A cooker hood might not be the first appliance you think about when planning a new kitchen, but it can have a noticeable effect on how the space feels once you start cooking. Good extraction helps deal with the steam and cooking aromas produced every day, while the right design can either complement your range cooker or sit quietly in the background.

There is much more choice than there once was. A cooker hood no longer has to mean a traditional chimney model fixed to the wall. It could be hidden inside a cabinet, installed almost flush with the ceiling or suspended over an island as part of the wider kitchen design. 

With that choice comes a little more to think about. Where your range cooker is positioned is a good place to begin, but the size of the kitchen and the type of cooking you do will also help determine what will work best.

 

Extraction or Recirculation - which is right for your kitchen?

One of the first things to establish is what will happen to the air once it has been drawn into the hood.

With an extraction system, air passes through the grease filters before being ducted outside. This means the moisture and cooking smells are removed from the room completely. It can be a very effective option, although the position of the cooker needs to allow for suitable ducting to an external wall or roof.

Recirculation gives you more freedom with the position of your cooker. Instead of sending the air outside, it passes through filters inside the hood before being returned to the kitchen. Charcoal filters are generally used alongside the grease filters to help reduce cooking odours. These filters will need replacing over time, so it is worth taking ongoing maintenance into account when deciding between the two systems.

For many kitchens, the decision is therefore made as much by the layout of the room as personal preference. 

 

Does the size of your cooker hood matter?

When a hood is positioned directly above a cooker or hob, its width matters. Ideally, you want the extraction area to comfortably cover the cooking surface so that steam is captured as it rises rather than escaping round the sides. 

This becomes particularly important with a range cooker. With widths commonly extending to 90cm, 100cm, 110cm or more, choosing a hood designed to work with a larger cooking surface will usually give a much more balanced result. 

It also looks better. A narrow hood positioned over a substantial range cooker can feel out of proportion, whereas a correctly sized model helps frame the cooking area and makes the appliances feel considered together. 

Height is another important part of the installation. The correct distance between your hob and hood will vary depending on the model and the type of hob underneath it, so the manufacturer's installation instructions should always be followed. Your kitchen design needs to allow for this clearance from the beginning rather than trying to accommodate it once the cabinetry is already in place. 

 

How powerful does a cooker hood need to be?

Extraction rates are usually measured in cubic metres per hour, or m3/h. In simple terms, this shows how much air the hood is capable of moving within a set period. 

The size of the kitchen has an important part to play here. A compact, enclosed kitchen will have very different requirements to a large open-plan room where the cooking area flows into a dining or living space. 

One method of estimating the performance required is to calculate the volume of the kitchen by multiplying its length, width and height. This figure can then be used as a guide when comparing extraction rates.

It is also worth thinking about how you actually use your cooker. If dinner usually involves a single pan on an induction zone, your extraction demands will be different from regularly having several gas burners, a griddle and pans working at the same time.

This is why many modern cooker hoods offer several power levels. A lower setting can quietly take care of everyday cooking, while an intensive or boost mode provides extra extraction when you need it.

 

What about noise?

Performance is important, but the most powerful hood isn't necessarily the best choice if you avoid switching it on because it is too noisy. 

This is particularly relevant in open-plan kitchens. When cooking, eating and relaxing all happen within the same room, keeping background noise down can make a considerable difference.

Looking at the stated decibel level of a hood can therefore be just as useful as checking its maximum extraction rate. Remember that this can vary depending on which speed is selected, so it is worth comparing normal operating levels rather than focusing only on maximum power. 

Brands specialising in extraction have put increasing emphasis on balancing air movement with quieter performance. Novy, for example, is particularly associated with low-noise kitchen extraction, making it worth considering for kitchens where the hood will regularly be running while the rest of the room is being used. 

 

Wall-Mounted Cooker Hoods

For a range cooker positioned against a wall, a wall-mounted hood remains one of the most natural choices.

Traditional kitchens might suit a more substantial canopy, while a contemporary range cooker can be paired with a slimmer t-shaped or angled design. 

The Novy Vision collection is a line of wall-mounted cooker hoods, combining modern aesthetics with high performance. This elegant 90cm angled cooker hood features a blend of black glass and stainless steel, bringing a modern, clean look to your kitchen. 

Subtle LED lighting illuminates your cooking perfectly, with intuitive touch controls offering three speed settings plus a useful intensive mode that is designed to quickly remove intense cooking fumes, smoke and odours. 

The 7830 model integrates Novy's highly efficient extraction technology, ensuring powerful yet quiet removal of cooking odours and smoke with concentrated airflow for improved efficiency. Features include delayed switch-off, allowing the fan to run for a set time after cooking is finished, and auto-stop, shutting off automatically after three hours of operation.

Novy extractors are renowned for their silent efficiency, designed to be quieter than your cooking. 

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Integrated Cooker Hoods

Sometimes the range cooker deserves all of the attention.

An integrated hood is designed for exactly this type of kitchen. Installed with cabinetry, a mantle or another built-in structure, most of the extraction system can be kept out of sight. 

Despite their more discreet appearance, integrated models can still offer considerable performance. Depending on the model, you will find features such as multiple fan speeds, intensive settings and dedicated lighting over the cooking surface.

Faber is particularly well known for this type of extraction, with canopy models designed to sit neatly within kitchen furniture rather than becoming a visible appliance.

The Victory 2.0 is a stylish built in hood, ideal for installation in a chimney breast or within an overhead unit. This 77cm model brings the latest extraction technology to give you the very best performance.

There are clever features like the highly efficient Energy Diffuser, reducing noise by 30% and Perimeter Aspiration which uses the Venturi effect (the drop in pressure as fluid flows through a constricted area) to give 25% less perceived noise.

In addition, the electronic controls on the underside of the hood control the three motor speeds and a powerful Intense mode. The LED lights illuminate your cooking below, with this discreet design adding a very special touch to any kitchen. 

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Ceiling Hoods

If you want extraction to become even less noticeable, look upwards.

A ceiling hood moves the extraction away from the immediate cooking area and can leave the space above a kitchen island much more open. Instead of having a large appliance hanging directly within your eyeline, the hood sits against or within a ceiling. 

Because the extraction is positioned further away from the hob, choosing the correct model and planning the installation properly becomes particularly important. Power motors are commonly used to draw steam upwards effectively, while remote controls make the hood easier to operate from below.

Some ceiling models incorporate substantial lighting, helping the extractor become part of the kitchen's overall lighting scheme rather than simply another appliance.

Excelling again is Faber, with the Skypad. This is the next generation of ceiling hoods, affixed directly to the ceiling to give you plenty of unobstructed cooking space. 

With the modern LED lights, the Skypad 2.0 is both a cooker hood and a stunning light feature to illuminate the space below. The twin brushless motors give you quiet and energy-efficient performance, with the addition of Perimeter Aspiration giving less noise. 

Delayed switch-off, remote control, and Faber's Connection function, are there for daily convenience. The simple but elegant shape of the Skypad makes it perfect for any contemporary style kitchen and the Comfort Light mode gives pleasant ambient lighting. 

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What if your cooker is part of an island?

An island offers plenty of freedom when designing a kitchen, but placing the cooking area there means extraction needs a little more consideration.

A traditional island hood can be suspended directly above the hob, creating a strong feature in the centre of the room. Unlike a wall-mounted hood, however, it will be seen from every angle, so its appearance becomes particularly important. 

Modern island hoods can look very different from the large stainless-steel extractors that were once the norm. Some have been designed to resemble pendant lighting, allowing them to feel more at home above a kitchen island.

The Bertazzoni Professional 90 island hood is perfectly in keeping with other Bertazzoni Professional series appliances, although it could also work well with other brands due to its sleek stainless-steel appearance.

This 90cm hood has a single powerful motor, with three speed settings plus a booster function offering an extraction rate of 750m3/h and has an energy rating of A+. With electronic controls and two bright LED lights illuminating your cooking below, Bertazzoni couldn't have made using this hood any easier. 

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There isn't one cooker hood that will be right for every kitchen.

For some, a large coordinating hood above the range cooker completes the look of the room. For others, the ideal extractor is the one you barely notice.

At Rangecookers.co.uk, you'll find cooker hoods to suit a wide variety of kitchen layouts, from coordinating wall-mounted designs to integrated, island and ceiling extraction. 

If you're unsure which style or extraction method will work for your kitchen, our team can also help you compare the options and find a cooker hood that suits your space. Call on 01244 402 975 or visit our website here to find out more.