What Is The UK’s Best Downdraft Hood?
Downdraft hoods have been gaining in popularity in recent years, and for good reason – they offer a number of advantages over traditional range hoods. For starters, they save space and may also offer more efficient extraction given their proximity to the stove. Here, we’ll look at the best downdraft hoods currently on the market.
Downdraft Hood Reviews
Downdraft Hood Buyer’s Guide
Extractor fans don’t have to be mounted above the hob, there are other options. A downdraft hood is set into a recess in the base unit adjacent to the hob only appearing when it is required. Smart and simple, the only visible evidence is a strip of glass. Use this buyer’s guide to help you figure out the best downdraft hood for your kitchen.
Downdraft Features
The Downdraft Hood will rise up when you press it into action and via a choice of fan settings remove smoke, steam and odours from your kitchen. It is ideal for those who don’t want an over the hob design and will disappear back into the recess when it is not in use, so it is completely invisible. A downdraft hood doesn’t even need to be installed near the hob, it can go anywhere. Although most people do site them either adjacent to or behind the cooking area.
Lighting
Downdraft hoods feature contemporary LED lighting which can illuminate your cooking area or hob whilst the fan is in use and produces a stylish white light which can be brightened to assist with cooking and then dimmed to a more muted tone as required.
Functions
Downdraft hoods will have a range of fan settings depending on the model automatically appearing when you switch it on and then disappearing when not in use. Some makes will have a timer and auto-shutoff facility so you can leave the fan working after you have left the room safe in the knowledge that the unit will switch off and shut down at the end of the chosen period.
Performance
The performance of the downdraft hood will depend on how powerful it is and also the range of settings on the model you choose. For serious chefs, full functionality may be the way to go but for modest cooking, a simple three setting hood could fit the bill.
Downdraft Hoods FAQ
What is a downdraft range hood and how does it work?
A downdraft range hood is recessed into the base kitchen units usually beside or behind the hob for maximum effect. This clever design is only visible whilst it is working when it appears to remove cooking smells, smoke and steam from the kitchen, leaving the air fresh and fragrant and minimising the build up of grime on worktops and kitchen cabinets.
The appliance works by sucking the air from the room through a filter and into a duct that carries it beneath the floor or behind the cabinets to an exterior venting point or, some units recycle the air using carbon filters. When not in use, the downdraft hood hides quietly within your kitchen units taking up minimal space.