Equipping your kitchen with a chimney is becoming more and more necessary in view of the advantages offered by this device. In fact, the kitchen chimney allows you to evacuate the odors and smoke from cooking food on a hob by vacuuming them. This action cleans the air and prevents clogging of the walls and furniture in your kitchen.
If on the one hand, the need to equip your kitchen with such a device is becoming more and more obvious, it is on the other hand important to make a good choice in order to take full advantage of the advantages of the kitchen chimney. Discover through this buying guide, the main criteria that will allow you to choose a model capable of meeting your expectations.
How to buy your kitchen chimney: our 6 criteria
The type of kitchen chimney
There are two types of kitchen chimney, the classic kitchen chimney, and the decorative kitchen chimney, which in turn come in different formats.
- The visor kitchen chimney or cap kitchen chimney: classic and easy to install, it is the top kitchen chimney in India found in most kitchens. Its flat and compact shape makes it suitable for small kitchens. However, due to its sometimes-limited suction power, we do not recommend it for large kitchens.
- The retractable kitchen chimney: installed behind a tall kitchen cabinet, this type of kitchen chimney starts the suction or recycling of the air as soon as the cabinet door is opened.
- The drawer kitchen chimney or telescopic kitchen chimney: it is built into a tall kitchen cabinet to avoid any clutter. It turns on automatically when you slide the drawer out and turns off when you return the drawer to its original position.
- The filtering group: another type of built-in kitchen chimney, the filtering group can be installed in a tall kitchen cabinet or in a decorative fireplace. However, we recommend that you use a professional to ensure proper installation. Professionally installed, it offers good suction thanks to a large suction surface.
- The tilted kitchen chimney: its tilt makes it a good option for very tall people. It is renowned for its ability to suck up odors and fumes well without its large surface encumbering you.
- The worktop kitchen chimney: ultra-modern and discreet, this kitchen chimney requires the use of a professional for its installation. It is generally installed in a worktop equipped with a basement drainage system and comes out vertically from the worktop when it is on.
- The half-moon kitchen chimney: attached to the ceiling, its convex shape makes it a kitchen chimney suitable for modern decoration.
- The pyramid kitchen chimney: like the half-moon kitchen chimney, this kitchen chimney format is suitable for modern kitchens. It also guarantees good aspiration of odors.
- Island kitchen chimney: installed above a hob, this type of kitchen chimney is practical for spacious or open kitchens thanks to its good suction performance.
- The box kitchen chimney: it is suitable for all types of kitchens and guarantees a consistent suction of odors thanks to its large suction surface.
The suction mode
You have the choice between two ways of extracting odors and smoke: evacuation and recycling.
Evacuation: this suction mode works by sucking and discharging the air outside or into another room. It still requires some work to install a duct for the release of the air sucked in. Due to the different jobs to be carried out, this powerful suction method is only suitable for single-family homes.
Recycling: this is the suction system that is suitable for those who cannot create a duct in their home for the release of air. It recycles the air by passing it through an anti-grease filter which retains grease and an activated carbon filter which treats odors. The sanitized air is then returned to the room. Due to its mode of operation, it is necessary to change the activated carbon filters every 6 months. Although practical, this evacuation method can be disturbing since it generates noise.
In addition, some devices have the advantage of offering both suction modes. It is therefore possible that the user installs, according to his needs, the type of suction that suits him.
Air flow
Expressed in cubic meters per hour, the air flow refers to the capacity of a kitchen chimney to renew the air. It is then important to take into account the volume of your kitchen to determine the minimum air flow that suits it. You can know the range of air flow corresponding to the volume of your kitchen using the following formula:
- Minimum air flow: area x height x 10
- Maximum air flow: area x height x 15
The numbers 10 and 15 are the air volume renewal frequencies in hours for a kitchen chimney using the exhaust system. For a kitchen chimney operating with the recirculation system, the renewal frequency to be used for the calculation of the air flow is 20.
Functionalities
A kitchen chimney offers a number of interesting features or options:
- The smoke detector: the presence of a sensor within the kitchen chimney allows it to detect the emission of fumes and calculate their volume in order to choose the suction power that can guarantee adequate suction.
- Lighting: this option improves user comfort by illuminating the hob. Depending on the model, lighting is provided either by a halogen lamp or by an LED lamp.
- The suction speed: you can choose a speed according to what you are cooking in order to benefit from a good renewal of the air. For an appliance with 5 speeds, for example, the first speed is sufficient for the renewal of the air during cooking over low heat while speeds 4 and 5 are more suitable for the renewal of the air during cooking. grilling preparation.
- The timed booster function: it offers powerful suction for a few minutes to quickly evacuate a large quantity of smoke.
The control of these different functions is facilitated by a control panel located on the kitchen chimney. Some models may offer a remote control instead of the control panel.
The maintenance
Perform regular maintenance on your cooker kitchen chimney to maintain its performance and limit the risk of fires caused by igniting grease. To do this, you must wash the anti-grease filters every 2 months by removing them from the kitchen chimney and immersing them for about 30 minutes in hot soapy water. As for the carbon filters, they must be changed every 6 months or so since it is not possible to wash them. Also consider cleaning the outside of the kitchen chimney using diluted bench vinegar. If it is a glass kitchen chimney, the use of a glass cleaning product is the most appropriate solution.
The sound level
The average sound level of a kitchen chimney is between 55 and 65 decibels. However, when vacuuming at full power, the noise emitted can reach 75 decibels and disturb the peace of your home. To make the use of kitchen chimneys (recycling models) more bearable even when they operate at full power, some manufacturers are developing models with low-noise motors. If you are using a kitchen chimney, you can limit the effect of kitchen chimney noise by installing the motor away from your comfort zone and connecting it to the rest of the device with cables designed for use.
Conclusion
In short, the kitchen chimney turns out to be a practical device for effectively removing fumes and odors from cooking food. To choose a model that suits your needs, take into account the type of kitchen chimney, the suction mode, the airflow of the features or options and the sound level. In addition, regular maintenance of your device is recommended to preserve performance and prevent the risk of fires linked to an accumulation of grease.
