A kitchen chimney provides a hassle-free coking experience since it absorbs smoke, oil particles and odors from your kitchen to enhance your comfort. This means that it is a very important appliance because smoke, excess heat and odors are not good for your health. Again, excess smoke may also give your kitchen walls an ugly look. Modern chimneys are equipped with amazing features like LED lamps which give your kitchen a nice look. They also come with different designs which means that you can easily find one that matches with your kitchen decor. Therefore, a kitchen chimney is one of the appliances you should never miss in your kitchen. Below are the features you should check when searching for a quality kitchen chimney.
- Size of the kitchen – The first thing you should consider before buying a kitchen chimney is the size of the kitchen. In case you have a limited space in your kitchen, then it means that you should look for a small unit but in case you have enough space, you can buy even a large model.
- Design – Kitchen chimneys are available in different design. When buying, you should ensure that the one you have picked would match with the design of your kitchen.
- Noise level – When buying a chimney, you should choose a unit with the lowest noise level. These chimneys are also the best if you spend a lot of time in your kitchen or when you are preparing many dishes. Look for a model with less than 51 decibels.
- Suction capacity – This is the ability of the chimney to clean the air. You should consider a model that is able to recycle the air at least 10 times per hour. If you have a small kitchen, you should look for a chimney with a suction capacity of 500-600 cubic meters per hour. On the other hand, you should consider a suction capacity of 700-1000 if you have a large kitchen.
- Speed settings – A good kitchen chimney should have multiple speed controls. You should pick a chimney with 2-3 speed settings. Higher speeds are the best when cooking while lower speeds helps to clear out the remaining smoke after cooking. Speed control also enables you to control the noise that comes from the chimney.
- Type of filter – There are three types of filter that are usually used in kitchen chimneys. These are; baffle filters, carbon filters, and cassette filters. Baffle filterss are designed in a special way that enables them to work even when they are loaded with oil and grease particle. As compared to other filters, these ones are very easy to maintain and for this reason, they are the most popular. Carbon filters are the most effective when it comes to absorption of odors from the kitchen. You need to replace them after some time because they are usually loaded with oils and grease particles. Cassette filters have the best suction performance but just like the carbon filters, they get clogged. However, you can easily clean them instead of replacing them which means that they are more economical to use than the carbon filters.
- Maintenance – The best kitchen chimneys are those that doesn’t require frequent cleaning. This means that chimneys that require to be cleaned after 2-3 months may not be the best. Again, you need to install the chimney at a lower height to make it easier for you when cleaning. Installing a chimney at a lower height also enables it to suck more oil, smoke and heat from your kitchen.
- Warranty and brand – Today there are so many companies that produce chimneys. However, you need to care about the reputation of the company and how long it has been in the business. Therefore, you need to ensure that it is a well known company with excellent customer feedback. You also need to ensure that the chimney comes with a reasonable warranty.
- Type of chimney – The two types of kitchen chimneys are; Ductless chimney and Ducting chimney. Ductless chimney uses a motor and a fan. Once they absorb air, it is then passed through charcoal filters which absorbs odor, smoke and heat. They then release clean air into your kitchen. The good thing about these chimneys is that they are very easy to set up. Again, they can be programmed to shut off automatically. However, they are a bit noisy and you will need to change the filters regularly. Ducting chimneys on the other hand work by sucking air from the kitchen and they then pass it through meshes and filters where oils and grim are absorbed from the air. Unlike the ductless chimneys which releases clean air back to the kitchen, ducting chimney contains PVC or a pipe outlet which releases the air outside the kitchen. They are highly effective in capturing fumes, dust and dust. They are also the best for commercial kitchens.
- Additional features – Kitchen chimneys comes with different features and some of the features you should check include; LED lamps, LED indicator, heat sensor, and auto clean function.
Choosing the best kitchen chimney can be very overwhelming due to the different products available on the market today. Since chimneys are a bit expensive, you need to ensure that you have spent your money on a product that will give you the best experience. In case you have been thinking of buying a quality chimney for your kitchen, you should consider all the things we have mentioned in this article. This will make your work easier when narrowing down your options.