Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Talk to me about cooker hoods / extractor fans.

11 replies

swpath · 03/06/2025 13:48

So I'm finally going to get a new kitchen for the first time in my life of my choice.
I can't say the extractor fans of my student house and various rentals have ever been effective, just a lot of noise.

Any recommendations?
Overhead or built into the worktop?
I'm looking at a induction hob.

OP posts:
Nourishinghandcream · 03/06/2025 14:03

The most important thing is to ensure it vents externally rather than just recirculating & filtering, anything less is just a waste of time IMO.
When we reconfigured the kitchen in our previous house it moved the hob/oven into the middle of the house. Knowing how ineffective cooker hoods are that do not vent outside, we had it ducted (above the ceiling) to an external wall and it worked brilliantly.

ExtensivelyDecluttering · 03/06/2025 14:23

Agree, re-circulating are crap, we inherited a recirculating one on an outside wall and it was useless, we had a hole drilled in the wall to externally vent it and it was much better. I'd hate to be without one. The advantage of overhead ones are that you get a light as well as ventilation, but if your cooker is on an island an underneath one might be better, no experience of these.

AudiobookListener · 03/06/2025 16:36

The one in my house when I moved in was externally vented but still noisy, useless, stinky and impossible to clean. It was vile. It isn't a legal requirement to have one, just to have sufficient ventilation. So when I had a new kitchen fitted I didn’t get one. I haven't regretted it. I just keep the lids on pans. Expected to need to re-paint by now, but everthing still looks very clean. So I don’t regret my decision. It depends how you cook I guess.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

swpath · 03/06/2025 18:11

I feel like this kitchen business is going to break me. So many options, so much money. I find myself saying to the dog ' did you know you can spend £2000 on just a fancy fan' that's a lot of dog food.

OP posts:
swpath · 03/06/2025 18:14

AudiobookListener · 03/06/2025 16:36

The one in my house when I moved in was externally vented but still noisy, useless, stinky and impossible to clean. It was vile. It isn't a legal requirement to have one, just to have sufficient ventilation. So when I had a new kitchen fitted I didn’t get one. I haven't regretted it. I just keep the lids on pans. Expected to need to re-paint by now, but everthing still looks very clean. So I don’t regret my decision. It depends how you cook I guess.

Interesting about it not being on building regs.
I cooked on an Aga for years without any forced vent but you use the ovens so all fish/curry/bacon is plumbed straight outside. Made the garden smell!!

OP posts:
tigerlily9 · 03/06/2025 18:16

Do you need to have one. I have a recirculating one which I never use as too noisy. Wondering if I have to get one when I upgrade my kitchen

TheTwenties · 03/06/2025 18:20

There is a measure for the extraction rate (or something like that), when I was looking for a new one a few years ago Howden’s had that information on their website.

ParmaVioletts · 03/06/2025 18:24

I've got an IKEA one and I'm impressed it's recirculating and fine actually but I wish we had done the clever ceiling trick mentioned before

It was a which best buy also

Re kitchen op check out DIY kitchen

toomanyducks · 03/06/2025 18:27

We’ve done up houses and lived in a couple of new builds and we don’t put in and have actively removed any extractor. Cooking without the hood in your eyeline is much more pleasant and I’ve honestly never noticed the difference with smells / steam etc.

Tutorpuzzle · 03/06/2025 18:32

Any I’ve inherited in a new home or in a holiday let have been pointless and very loud.
Save your money and open a window when cooking.
And then have an extra cupboard where the fan would have been.

swpath · 03/06/2025 22:35

Thanks everyone. If I can avoid it without the sky falling in, I might go without.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page