Favorite Range Ventilation Options

A cooktop built into a kitchen island is a bold design statement that brings the rooms cooking area into the spotlight -- but properly venting a cooktop.

Range ventilation options. Range Hood Venting Options All range hoods fall into one of two categories. Use a window fan. But 11 of cabinets on just that one wall might be overwhelming.

Here are a few options I can think of for the hood. They might be the more expensive option in the long run since they are more complicated to install and require extra interior work. Are there other unobtrusive kitchen vent options.

Ductless range hoods can be installed anywhere in the kitchen and are popular in apartment homes where outside venting is not an option. For high-output gas ranges or cooktops the minimum rate of 1 CFM of ventilation per 100 British thermal units BTU is recommended. A downdraft range hood is a ventilation system thats built into either the cooktop or countertop behind the cooktop burners.

The cooking-contaminated air is pulled up into a vent in the ceiling and expelled outside of the home. Because an internally vented range hood does little ventilation it has a higher CFM rating than its externally vented range counterpart does. Soffit or roof vents because they are inconspicuous are the most design-conscious of all the range hood vent options.

Venting Requirements for Island Cooktops. If youre fortunate enough to have a window in your kitchen or at least nearby install a small window fan and run it on exhaust every time you cook. Its easy to choose a kitchen venting system based solely on aesthetics but having a solid understanding of the pros and cons of different products is important too.

Learn more about the various overhead and downdraft venting systems and find a solution that works best for your home. Add a second layer of cabinets across that whole wall going all the way up to the ceiling. An internally vented range hood on the other hand works by sucking in the hot gases from the cooking and recirculating them into the cooktop area.