Home Appliance + Lighting Blog

Chimney hoods are triangular shaped, European inspired vents. They are considered the most attractive hood option and often are the focal point of the kitchen.

There are two considerations for any vent. The primary function function of the hood is to remove steam, grease, smoke and odors that can stain walls and damage cabinets. 4 gallons of grease can accumulate in a poorly vented kitchen per year. Venting is about the right size hood, good blower speed or CFM as well as good ducting to push the smoke and heat. We cover all that in the Yale Ventilation Buyers Guide.

In general there are 5 different styles of range hoods. Regular (undercabinet) and microwave hoods designed for regular ranges. Pro hoods tend to be larger and deeper for professional and commercial style cooking. Downdrafts are for island installations.

A custom insert is number 5 and consists of the interior filters, switches and lights of a hood. The blower can be installed within the insert or located in an external location. The hood can now become a focal point of your kitchen rather than a large piece of stainless steel mounted on the wall. The most common method of covering an insert is wood cabinetry and is more custom looking than any of the other options.