If you haven’t considered adding a new range hood to your kitchen, now’s the time. A ventilation unit is often the last item people will choose when shopping for kitchen appliances; however, it’s one of the first things guests will notice when they step foot in your kitchen. Because range hoods are often installed at eye level, they are easily seen and used to make a design statement in your culinary space.
A range hood plays a vital role in your kitchen both visually and technically. These appliances work to remove smoke, grease, and odors while filtering the air. They often provide LED lighting to illuminate your cooking surface, as well as accent lighting for soothing ambiance.
In this blog, the experts at Don’s Appliances will walk you through the ins and outs of range hoods, including features, range type, and recommended products from some of the most trusted brands in the business.
Types of Range Hoods
Under-Cabinet Range Hood: The under-cabinet hood is installed directly above your stove and is ducted through the cabinet above an exterior wall. If your range hood fits as it should, it will span the length of the cooking area to trap heat and smoke before it rises and causes damage to your cabinetry.
Wall-Mounted Range Hood: As the name would suggest, a wall-mounted hood is placed on the wall above your cabinetry, spanning the full length of the stove. It's a popular choice in modern or newly renovated kitchens, as it does an excellent job capturing steam and smoke.
Island Range Hood: Island hoods are most often found in profession-style kitchens where cooking appliances are built into the kitchen island. Island hoods don’t vent through ducts, but instead, connect into the ceiling and vent the smoke out of your house from above.
Insert Range Hood: Insert hoods are a fine choice if you want to add a range hood to preexisting cabinetry without any renovations. They provide a flexible option to create a custom range hood design to match your kitchen and your cabinets; although, it can be one of the pricier options after installation is complete.
Downdraft Range Hood: Creating an illusion in your kitchen, downdraft hoods are a hidden element that live beneath the surface when not in use. Downdrafts hoods are a horizontal option that rise from the back of the range to reduce steam, grease, and other contaminants. The hood pulls fumes down underneath the floor and out of your house, creating the perfect solution for those who don’t want an oversized hood occupying kitchen space.
Why Do You Need a Range Hood?
We briefly mentioned in the introduction why you might need a range hood, but we wanted to further explain the four distinct uses of a ventilation unit.
Removes Smells: If you’ve ever prepared seafood or roasted cauliflower, you know how fast you work to remove the odor from your kitchen. This is where a range hood can eliminate most of the cooking-related smells from your kitchen. If you’re preparing something delicious and want your guests to enjoy the aroma of a home-cooked meal, the fan will still allow the scent to escape your kitchen to some degree, but it won’t be as potent if you or your guests are sensitive to strong food smells.
Removes Smoke: Whether you’re known to burn every meal you prepare or you enjoy a big pile of bacon for Sunday brunch, the smoke can quickly fill your entire kitchen. You can open every window in the house in hope of preventing the smoke alarm from going off, or you could easily solve your problem with a range hood. The ventilation circulates clean air and removes smoke to keep your cooking space fresh.
Removes Grease: Since we’re on the subject of Sunday brunch, all those breakfast meats can leave a greasy residue on your cookware, backsplash, curtains, cabinets, and kitchen walls. Without a proper ventilation unit, grease particles will stick to almost every surface and leave nasty stains. Thankfully, range hoods trap grease in their filters and prevent it from spreading throughout the kitchen.
Lights Up Your Cooktop: If you need an extra light source to guide your cooking, a range hood will often illuminate your cooktop and the rest of your kitchen. It's a functional addition that also provides a sleek touch to your overall kitchen design.
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The Best Range Hoods in Pittsburgh
Best Overall Range Hood: KitchenAid 30-Inch Stainless Steel Wall Hood (KVWB600DSS)
For a premiere ventilation unit, look to the power of a KitchenAid range hood. This 3-speed vent hood can effectively vent a heat output of up to 65K BTUs. Auto speed sensing keeps the vent at the proper fan speed by detecting the amount of heat coming from the cooktop.
This 30-inch wall-mount canopy hood has both LED and halogen lights to provide extra lighting over the cooking surface and enhance the style of the ventilation system by providing soft, accent lighting in the kitchen.
Best Budget-Friendly Range Hood: GE Stainless Steel Under Cabinet Range Hood (JVX5300SJSS)
If you’re looking for a quality range hood at an affordable price, GE is the brand for you. With this 30-inch range hood, you can enjoy better visibility in the kitchen with a brightly lit cooktop and surrounding surface. A four-speed 310-CFM venting system removes smoke, grease, odors, and moisture to provide a clean cooking area, and for added safety, the Auto-Off setting automatically shuts off the hood after 15 minutes.
Best Luxury Range Hood: BlueStar Designer Series Color Match Wrangler Wall Hood (WR048MLPLTDCF)
For a range hood with an element of luxury, BlueStar shines bright. The all-new BlueStar pro-style ventilation hoods feature enhanced power and performance with whisper-quiet operation. The seamless design is paired with heavy-duty construction to offer uncompromised durability, functionality, and style, with over 1,000 custom color and finish options for a truly unique kitchen statement.
Three unique blower speeds are operated by a discreet push-button control panel system. A fourth Boost speed can be selected for high smoke cooking. It will run for seven minutes to efficiently clear the air before automatically returning to the third speed.
Stainless steel baffle filters improve airflow and capture over 90 percent of cooking grease. An inner shield works to distribute air evenly across the entire cooking surface while capturing any contaminants that may come through. Finally, an easily removable grease tray collects any final residual particles.
Best Wall Mounted Range Hood: GE Profile Stainless Steel Wall Ventilation (PV976NSS)
If you liked the GE range hood, then you’ll really enjoy the next level of ventilation prowess from GE Profile. The 36-inch range hood features a 450-CFM venting system and a variable speed fan that effectively removes smoke, grease, odors, and moisture. Push-button controls are easy to see and simple to use, while the dual halogen cooktop light illuminates the entire cooking surface below.
Best Under Cabinet Range Hood: Frigidaire Stainless Steel Under Cabinet Range Hood (FHWC3025MS)
Frigidaire has you covered when it comes to under cabinet range hoods. With this 30-inch hood model, ventilation is convertible to be either ducted outside or recirculated inside with no ducting required. The filters are dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning, and the aluminum filter provides strength and durability not found in foam filters. A two-speed fan effectively and quietly removes smoke, vapors, and smells from the kitchen, and a cooking surface light provides an ample light source to highlight every meal.
Best Downdraft Range Hood: Whirlpool Retractable Downdraft System with Interior Blower Motor (UXD8630DYS)
For a more luxurious range hood, this downdraft model from Whirlpool has everything you need to elevate your kitchen design. The retractable downdraft system remains flush with the cooktop surface until needed, fitting perfectly with today’s modern kitchen layouts. A reversible motor box can be installed on either side of the downdraft, freeing up space beneath the cabinet.
The 14-inch rise allows for greater smoke and steam capture, and a barrel-shaped fan moves air through a vent hood faster and more quietly than an axial-type (bladed) fan. And when you need to keep the fresh air flowing during the peak cooking periods, the variable-speed fan control provides maximum relief no matter how greasy or smoky your meal is.
Best Island Range Hood: Broan Elite 54000 Series Island Ventilation (E5490SS)
The 54000 Series from Broan is leading the way in high-end island range hoods. This model features multi-speed slide control, a 480-CFM internal blower, four 20-watt halogen lights, and dishwasher-safe aluminum filters. This hood accommodates ceilings up to 9 feet high, and an extension is available for both ducted and non-ducted appliances. And if you lose control of your cooking temperature and experience a flare-up, Heat Sentry detects excessive heat and adjusts blower speed to high automatically.
Best Insert Range Hood: Thermador Masterpiece Series 48-Inch Custom Insert (VCI248DS)
Rounding out our list of the best range hoods is an elegant insert hood from Thermador. This powerfully quiet ventilation unit is suitable for wall or island applications, and it includes three different fan speeds to adapt to your cooking needs. The built-in Clean Filter reminder light illuminates after 40 hours of operation or when it’s time to clean, and the Delayed Shut Off tackles lingering odors for up to 10 minutes after the hood is turned off. The dishwasher-safe mesh filters are highly effective at capturing grease, and the Deep Capture area allows for efficient capture of smoke and steam.
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Shop the Best Range Hoods at Don’s Appliances
If you’re in the market for a new range hood, Don’s is your source for the best ventilation units in the Pittsburgh region. Our friendly staff members are happy to answer any questions and help you find the right product for your kitchen. If you’d like more information, give us a call, shop online or, or stop by any of our 10 retail locations to compare brands, features, and prices.