Cooker Hoods

Together with ovens and hobs, cooker hoods are among the essential appliances for your kitchen, both in terms of functionality and furnishing. Regardless of the characteristics of the area where you install them, whether it is an open plan kitchen or a kitchenette in a single room next to a living room, recycling the air to ensure well-being and maximum comfort is a fundamental requirement.

Kitchen cooker hoods have the essential function of making the air healthier, eliminating any fume and airborne grease whilst cooking, which could damage furniture and impregnate fabrics such as curtains, cushions and upholstery.

UK regulations state that new buildings must be equipped with a system to remove steam and condensation from the kitchen, whether this is a chimney cooker extractor fan or a cooker hood, to prevent the formation of mould. It is logical, therefore, that the market has responded to this need, developing different types of solutions in an attempt to best adapt to the morphology of the kitchen and to its furnishing.

On Klarstein you can find different types of high-quality cooker hoods extractors, all designed to blend functionality, thanks to the careful choice of durable materials with a pleasant aesthetic impact. Whether you're looking for a cooker hood with 90cm or a more compact cooker hood 60cm model, look at our product showcase and find the solution that best suits your kitchen. Below we will explain the main differences in terms of design and operation.

Cooker hoods, also known as range hoods or extractor hoods, are essential kitchen appliances that remove steam, grease, and odors during cooking. Depending on kitchen layout, design preferences, and functionality, there are several types of cooker hoods available:

Wall-Mounted Cooker Hoods

These are installed directly on the wall above the cooking area. Often designed in a chimney shape, they are popular in open kitchens and come in various finishes like stainless steel or glass.

Island Cooker Hoods

Designed for kitchen islands, these hoods hang from the ceiling and are ideal for freestanding cooktops. They make a visual statement and often feature powerful extraction systems due to their central location.

Built-In Cooker Hoods

Built into kitchen cabinets, these hoods are discreet and space-saving. They blend seamlessly into the cabinetry and are perfect for minimalist kitchen designs.

Canopy Cooker Hoods

Also installed in overhead cabinets, canopy hoods are compact and mostly hidden from view. They are a practical solution for small kitchens where space is limited.

Downdraft Extractors

These high-end hoods rise from the worktop behind or beside the hob when in use, and retract when not needed. They offer a sleek, modern look and are perfect for island kitchens or open-plan spaces.

From integrated designs to eye-catching island models, cooker hoods are available in many types to suit various kitchen layouts and cooking styles. Choosing the right one depends on space, aesthetics, and ventilation needs.

To classify the different types of cooker hoods available, the first difference has to do with their basic operating principle. The two main types are air extracting cooker hoods and recirculating cooker hoods. The first type of kitchen extractor fan allows the air to be sucked in and expelled from the kitchen through a pre-arranged flue pipe connecting the inside of the kitchen with the outside.

Extraction cooker hoods remove the grease, smoke and odour from the kitchen using ducting which leads to the outside of the home, and they tend to be the most effective option. They need to be mounted to an external wall and use a grease filter. You’ll need to get a professional to fit one unless you’re replacing a cooker hood and extraction is already in place.

Recirculating cooker hoods, on the other hand, clean the air with filters and then throw it back into the kitchen. They’re a good option if you can’t install ducting in your home, and they can be placed on any wall in the kitchen. They are easier to install and require a grease filter which is usually included. The carbon filter is taking care of any smoke and cooking fume, this may need to be purchased additionally.

An extracting cooker hood system is normally equipped with a valve that only allows fumes to escape and blocks the entry of cold air from outside: as a solution, this is certainly the most efficient system for cleaning stale kitchen air, as it is eliminated permanently, without necessarily resorting to filters that must be cleaned and replaced periodically.

However, when the kitchen does not have ducting for the disposal of fumes, recirculating kitchen extractor fans are an obligatory choice. Technology has made great strides in recent years so that recirculating fans now offer results that are comparable to those of an extractor cooking hood, given that the cooker hood filters get cleaned regularly. Furthermore, most modern cooker hoods also offer the option of operating in recirculation mode only.

An important difference, especially in terms of design should be made between cooker hoods with an external, wall-mounted and visible duct, and those where the duct is concealed inside a cabinet.

In this second case, it is called a built-in extractor hood, that comes in a flat shape and can be installed in a compartment underneath the lower part of the wall unit, with the extraction pipe completely or partially hidden from view. For that reason, this type is also known as an integrated cooker hood or canopy cooker hood.

We can divide free-standing cooker hoods into several sub-categories, the most common of which are canopy cooker hoods - including unique versions that perfectly fit corners - and island kitchen cooker extractor fan, perfect for all situations when the cooking area is arranged in the middle of the kitchen, and not next to the wall. The island cooker hood, in addition to its function of suctioning or filtering fumes and vapours, becomes a central element of the kitchen furniture, and its choice is influenced above all by design and manufacturing materials.

A further, stylish alternative when you don't have the possibility of installing a concealed cooker hood in your kitchen, but you don't want to give up on a sophisticated style anyway, then the angled cooker hood is the right choice for you.

Easy to install like an ordinary chimney cooker hood, an angled cooker hood adds a classy look to your kitchen space, thanks to their modern and functional design. Not to mention the reduced overall dimensions, especially in terms of depth. Due to the oblique orientation of the extracting surface, allowing even tall people to stand in front of the cooker hood without the risk of inadvertently banging their heads.

At Klarstein we've thought of everything in the design of these innovative kitchen cooker hoods, from the choice of high-quality materials such as glass and stainless steel to the ease of use with a digital display and discreet touch panels, designed to minimise the accumulations of dirt and grease.

All our angled cooker hoods are equipped with LED lights to perfectly illuminate the hob and ensure energy saving at the same time. If you opt for our high-quality cooker hood models, you can combine suction operation with up to 600 cubic metres of air per hour and use in recirculation mode for maximum versatility of use.

To capture the airborne fumes and vapours extracted from the hob, all recirculating cooker hoods and even some models of kitchen extractor hoods are equipped with one or more internal filtering systems, relying on:

• Active Carbon Filters: These elements guarantee the fundamental function of trapping and retaining unpleasant odours. They cannot be cleaned and must be replaced at least a couple of times a year. They can only be found on filtering cooker hoods, which are often fitted with a warning light to show that it is time to replace them.


• Honeycomb Filters: These cooker hood filters can retain the largest particles of impurities. They are relatively easy to maintain and can even be washed in a washing machine.

Grease Filters: Their function is to retain cooking steams and fats that could damage the exhaust pipe once inside the kitchen extractor fan, and they can be made of metal or synthetic materials. In the first case, the advantage is a lower fire hazard and the ease of washing. Synthetic filters cannot be washed and must be replaced every two months.

A functional cooker hood can be a real game-changer and transform your cooking experience when gathering with friends and family. Preparing a meal will be hassle-free and less stressful if you can easily get rid of heat, steam and odours.

Furthermore, your guests will also appreciate the absence of cooking smells all over the house. When possible, you should aim to extract to the outside, rather than recirculating, as this system is, clearly, more effective in removing steam and heat, which the carbon filters used for re-circulating cannot do.

On the other hand, extracting is not always practical, so it is advisable to check that your cooker hood can be configured to recirculate (most models can). But it’s not all about eliminating steams, grease and fumes: one extra benefit is the additional light provided by the cooker hood itself - making a remarkable difference, allowing you to focus more on what is going on on the hot plate, as well as providing some mood lighting for your kitchen when you are not cooking.

Some cooker hoods come with variable light levels to enhance this effect, using halogen or LED light sources for a crisp or more subtle impact. As a benefit all our Klarstein kitchen extractor fans come with a two-year warranty.

Further relevant topics:

Home Appliances, Fridges & Freezers, Wine Coolers, Humidors, Ovens, Mini oven, Microwaves, Hobs & Hot Plates, Home Brewing Equipment, Beer Dispensers, Drink Dispensers, Dishwashers, Washing Machines & Tumble Dryers, Vacuum Cleaners, Kitchen Bins, Modern Living, Watch Winders, Water filters, Kitchen sinks, Kitchen cabinets, Preserving cooker, Spare Parts