A cooker hood reliably removes odours, steam and grease particles produced whilst cooking. This protects the kitchen and makes your home more comfortable. Depending on the layout of your kitchen, there are various types of extractor hoods available.
We’ll show you how they differ and how to find the right model to meet your aesthetic and functional requirements.
Cooker hoods can be broadly divided into traditional, top-mounted hoods and modern, down-draft hob extractors.
Cooker hoods can be categorised as follows:
The differences between these cooker hoods lie primarily in their installation location, the planning required and their appearance.
Wall-mounted cooker hoods are the classic solution for above the hob and are available in various designs. They are fitted directly onto the wall above the hob and either vent the steam outside (extract mode) or recirculate it back into the room through a filter (recirculation mode). Headroom hoods are fitted at an angle to give you a clear view and greater freedom of movement whilst cooking. Both options are easy to install, but they do limit the design options for the kitchen. They are not suitable for a freestanding cooking island, for example.
Island hoods are available for hobs that are integrated into a kitchen island. They are mounted free-hanging from the ceiling without touching the wall. This makes it a key design feature in the kitchen. Island hoods require sufficient ceiling height and a sturdy mounting point. They really come into their own in large, impressive open-plan kitchens.
Ceiling hoods are largely integrated into the ceiling – the mechanics are discreetly concealed behind plaster, plasterboard or within the kitchen units. This makes it a good choice for a minimalist, uncluttered kitchen design, where the aim is to have as little technology as possible to obstruct the view. Disadvantages: Installation requires careful planning; retrofitting is often a complex process.
Hob extractors are the modern alternative to traditional cooker hoods. The rising cooking vapours and grease particles are extracted by hob extractors right where they are produced: at the pot or pan. This way, no mist spreads throughout the room. The kitchen remains open, the view unobstructed, and the room feels more spacious. For many modern kitchens, this is the most innovative solution.
Depending on the design, a distinction is made between the following types of hob extractors:
| Variant | Design |
|---|---|
| Downdraft | Extraction directly at the hob |
| Table-top extractor | Integrated into the worktop behind the hob; extendable |
| integrated into the hob | forms a single unit with the hob |
Hob extraction technology has been significantly advanced by BORA. With the modular hob extractor systems BORA Professional 3.0 and BORA Classic 2.0, you can customise your hob extractor and hob to suit your needs. All the components are perfectly coordinated and available from a single source: Hob extractor, hob, fan, filter, duct and wall-mounted housing. In the compact hob extractor systems of the Pure range, the hob extractor and fan are already integrated.
Unobstructed views, uninterrupted communication, no bulky extractor hood: BORA hob extractor systems offer you all this and much more.
In a recirculating air system, the air is filtered and returned to the room. In contrast, a range hood with an exhaust system vents the air to the outside through a duct system, such as the efficient BORA Ecotube . Both options have their merits—the right choice depends on the layout of your kitchen.
BORA offers cooktop extractor systems with recirculation and vented models. The recirculating models use specially designed, high-performance activated carbon odor filters that are incredibly easy to replace.
Would you like to learn more? Read our detailed guide on the differences between recirculating and exhaust systems.
When choosing the right cooker hood, the installation location, the size of your kitchen and your comfort requirements are all important factors. These are the key criteria:
That depends entirely on the kitchen and your expectations in terms of comfort. In open-plan, design-focused kitchens, the hob extractor is a real winner because it captures steam directly at the hob and leaves the view unobstructed. Classic cooker hoods are a good choice if you’re specifically looking for a visible design feature and prefer a traditional kitchen design. Our guide Cooker Hood Alternatives offers further help in making a decision: The hob extractor.
The main difference between these range hoods is where they are installed: Wall-mounted range hoods require a load-bearing wall; island range hoods hang freely from the ceiling; and under-cabinet range hoods are installed under the wall cabinet to save space.
In an open kitchen,odor control andnoise levelsare of great importance. A range hood is often thebestchoice here, as it extracts steam as soon as it forms and does notobstruct the open feel of the space or the line of sight with a hood.
Sloped ceilings pose a design challenge for wall-mounted range hoods. The best option here is a headroom hood installed at the correct angle. Thebestsolution, however, is anintegrated cooktop hood,since it takes up no space on the wall or ceiling and thus offers maximum flexibility when planning a kitchen with sloped walls.
