to clean?’
Generally, your cooker hood will have push button controls and at least three power settings which can be used depending on how hard they have to work. Look out for a Boost mode if you often fry steaks, use spices or stir fry.
Cooker hoods come in a variety of sizes which commonly range from 60 cm – 90cm being the most popular (think of the size of your hob. On the whole, they are either 60cm for a 4 burner hob or 90cm for a 6 zone hob. If you have a range cooker you can find hoods up to 120cm and of course, although unusual 50-55cm hobs also exist extraction hoods can be purchased to support these hobs.
There are two types of ventilation. One can completely remove the air to the outside and the other will refresh the air, removing the bad particles before releasing the good ones again. The former is better for high-demand areas but you will need to install it on an outer wall, whereas the latter is easier to place.
There are a number of additional features available in higher-end models, but which may sway you into investing that bit more money. They can include a sensor that automatically turns on when there is a lot of heat, additional suction power options, self-cleaning, LED lights and the ability to control it via a remote.
I had the idea for Which Kitchen Appliance? In 2016 when a friend was planning a new kitchen and asked me to help her choose her new kitchen appliances. She knew that I had trained as a chef, had a passion for cooking and an interest in interior design.
After hours and hours of trawling websites looking for a double oven, built-in microwave, hob & extractor fan the excitement that was soon waned…we were bored and frazzled. But finally, we succeeded and she got her new kitchen.
This led me to think that there must be a better way of researching kitchen appliances, if only there were somewhere that you could go and find kitchen appliance reviews and helpful hints and tips on getting the best from and look after your appliance under one roof with information that was comprehensive, easy to understand and that you could trust…and so WhichKitchenAppliance? was born. I now work full-time on WhichKitchenAppliance?