- Wall mounted cooker hoods: chimney, angled and flat designs for a hob that sits against a wall, in the biggest spread of sizes and styles.
- Integrated cooker hoods: canopies that build into a wall cabinet, telescopic hoods that slide forward when you cook, and ceiling units that sit flush overhead.
- Island cooker hoods: suspended over a hob on an island or peninsula, from pendant shapes to broad chimney styles.
- Downdraft extractors: a panel behind the hob that rises while you cook and sinks back into the worktop afterwards.
Prefer nothing at all above the hob? A vented induction hob has its extractor built into the cooking surface.
Which type suits your kitchen?
| Type | Suits | Worth checking |
| Wall mounted | Hobs and range cookers on an inside or outside wall. | Its width compared with the hob, and whether the chimney is tall enough for your ceiling. |
| Integrated or telescopic | Fitted kitchens where the hood should disappear. | The size of the cabinet or housing it goes into. |
| Ceiling | Islands where you want an uninterrupted view. | How deep the ceiling void is, and where the duct will run. |
| Island | A centrepiece over an island hob, visible from all sides. | Ceiling height, how it's fixed, and ducted or recirculating air. |
| Downdraft | Open-plan rooms and island hobs. | Room in the base unit, and how high the panel lifts next to tall pans. |
Making the choice
Ducted or recirculating?
Ducting takes the air out of the house through the wall or ceiling, and nothing clears steam and smells more effectively. Recirculating hoods instead pass the air through grease and carbon filters and release it back into the kitchen, which is the answer for flats and rooms with no outside wall. Most hoods can do both, sometimes with an add-on kit.
Width
Go no narrower than the hob. Over a range cooker, match the range's full width. Sizes run from compact pendants up to wide hoods for the largest ranges.
How much extraction?
Extraction is measured in cubic metres per hour. For a rough target, multiply your kitchen's length, width and height in metres, then multiply the answer by ten. Choose a hood that meets that figure on an everyday speed rather than only on boost, and aim higher for an open-plan space.
Noise
Compare decibels at the speed you'll use most. With some ceiling and integrated hoods, the motor can be fitted away from the kitchen, so most of the sound goes with it.
Controls, lighting and hob linking
Controls range from buttons and touch panels to remotes. Some hoods link to a hob of the same brand, switching on and adjusting the fan as you cook; AEG's name for this is Hob2Hood. LED lights help you see into the pan.
Before you order
- Mounting height. The fitting instructions give the distance above the hob, and it often differs between gas and electric.
- The duct route. Keep it as short as you can, with as few bends as possible, using the duct size the instructions specify.
- Power. Hoods are normally wired to a fused connection unit close by, which a qualified electrician should install.
- Filters. Metal grease filters can be washed, often in the dishwasher. If you recirculate, the carbon filters will need regenerating or replacing.
The brands we sell
Our cooker hoods come from Novy. If you'd like your hood and hob to talk to each other, choose both from one brand.
Buying a cooker hood from KDH Electrical
Every hood carries the full UK manufacturer's guarantee. Delivery comes free with orders above £600 and is normally with you within 3–7 working days. We don't fit hoods, so a qualified installer (with an electrician for the power supply) will need to put yours up. In our installation area we can take the old one away for recycling, priced in your basket.
If you see it cheaper at another UK retailer, our price match means we'll try to match it. For help with sizing and ducting, call 01622 541312 or visit our showroom in Rochester, calling before you travel to check what's on display.