An extractor hood is a device containing a mechanical fan that hangs above the stove

Stove

A stove is an enclosed heated space. The term is commonly taken to mean an enclosed space in which fuel is burned to provide heating, either to heat the space in which the stove is situated or to heat the stove itself, and items placed on it...

 or cooktop in the kitchen

Kitchen

A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...

. It removes airborne grease, combustion products, smoke, odors, heat, and steam from the air by a combination of filtration and evacuation of the air.

Name

The device is known as an extractor hood (in the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

) and as range hood (in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

) or rangehood (in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

). It is also called a kitchen, stove, exhaust, cooker, vent or ventilation hood. Other names include cooking canopy, extractor fan, fume extractor, and electric chimney.

Overview

An extractor hood consists of three main components: a skirt or capture panel to contain the rising gases (also known as the "effluent plume"), one or more grease filters, and a fan

Fan (mechanical)

A mechanical fan is a machine used to create flow within a fluid, typically a gas such as air.A fan consists of a rotating arrangement of vanes or blades which act on the air. Usually, it is contained within some form of housing or case. This may direct the airflow or increase safety by preventing...

 or tangential blower for forced ventilation

Ventilation (architecture)

Ventilating is the process of "changing" or replacing air in any space to provide high indoor air quality...

.

There are two major configurations of extractor hoods: ducted (or vented) application, and ductless (or recirculating) application. In a ducted application, the output collar of the extractor hood's blower motor is attached to a duct system, which terminates outside the building. In a ductless application, a filter, often containing activated charcoal, removes odor and smoke particles from the air before releasing the cleaned air back into the kitchen.

A ducted system allows for removal of all forms of airborne contamination, while a ductless one recirculates heat and moisture into the kitchen. In addition, a ducted application eliminates the need for regular replacement of the filters, and avoids the airflow restriction (and resultant loss of power) caused by them. However, ducted application can be impractical, due to lack of space or ability to install a duct system, make-up air requirements, or the additional cost of heating/cooling the make-up air. Some range hood designs allow for both types of applications.

Exhaust hoods almost always include built-in lighting (incandescent

Incandescent light bulb

The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe makes light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from air by a glass bulb that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. In a halogen lamp, a chemical process...

, fluorescent

Fluorescent lamp

A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light. A fluorescent lamp converts electrical power into useful...

, or halogen

Halogen lamp

A halogen lamp, also known as a tungsten halogen lamp, is an incandescent lamp with a tungsten filament contained within an inert gas and a small amount of a halogen such as iodine or bromine. The chemical halogen cycle redeposits evaporated tungsten back on to the filament, extending the life of...

) to illuminate the cooking surface. In addition, some manufacturers offer matching accessories, such as backsplash panels, pot racks, shelf units, or dish racks.

Extractor hoods controls are typically electronic, though some low-end models use electromechincal controls. Extractor hoods with electronic controls can offer remote control, motorized height adjustment, thermal sensor, overheat protection, boost mode, delayed shut-off, filter cleaning reminder, active noise cancellation, temperature display, user presets (memory), and so on.

History

The invention of various forms of extractor hood in mid 20th century allowed for the reintroduction of the so-called farmhouse kitchen

Farmhouse kitchen

A farmhouse kitchen is a kitchen room designed for food preparation, dining and a sociable space. Typical of poorer farmhouses throughout the Middle Ages where rooms were limited, wealthier households would separate the smoke of the kitchen from the dining and entertaining areas, farmhouse...

 into popular architecture. The first extractor hood was produced by Vent-a-Hood in 1937.

Today's major manufacturers of extractor hoods include: Broan, Elica, Faber

Faber (company)

Faber was founded in 1955 by Professor Abramo Galassi who since then has always held the post of chairman of the board.In 1963 Faber produced the first extraction hood in Europe. Faber specializes in producing extraction hoods and is now present in 13 countries on 3 continents. Including Europe and...

, Futuro Futuro

Futuro Futuro (company)

Futuro Futuro is an Italian manufacturer of high-end residential extractor hoods. The company’s design and production facility is located in the city of Vittorio Veneto, in the Treviso region of North Italy, and its North American distribution operations is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York...

, Gaggenau

Gaggenau Hausgeräte GmbH

Gaggenau Hausgeräte GmbH is a German manufacturer of high-end home appliances. The company won at the 2008 IF Design Awards in every category in which it had nominations....

, Fagor

Fagor

Fagor is a large domestic and commercial appliance manufacturer based in the Basque Country, Spain. It is run by the Mondragon Corporation and is one of the fastest growing businesses in European Union...

, Tecnowind S.p.A, Independent, ProLine Range Hoods, Modern-Aire, and Vent-A-Hood. Extractor hoods may be made from a variety of materials, including: copper, steel, tempered glass, wood, aluminum, brass, heat-resistant plastics, and more.