Vent hoods may not be the first appliance that comes to mind when upgrading or remodeling your kitchen, but they can make cooking more comfortable and improve the quality of your indoor air. You need a vent hood in good working order, so you may want to consider one of the latest models.

luxury stainless steel kitchen vent hood

What is a vent hood?

A vent hood is an enclosed fan mounted above your stove or cooktop. The purpose of a vent hood is to get air circulating in your kitchen to suck out smoke, grease, steam and even carbon monoxide. It prevents heat from building up and can eliminate cooking odors.

You need a performing vent hood because modern homes tend to have excellent insulation. Proper ventilation is more important than ever for removing pollutants, grease, humidity and odors.

Using a vent hood to circulate hot air will make your kitchen more comfortable and can help you save on energy bills. Getting rid of steam can prevent humidity issues that could damage paint, appliances and furniture in your kitchen.

If you use a gas stove, a vent hood is a must-have appliance due to the heat and potential release of pollutants into your indoor air.

What to consider when choosing a vent hood.

Different types of vent hoods are available:

• A ducted vent hood is connected to a duct system and uses a fan to push air to the exterior of your home.
• A ductless or non-vented model works as a closed system. It uses a filter to clean air that is then recirculated in your kitchen.
• An under-cabinet range hood is a convenient appliance that you can attach underneath an existing kitchen cabinet.
• A wall-mounted vent hood is secured to the wall directly above your range.
• If you have a kitchen island with a freestanding range, you can use a ceiling-mounted vent hood instead.

You need to make sure that your built-in fan will be powerful enough to clear your kitchen of heat, odors and smoke. The capacity of a vent hood fan is expressed in cubic feet per minute (CFM), which indicates how much air the fan can move per minute.

If you have an electric stove, pick a fan with 100 CFM per 2.5" of stove width. For instance, you would need a 250 CFM fan for a 30" stove.

If you have a gas stove, add up the total BTU of each burner and divide this number by 100 to get the minimum CFM capacity. A gas stove with four 7,000 BTU burners would call for a 280 CFM vent hood fan.

Vent hood innovations

Many modern vent hoods come with built-in LED lighting. You can also find other interesting innovations, like smart controls and sensors that detect increases in temperature.

If you’re interested in an under-cabinet hood, some appliances combine a microwave with a built-in vent hood to help you save space.

You can also find advanced designs like the lift downdraft vent hood from Zephyr. Instead of having a vent hood over your stove, this appliance fits behind your cooking surface and retracts into the space behind your stove when you don’t need it.

Queen City Audio Video & Appliances carries this innovative , along with other traditional under-cabinet models.