November 27th, 2023 | 10 min. read
Learn how to find the perfect ventilation products with our Ventilation Buying Guide
It’s important to vent your professional range correctly.
In this article, you will learn why it's so important and then the best vents to consider.
As a bonus, you will also learn the best ways to vent and vents to avoid as well.
BTW, this article works if you like to cook with any surface like induction, regular gas, or electric.
However, most gas ranges are now 2-3 times more powerful than when I started at Yale in 1986.
Yet many people do not, and the air inside their homes is far more polluted than outdoors.
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Short on time? Download our free Ventilation Buying Guide.
The Importance of Ventilation
SKS Professional Range Burners
Since you last purchased a professional range, burners have steadily increased from a maximum of 15,000 BTU (British Thermal Units) in 1990 to 30,000 BTU today.
Hestan has a 30,000 BTU burner, BlueStar has multiple 25,000 BTU burners, and SKS (Signature Kitchen Suite) and Monogram have multiple 23,000 BTU burners. Wolf and JennAir have multiple 20,000 BTU burners.
Even this basic Whirlpool gas range has two pro-rated burners at 15,000 almost double of ranges when I started in 1986.
You want to vent all that heat, smoke, and grease outside correctly. You don't want your house perpetually smelling like your last dinner.
Potentially Toxic Fumes
But there are other problems.
In researching this topic for our webinars, podcasts, and articles, we began to see some strange acronyms associated with the air you breathe in your home.
Do a quick Google search on whether gas ranges are harmful, and you will find a series of articles on why they might kill you.
Gas ranges emit carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, formaldehyde, and particulate matter.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air is two to five times worse than outdoor air.
Professional Gas Range with Wok Burner
We now have several acronyms, namely IAP, IAQ, and SBS.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the quality of air inside your home and measures how safe it is for breathing. Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) is the excess of indoor pollutants.
Exposure to indoor air pollutants, whether repeatedly or once, can directly affect your overall health.
In cases where a home or building is linked to occupants experiencing "acute health and comfort effects," this appears to be linked to time spent in a building, "which is known as Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), as reported by the EPA.
All these problems also tie back to inadequate ventilation. Unfortunately, you can still pick the right ventilation hood yet have inadequate ventilation.
How to Ventilate Your Professional Range (or Any Range)
Wolf Ventilation Professional Range Hood at Yale Appliance in Framingham
Ventilation is divided into equal parts, CFM, capture area, duct run, and duct size.
CFM
CFM stands for cubic feet per minute. How many cubes of airflow through the vent in one minute?
CFM in-range hoods can range from 250 to 1500. 1500 cubes of air are typically in a small room.
Whether you buy a grill, griddle, or wok, the CFMs should be 600 for a 30-inch to 1500 for a 48-inch or 60-inch range.
That motor can be located inside your house..
Capture Area
Smoke is not expelled immediately after reaching your vent. capture area is where people tend to make mistakes.
A 1500 CFM 21-inch depth hood will still not work on the front burners because the smoke will bypass the hood.
Smoke, heat, and grease are captured and then vented. It's why you see huge hoods in the middle of restaurant kitchens.
You typically will use the power burners in the front of your range. They measure 22-23 inches in depth.
So, you want a hood at least 24-27 inches deep, 18 tall, and the width of your stove.
If on an island, add 6 inches so smoke can be effectively chambered.
Duct Run
You want your duct to run simply.
Straight-up is good because it follows gravity. Smoke is going up anyway. Straight back on a wall works as well.
Transitions in the duct and longer runs hamper efficiency.
So place your stove where it can be easily vented.
Duct Size
Duct size was more of an issue years ago when contractors were using dryer ducting. Typically, 8-10 round duct is adequate for any vent.
Read More: How to Vent Your Kitchen Range
Want to learn more about venting? Grab our FREE Ventilation Buying Guide to learn every aspect of how to properly vent your home.
How to Not Vent Your Professional Range
Unfortunately, many people are choosing aesthetics over functionality unwittingly.
Many beautiful kitchens will only look good until you turn on your range.
Three common mistakes:
No Ventilation
Professional 48-inch Range with No Ventilation
There are no laws against not having a range hood.
Oddly enough, make-up air laws were enacted when you have a vent.
But in the picture above, you have roughly 130,000 BTUs with no ventilation, so all that heat, smoke, and gas stays inside your home.
Remember, houses are built much tighter and more efficiently so that gas does not escape through drafty windows like in years past.
Ceiling Blowers
Ceiling Blower Over a Gas Range
Ceiling blowers have plenty of CFM but no capture area. You can only install a ceiling blower 4-7 feet above the cooking surface, assuming the design does work.
I had a high-powered bath vent over a stove in my rental apartment years ago. The ceiling around it was grimey and discolored.
Downdrafts
Downdraft with a Rangetop
It's hard to believe people still use downdrafts.
Let's say you use your professional range.
The smoke would be pulled into a two-inch aperture, then reversed into a duct, then redirected with an elbow through a long duct run to the outside.
Downdrafting is exactly the opposite of effective ventilation.
It won't work.
Over-the-Range Microwaves
Over-the-range microwaves centralize your cooking yet provide little ventilation at 350 CFM.
OTRs are also only 16 inches deep on average, so they don’t cover the powerful burners.
Normal Undercabinet Hoods
You can buy under cabinet hoods at 23 inches deep but be careful most measure at 21 inches in depth. Capture is lacking.
Also in the larger 36 and 48-inch sizes, you might not have enough height, especially with a griddle, grill, or wok burner.
Vented (Ducted) vs. Ventless (Ductless) Hoods
Ductless hoods recirculate air through the hood back into your room through a charcoal filter.
The heat and gasses are essentially exhausted back into your room.
You want it vented out of your house.
What CFM Should You Buy?
When I started, we were taught equations of proper CFM.
36 years later, I realize it depends on how you cook.
You want a higher CFM hood if you like to grill, griddle, wok, or stir fry.
A lower CFM of 600s is acceptable with just burners.
Look for a minimum of 900-1200 CFM for a 36-inch range and 1200-1500 CFM for a 48 or 60-inch range.
Vented (Ducted) Vs Ventless (Ductless) Hoods
Ductless hoods recirculate air through the hood back into your room through a charcoal filter.
The heat and gasses are essentially exhausted back into your room.
You want it vented out of your house.
How High Do You Hang a Hood
It depends upon the hood, but generally, it's between 30-36 inches.
You can read a whole article about how to hang and install a hood by clicking here.
Make-Up Air
It’s the law in Massachusetts and for any of the hoods, we recommend over a pro range.
Any hood over 400 CFM needs a fresh air return either through your HVAC system or 10 feet away from your range on the opposite side.
Make-up air is important.
You remove a small room of air from your house every minute.
It needs to be “made up”.
Otherwise, that air is made up from your furnace, attic, and garage.
You don’t want to breathe that air.
Best Ventilation Hoods for Professional and High Output Ranges
Below are the best ventilation hoods for a professional range.
Best Undercabinet Hood: Yale PUCCM630SS ($1,199) and PUCCM636SS ($1,299) for up to 1200 CFM
Every undercabinet hood will have problems exhausting pro range.
Undercabinet hoods are not deep enough to ventilate a pro range properly.
The powerful front burners are about 21-23 inches, so some smoke and grease will billow past - except for the Yale PUCCM630SS and PUCCM636SS.
Both of these hoods are 23 inches with a decent CFM of up to 1200 CFM and are designed to handle a pro-range burner.
However, you would want a deeper, more powerful hood with a grill or griddle.
Unlike most other undercabinet hoods, you have less noise with these models.
Both hoods come with a five-year warranty. In addition, the baffle filters are included.
Best DIY Wood Hood Option: Yale PINTR146SS for up to 1200 CFM - $1,499
If you don't like stainless or color, then do it yourself. The only components you need are the mechanical parts, a stainless liner for the inside of the hood, the light, filter, control unit, and then the blower.
Always ensure the hood is 24-27 inches deep with the appropriate CFM.
Most manufacturers will have a hood insert.
The Yale PINAR146SS will offer whatever blower position inside, outside, or in line, along with better lighting, filters, and a 5-year warranty.
Best for Versatility: Yale PCHLV136SS for up to 1,200 CFM - $1,699
The Yale hood in a triangular shape is brand new. Like the Thermador, it is 24 inches deep and designed to be placed over a pro range.
It will be quieter with better lighting and the ability to choose whatever location you want the blower, either inside, outside, or inline, along with the heat sensing and other advantages outlined above.
Like all Yale hoods, the warranty is five years.
Best Value: Yale PWLCL148SS for up to 1200 CFM - $1,999
The Yale 48-inch Canopy hood PWLCL148SS has been redesigned after about four years.
It has brand new features all designed to better ventilate your space.
This hood can be exhausted as inline, outside, or internal with the same blower.
You don't have to worry about buying the right blower or have to change blowers with any problems in your kitchen design.
Like all Yale hoods, it has "S-Shaped" baffle filters to capture the most grease and smoke. The S Shape of the stainless-steel baffles will trap high volumes of grease.
In addition, the depth is 25 inches, so it covers more of the range than the standard recommended 24-inch styles.
Heat Guard senses extreme temperatures and automatically adjusts the blower to high.
The Yale hoods now feature HUSH sound suppression for 35% less noise. The lighting is 3000-degree Kelvin with up to 1580 lumens on the larger size.
Why is 3000 degrees important? On the Kelvin scale, 3000 is soft, flattering, light, and perfect for kitchens.
When we sold lighting, the best-recessed lights were between 2500-3000 degrees, Kelvin. This hood will shine a ton of good quality light.
Lastly, Yale hoods include an industry-best five-year warranty.
Best Capture and CFM: Wolf PW362718 for up to 1,500 CFM - $2,460 + Blower
Wolf’s hood has the best capture area at 27 inches deep. You have choices for blowers inside, inline, or outside with up to 1500 CFM.
Like the Yale hood featured above, Wolf has a heat sensor activating the hood at 200 degrees.
Best Looking: Thermador HPCN36WS for up to 1000 CFM - $2,999 + Blower
The Europeans popularized the triangular hood vent. It's a decent look with tapered sides.
However, most triangular hoods are not designed for a pro range because they are only 21 inches deep.
Thermador is one of the only hoods in this shape at 24 inches. The CFM is 1000 maximum, so I would only use the Thermador up to 36 inches.
Thermador hoods are part of the One, Two, Free program for a $1,399 credit with qualifying purchases.
They have a lead time of about 8-12 months so plan accordingly.
Best Color option: BlueStar SC048MLPLTDCF for up to 1400 CFM - $11,645 + Blower
BlueStar offers customization with over 1.000 colors and 10 trims to choose from.
It's perfect if you're interested in a customized range and range hood. They can even match a nail polish color to a hood.
However, you’re paying $10,000 more for a custom color.
How to Choose a Ventilation Hood
Range Hoods and Professional Ranges at Yale Appliance in Hanover
If you are following the rules, choosing a range hood is easy.
You want an 18-inch tall, 24-27-inch-deep hood with the same width as your range.
You also want a reliable option. It is a harder task with many no-name brands on the market. Just make sure the components are good.
Always look at all the components before you buy a range hood, especially the blower. A hood can be purchased with the blower inside, usually up to 1200 CFM.
You can also buy the hood as a shell and buy the blower separately from 600 to 1500 CFM.
Blowers can be placed inside the hood, outside your home, or in the duct.
I like the blower inside because it's easier to fix. You must allow access to an inline blower in case of repair.
Outside it is quieter, but you still hear the rush of air. It's not that good-looking and harder to repair in the winter.
Of course, you can install a blower all three ways with the new Yale hood we mentioned at the top of this article.
Best Ventilation Hoods for Pro Ranges: Key Takeaways
Buying the right ventilation will improve the indoor quality of your home. Just remember to buy the right capture and CFM, and plan your duct accordingly.
Yale, Wolf, and Thermador are all decent options and will evacuate the smoke, heat, and gases from your home efficiently.
You can also choose BlueStar for a custom color or do it yourself with your custom cabinetry.
Additional Resources
Get the Yale Ventilation Buying Guide with features, specs, and inside tips for every brand and hood type. Well over 1 million people have read a Yale Guide.
Related Articles:
- How High Do You Hang a Range Hood?
- Can You Place a 600 CFM Hood Over a Professional Rangetop?
- Can You Replace a Range Hood With a Microwave Vent/Hood?
Looking for answers about Ventilation?
Choosing a new range hood can be a confusing and time-consuming experience. We've taken the pain out of the decision process with our Ventilation Buying Guide.
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