Do I REALLY need an extractor hood??

[Namechanger5432121]

In the process of ordering our new kitchen. Decided to have the hob in the island but I really hate the idea of blocking the light and openess of the room with a hood. Cant afford a built in ceiling one.
We very rarely use the extractor fan now.
So do I HAVE to have one?

Ours vents outside. It makes a huge difference. My house doesn't get so damp, the kitchen cupboards don't get that film on them, and the tops are a little dusty when I check and not all gunky sticky. The windows only get a bit steamed up if it's really freezing outside and I'm doing a lot of cooking that involves boiling things like potatoes.

Those that say you don't need one mustn't do very much cooking. Most of the cooking I do is on the hob. I don't deep fry, just general cooking. The window is nowhere near the cooker, and it is too cold to leave the kitchen door open at this time of year.

I can tell when I clean under the extractor hood how much grease cooking produces and wouldn't want it on my ceiling. My extractor hood works very well and I wouldn't be without it.

And I can remove part of it and run it through the dishwasher.

You need a glass one with a high extraction rate. Ours is ok but it extracts 400 per hour and the room needs one that does 800.

When I can afford it I will get a better one because I hate houses where you can smell stale cooking smells.

I cook from scratch twice a day and don't use the hood. Open the window if needed.

I don't have one. I don't think they are necessary, as long as you don't mind having a door or window open sometimes when you cook.

Took ours out - recirculator so no use. Kitchen will be redone at some point but no hood! We do cook, the kitchen is big and gets ventilated. Cleaning less annoying than a cooker hood.

No cooker hood here, but we did have an extractor fan added to outside wall. It's always on, continually changing the air and we can boost it (though that is VERY noisy) when needed. It was DHs idea and I wasn't convinced but it was the right thing to do. The always on aspect helps dry my washing! I put the clothes horse in there overnight. So I don't think you have to have a cooker hood, but an alternative will be a good investment.

Wow great responses thank you all! We have knocked down a wall to open up the kitchen and dining room but the old kitchen did not have an extractor fan as was the original kitchen put in 60 years ago!!
I hadnt even thought of the smaller bathroom type extractors so tha ks to thise who mentioned them! It gives us another option.
We have patio doors and huge windows not even 2m from where the hob will be so getting air in will be no problem. I seldom use the hood in our current house so I was dubious to get a big one in the middle of our lovely open plan space!

YES
If I don't put my extractor hood on my windows steam up so much that I can't see through them at all.

One of our relatives has continual extraction fans in the kitchen, utility & all bathrooms.

The house never smells despite them cooking all the time.

I have a recirculating one and it's very good, but it's a large one over a six burner cooker. I also had one that vented externally in a previous house and I don't notice much difference between the two. Pros and cons to both.

So I would also say yes, we didn't have one here before and although it's not the end of the world. I do notice the difference. If I was going to buy a house I would prefer one with a hood, however it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me and someone can always install one later.

We haven't got one but it is a big kitchen with lots of Windows