Cooktops are the essence of a kitchen…Especially an Indian kitchen. From the last decade, conventional and classic cooktops got a drop because of the benefits offered by a Hob. So, what exactly is a Hob? Gas stoves and hobs are both cooktops, but they are completely different from each other in terms of functionality and design. While gas stoves may seem an easy choice for cooking, modern hobs have many benefits and are becoming quite popular with homemakers of all ages.
What is a Hob?
Traditional gas stoves have a freestanding body type while modern hobs have a built-in design. Traditional gas stoves are limited to basic functions such as on and off. On the other hand, modern hobs come with an array of features that make cooking easy. To sum up, hobs are definitely a better choice over gas stoves for modern kitchens.
Hobs have pressurized gas from the cylinder passing through the regulator and hose pipe to reach the knob. However, the difference here is that it has different sizes of valve opening, corresponding to the burner size. Gas and air combine in the die-cast burner unit and the flames burn only when the black plate is placed on the burner unit. A spark from any lighter or auto-ignition kindles the gas and it burns, appearing in blue flames. In hobs, the burner is designed for flames to cover the wider area of a flat vessel sideways. Since hobs do not heat the vessel from the center, they may be less efficient in heating smaller vessels and round base vessels.
Hobs fit into the kitchen slab with a concealed hosepipe, giving it an elegant look. Hobs require less maintenance and are quite hygienic in nature. The burners in hobs are designed such that they reduce resource consumption and provide quick cooking, thereby saving time.
Advantages
- A built-in hob comes with concealed gas pipes which impart a clutter-free and seamless look to the kitchen– These hobs are highly suitable for compact kitchens as they do not look bulky.
- This built-in design makes it easy for you to load/unload heavy cooking utensils on the cooktop.
- The built-in hobs come with a pulse ignition feature where one has to turn the control knob to light the burners and there is no need to use a lighter or matchstick.
- When cleaning the countertop, you can simply wipe off food spills and grime from the hob’s cooktop.
- Hobs come with multi-flame burners; you can individually control the flame on the interior and exterior ring of the burner to precisely adjust the cooking temperature
What does a cooker hood do?
A cooker hood is an electric fan that sits above your hob and is tasked with removing smelly cooking odors, grease, and moisture from your kitchen. the kitchen hood is one of the most important appliances in any kitchen. Even if you cook only once a week (or even less), you should install a kitchen hood, because it just takes one big stir fry to fill the kitchen with smoke.
The Different Types Of Cooker Hood
There are three main types of cooker hoods:
Wall Mount Range Hoods
Chimney cooker hood
Wall mount range hoods are one of the most common types of stove hoods. These vent hood 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.
Additionally, wall-mounted range hoods come in different shapes. The most common type is a pyramid chimney style or tapered hood (see below).
A chimney hood is probably the most common option, and likely what comes to mind most when you think about a cooker hood. A chimney hood is fixed to your wall and has a chimney coming out of the top of the appliance for venting the air. Most often chimney hoods can be vented or circulating.
Some wall-mounted range hoods have a different triangular design, with flat sides (see below).
The unit is attached to a bare wall, but you can add cabinets on each side. When in use, the suction fan pulls the cooking smoke through the filters and then gets blown up to the top of the chimney that leads to an exhaust pipe.
The exhaust pipe can be directed to a hole in your kitchen wall that leads to the outside, so all the smoke can be blown out of the kitchen. This is called a ducted, or ventilated kitchen hood.
If you are not able to cut a hole in your wall for the exhaust pipe, you can also get a chimney hood that filters the air and recirculates it back into the kitchen. This is called a ductless, or recirculation hood.
Ceiling Hood:
Ceiling cooker hood
These are flat hoods that fit flush into your ceiling, so there is nothing hanging down above your hob. Operated with remote control (because you’ll never be able to reach it), these can be a stylish alternative to the island hood, especially if you don’t want to have anything hanging down from the ceiling and blocking views.
2. Island Range Hoods
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.
Island range hoods come in all different shapes and styles. Also, all-island hoods are mounted to your ceiling and so your ductwork will run through your ceiling as well.
Slim / Telescoping cooker hood
Slim kitchen hood
Another type of kitchen hood is the slim kitchen hood. This type of hood does not have a tall chimney section, so it can be installed underneath an existing cabinet.
Similar to the wall-mounted hoods, slim kitchen hoods can be ventilated or recirculating. In a ventilated slim hood, the top of the hood can be attached to an exhaust pipe concealed within the cabinets, and lead to the outside.
There is also a version of a slim hood called the telescoping hood. This type of hood hides completely within your cabinets and drops down into view when switched on.
Why is a minimum and maximum distance required?
Electric cooktop Gas cooktop
Gas cooktop
The minimum distance between your gas cooktop and your range hood must be 65 centimeters. The reason for this is that flames are present with a gas cooktop. If they’re too close to your range hood, there’s a chance that your range hood literally catches fire. And that’s very dangerous, of course. When you cook on gas, the cooktop also heats your pan if it is kept slightly above it. That’s useful if you’re going to work, for example. That’s why the range hood can hang higher than with an electric cooktop. We recommend a maximum distance of 80 centimeters. If you hang the hood higher, there’s a chance that it won’t suck away all cooking fumes.
Electric cooktop
If you cook on a ceramic or induction cooktop, you won’t have to deal with flames, and the minimum distance is less. This is usually 55 centimeters, but consult the range hood’s manual to make sure. This can vary per brand, type, or model.
What kitchen hood features do I need?
Once you have determined the type of cooker hood you need for your kitchen, you need to choose the right specifications, such as:
- Width: how wide is your cooking area?
- Height: how high should you mount it?
- Suction power: the fan needs to be powerful to pull in all the pollutants
- Recirculating or ventilated: are you able to pipe the smoke outside?
- Type of filtration: what method is used to trap grease and oil?
- Noise: is it noisy when switched on at full power?
- Maintenance: how often does it need to be cleaned?
- Design: does it match your overall kitchen design?
When buying a kitchen hood, you need to figure out what feature is most important to you. Do you need it to be quiet? Or to have very strong suction power? Or to look good? All these factors will impact the cost. Hopefully, these tips will help you choose the right range hood for you.
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