BEST Kitchen Chimney Buying Guide For Indian Cooking – 2023
Kitchen Chimney Buying Guide Iindia
- Table of Contents
- What is Kitchen Chimney
- Why we need Kitchen Chimney
- Duct Types
- Filter Types
- Suction Power(calculator)
- Size
- Kitchen Chimney Types
- Noise Level
- Designs and Features
What is Kitchen Chimney
ndian cooking, while renowned for its aroma & taste also comes with greasy cabinets and kitchen tiles. This is because Indian cooking involves a lot of frying & grilling. Kitchen chimneys are appliances that absorb smoke & fumes from the kitchen and keep the kitchen grease & smoke free. Earlier days we have used exhaust fan to remove the smoke and fumes, but the problem with fan is, it is not much efficient to blowout the smoke outside. Kitchen Chimneys are more powerful to blowout the smoke outside, because it has powerful motors inside the chimney. In this Kitchen Chimney buying guide article we have covered almost everything about the Kitchen chimney to choose the best chimney in india.
Why We Need Kitchen Chimney in India
Have you ever had to clean a kitchen that’s used on a regular basis? Then you know just how much of a hassle it is to get rid of that sticky film that covers all the cabinets and countertops, especially next to the cooking area. One of the benefits of a range hood is that it filters out the airborne grease before it has a chance to settle everywhere and cause major headaches at cleanup time. Instead of spending hours scrubbing kitchen surfaces (usually with cleaning chemicals involved as well), it’s much easier to hit the power button on the range hood and stop the flying grease in its tracks.
Benefits of Kitchen Chimney
- Improved Air quality
- Reduces Heat and Moisture
- Reduces Frequency of Cleaning
- Pleasant look to the Kitchen
- Air quality improves our health
Get your best deal here
Surya Kitchen Chimney 60 cm 1400 CMH
Elica 60 cm 1100 CMH
In this Kitchen chimney buying guide, we are going to see what to consider while choosing the best kitchen chimney in India.
DUCT TYPES
The most important decision you’ll make when buying a Kitchen Chimney vent is how you duct your hood. There are two main options for exhaust.
Duct
Ducted type means that, there is pipe vent from the Kitchen chimney to going outside of the wall. If the range hood mounts to an exterior wall, the exhaust ducts will be shorter and therefore more efficient. If the ducted range hood mounts to an interior wall or island, consider a more powerful unit because the air needs to be forced further away.
Ductless
Ductless type has no ventilation pipe going out of the kitchen. The air is pulled into the Kitchen chimney through a charcoal filter to trap irritants and flows back into the kitchen. With this option, it’s important to change your filters every few months to ensure the hood performs effectively. This option requires no ducting.
Convertible
Buying Guide
In this Kitchen chimney buying guide, next we are going to see how many filter types available in India. Also we are going to explain each filter types clearly.
TYPES OF FILTERS
- Mesh or Cassette Filter
- Baffle Filter
- Carbon Filter
- Filterless
MESH/CASSETTE FILTER
Design
These filters usually have multiple layers of aluminum or stainless steel wire in them (stainless steel ones costing more) to trap various particles in the form of smoke, grease, oil droplets, etc. Although the stainless-steel cassette filters are the preferred option in most cases for the higher quality in the material and the fact that it is easier to clean, the aluminum ones tend to be lighter and easier to handle but harder to wash & clean.
Functioning:
Mesh filters are permeable – have small pore-like openings, allowing air to pass through. Any object that is larger than the mesh gets caught in it. As a result, mesh filters must be cleaned regularly to function properly.
Pros
- It is quite cheap
- It is a really light filter, so anyone can easily detach it from the chimney for cleaning purposes, etc.
- This type of filter can even be put into a dishwasher to be washed.
Cons
- It requires high maintenance
- Not suitable for deep frying and grilling
- They tend to impose recurring repair costs, etc.
- The frequent blockages can reduce the suction capacity of the chimney itself.
- They tend to make more noise than others
Buying Guide
BAFFLE FILTER
Design:
A baffle filter is made up of many curved stainless-steel panels. The surface is then built up with a particular curvature at numerous places to allow air to flow through it while retaining oil and grease contaminants. Aluminum baffle filters are also a possibility, but they are relatively uncommon. Grease and oil particles are no longer regarded as impediments for baffle filters because of how they work. This keeps the air suction power of the chimney unaffected and increases overall efficiency.
Functioning:
The circulation of air pulled up by a baffle filter is controlled. It uses a unique ‘ cut and chop’ approach to remove the oil and food fragments from the fumes. It’s equipped with various curved surfaces that trap oil and grease while allowing filthy air to escape through PVC vents. The filter’s oil absorption has little effect on air suction. Refer the video for clear understanding.
Pros
- They are low-maintenance filters. Dishwashers and other valuable liquids are adequate to clean the filter well once in 3-4 months.
- It is a much more durable model in comparison to a Mesh filter.
- It has a better airflow mechanism (due to the suction power motor present in such filters) and, therefore, greater efficiency in many ways.
- It is apt for Indian households as it is built to handle spicy & oily cooking.
Cons
- They cost more than other filters due to the advantages mentioned above.
- They can be pretty heavy for a chimney filter, making it harder to handle and detach from the chimney.
Buying Guide
CARBON FILTER or CHARCOAL FILTER
Design:
Carbon filters are used in conjunction with mesh/baffle filters as secondary filtration. It captures the unwanted odor from cooking while also assisting the primary filter in absorbing oil particulates, grease, and smoke. The name “charcoal filter” comes from the fact that they are composed mainly of Charcoal. The width and thickness of the charcoal granules determine the filter’s absorbance capability. These filters are only presents in the ductless chimney.
Functioning:
Charcoal filters effectively eliminate smells released from cooking by utilizing their intentionally enlarged surface features, which are employed to instantly trap unpleasant compounds. Adsorption is the method by which contaminants adhere to the surface of carbon molecules. They are removed from the air movement and hence are unable to circulate in the air.by utilizing their intentionally enlarged surface features, which are employed to instantly trap unpleasant compounds. Adsorption is the method by which contaminants adhere to the surface of carbon molecules. They are removed from the air movement and hence are unable to circulate in the air.
Pros
- Their impressive technology helps improve hygiene significantly in the kitchen.
- It serves well as a secondary filter and traps any contaminants which might have slipped through the primary filter.
- It is most suitable for ductless chimney.
Cons
- They cost more than other filters due to the advantages mentioned above.
- They can be pretty heavy for a chimney filter, making it harder to handle and detach from the chimney.
- It cannot be cleaned, replacement is the only option.
Buying Guide
FILTER-LESS TECHNOLOGY
How it works
Filterless kitchen chimneys come with no filters. It comes with auto clean technology and is equipped with a detachable oil collector. This type of chimney makes use of centrifugal force for separating the oily particles from the smoke and fumes. When cooking fume and smoke pass through the chimney, centrifugal force caused by the turbine motor forces the oil particles to move towards the blower wall through which it gets collected in the oil collector. With the auto-clean function, you don’t have to worry about cleaning. With just a click of a button, you can make your chimney clean as this function makes use of a heating element that heats the chimney. Heating melt the grease and oil, which get collected in the oil collector. Oil collector is easy to wash.
Pros
-
- Filterless technology allows less cleaning and maintenance on your part.
- Low-noise designs give users a distraction-free experience.
- They’re much more durable and efficient in ordinary cooking scenarios.
Cons
- Filterless chimneys are much more expensive compared to filtered chimneys (Baffle, mesh, etc.).
- Auto-clean is not very effective against oil-rich and spice-heavy cooking.
Buying Guide
AUTO CLEAN TECHNOLOGY
How it works
Auto Clean technology works in baffle filter and also in filter-less kitchen chimney. To clean the filters, chimney uses its thermal power to melt the oil from the filter and collects in a tray.So it reduces or eliminates our manual cleaning process.
Pros
- Improved Performance
- Required zero maintenance
- Improved lifespan of the kitchen chimney
Cons
- Expensive than the normal Kitchen Chimney
Buying Guide
SUCTION POWER
In this kitchen chimney buying guide, next we are going to see how to select the suction power. Suction power is measured in cubic meter per hour (m³/h). In this calculation we need multiple inputs. Those are
- Kitchen Size
- Stove Output Heat
- Cooking Style
- Duct Work
While calculating the kitchen chimney power, These 4 factors will be considered. Lets check how to calculate the suction power what we needed for our kitchen .
How to calculate the right Kitchen Chimney suction power for your Kitchen
Kitchen Size
First of all, measuring the ceiling height to each and every corner of your kitchen is necessary. You should be familiar with the total volume of your kitchen. You will know its overall size by applying the formula of length x width x height. These sizes matter a lot since they inform you of the overall m³/h you need for your kitchen Chimney. Assuming L x W x H = 10x10x10 = 1000f³. As per the calculations minimum suction power is 424.75 m³/h required for the mentioned kitchen dimension. Use our calculator to calculate your required suction capacity for your Kitchen chimney.
Stove Output Heat
Cooking Style
Duct Work
- Adding 1.5 m³/h for each foot of the metal pipe.
- Adding 40 m³/h for each turn in the duct.
- Adding 70 m³/h for a roof cap (only if you have one).
Kitchen Chimney Suction power Calculator
* Take the maximum value. ** Cooking style added as “often” so we have added 200m³/h default. *** Add extra 100 or 200m³/h for the final output to choose your Kitchen Chimney.
Buying Guide
How to choose the size of the Kitchen Chimney
Kitchen Chimney size should be the size of the stove or may be high but it should not be small. If it is small the kitchen chimney can’t be able to suck the smokes and fumes which is completely spread throughout the kitchen. Whatever chimney you choose but it should not be higher than the stove or hob size then only the kitchen chimney can be able to suck the smoke effectively. If you have 2 to 4 burner stove or hob then 60 cm is best size chimney for your Kitchen. If you have above 4 burner stove or hob then 90 cm is the best suitable size Chimney for your kitchen
Kitchen Chimney Types
Wall Mount
Wall mount Kitchen Chimney are one of the most common types of Chimneys. These chimney types are mounted securely against a wall in the kitchen. Ideally, mount your wall range hood about 28″-36” between the bottom of the hood and the stove cooking surface to capture the most cooking fumes and to prolong the life of your range hood.
Island or Ceiling Mount
Island range hoods are a beautiful centerpiece for any kitchen space. Unlike wall mounted range hoods, island hoods are not mounted against a wall. Because of this, and all the additional air movement kitchen islands experience, they require more CFM to maximize their efficiency and filter as much unwanted air from your kitchen as possible.
Under Cabinet Kitchen Chimney
Under cabinet Kitchen Chimneys are a great option for people who have cupboards or cabinet storage above their cooktop. This way, switching out an over-the-range (OTR) microwave with a professional range hood allows you to keep the extra cabinet storage space and upgrade your kitchen ventilation fan.
Built-in Kitchen Chimney
Buil-in Kitchen Chimneys are designed to be used in your custom hood. Chimneys are usually hidden as they are built into highly customized cabinets above the cooktop or stovetop.
Downdraft Extractor
Downdraft ventilation is integrated into your countertop or cooking appliance for a more streamlined appearance. In fact, most models feature a vent that rises up next to the cooktop when you are cooking and then recedes back into the base when not in use. Drawing air down from the cooking surface, downdraft appliances vent through your cabinetry where the filtered air is then recirculated or vented outside. In India it is not much popular, but few brands are having these models. Usually its performance is lesser than the other models mentioned above.
Noise Level
Noise is one of the biggest problems with kitchen chimney. The noise level with some chimneys is so high that the person in the kitchen can’t hear anything else happening in their home. So while choosing the chimney, just select the low noise kitchen chimney.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes. As per the recommended ACH (Air change per hour) for kitchen, its volume of air should be changed 15 times per hour. So it is not only for the greasy kitchen but also for the healthy lifestyle.
In most cases the ducted kitchen chimney is the best option to choose. But if you dont have the provisions to fit the duct pipes, then you should go for ductless.
Please scroll up and find the section called suction capacity calculator. Here you can find the proper suction capacity you need for your kitchen.
As per our research, baffle filter is best for all types of Kitchen.
Filterless kitchen chimney is best for less frequent cooking without oil and non-veg. If you are cooking very often, also deep fry, then you need baffle filter with auto clean option.
Straight line chimneys are looks very basic models. Curved models look more stylish in your kitchen and budget friendly than the angular chimney. But if you are taller, you may bang your head on the chimney, so angular chimney design protects us on hitting the edge of the chimney. It looks awesome. Also angular design is good for auto-clean baffle filters. Because filter is angular, so the melted oil collects in tray.
Not necessary, First of all what is Make-up air? It is a replacement air for the vented out air.
So if your home has no ventilation on all 4 sides, then you should think about the make-up air. Which means you should make some provision for inlet air flow.
Yes. Ducted chimney is equivalent to 15 exhaust fans. Ductless chimney’s suction capacity is equivalent to 8 exhaust fans.
A Kitchen chimney’s maximum power consumption is 400w – 500w. But in most cases it wont reach the maximum power all the time. So average power will be from 120w to 200w. So if you run for an hour it will consume .2 unit.
The average size of kitchen pipes ranges between 7 to 15 inches in diameter. Most residential kitchens will have 8-inch pipes for their chimneys, while those with bigger cooking areas will have 10 to 15-inch pipes.
