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Which cooker hood looks best?

Ruth House
last year

This is not my kitchen but our roof line, size and layout will be very similar. The cooker extractor will be going this near side butted up to ceiling beam (where I've sketched). There will be a square pillar painted white down adjacent wall just like in the pic (but we wont have wall units).
Do you think a square extractor (looking similar to wall pillar) or a tube extractor (so that it is in contrast to the pillar). Which will look better?
I think round, hubby thinks square.. please help.

Featured Answer
  • smac232
    last year

    Ruth

    I totally get your dilemma. I think you are right to have the hob on the island. If you have a sink on your island you just end up with lots of dirty dishes piling up in the middle of the room and cooking with your back to everyone.

    But I do think you should think again about venting hobs versus the two column extractors you mention. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I do not find either of the extractors you suggest attractive and think they will ruin the sight line in your kitchen. I know you don’t like the look of a venting hob but they are, in my opinion, far less obtrusive than column extractors and surprisingly compact nowadays.

    If you are investing a lot of money in your kitchen I would disagree with those who say you don’t need extraction. We have a ceiling mounted extractor fan over our island hob and it’s incredible the amount of grease and dirt it accumulates despite us never deep frying anything. If you want your paintwork to last and you have a multipurpose room where odour could be an issue, it is absolutely essential.

    Comments (31)

    • Daisy England
      last year

      What about a downdraft?

    • Ruth House
      Original Author
      last year

      I'm asking for opinions on the two different chimney shapes.

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    • Sonia
      last year

      I prefer the circular one. The rectangular one looks like a big boiler and not very attractive. However, I think a ceiling extractor fan will be less obtrusive and looks so much better. Don’t know your budget but this model by Lumier is £499, has good reviews and good customer service. Just my opinion.

      Ruth House thanked Sonia
    • Daisy England
      last year

      Well in that case neither. They’re too intrusive when venting hobs are an option.

    • Ruth House
      Original Author
      last year

      Venting hobs are not an option for us, because we don't like them lol.

    • Ruth House
      Original Author
      last year

      Thanks Sonia, we have spent months debating this issue. I completely agree and would prefer a ceiling mounted one but the issue we have is with hob being placed partly below the beam that separates the flat ceiling and the pitched ceiling. If we had a rectangular ceiling one it would either have to be boxed in under the beam (ugly) or be offset on flat ceiling and not lined up with edge of hob (weird). We have settled on the straight chimney because it can it can at least line up with the edge of the end of hob that is under flat ceiling. Believe me we have driven ourselves mad with the various different options. If I could find a square ceiling mounted one that would be ideal.

    • Nicola Rhodes
      last year

      It seems a shame to block your sight lines with a huge extractor. Is it an option to move the hob to the back wall?

      Ruth House thanked Nicola Rhodes
    • J
      last year

      I'd go circular. Add you'd see more around it. And I had one just like that myself. I like them

      Ruth House thanked J
    • Ruth House
      Original Author
      last year

      Thanks for the comment Nicola, we did think for a long time about that option, it would be a hell of a lot simpler. However the whole vibe of the new kitchen is open plan and social cooking with kids and visitors so we are certain that we want the hob on the island. I feel moving it would be giving up on the dream and a compromise too far.

    • Sonia
      last year

      Nothing is ever straightforward is it? It’s your home and you know what will or won’t fit. So frustrating for you.

    • Ruth House
      Original Author
      last year

      Thanks Sonia, your comments are always so kind and helpful.  It really is overwhelming.  We have a November start date for our extension/renovation but there's so much to think about, with 2 kids and us both working full time I do get stressed abut the number of decisions we've got to make and how little time we have.  Paying kitchen deposit on Thursday so just ironing out a few things ASAP.


      Thanks again for your help.

    • Nicola Rhodes
      last year

      Ruth we did an open plan extension very similar to this. Hob on back wall with sink in the island. It worked really well and we have two young kids - still really social!

    • Ruth House
      Original Author
      last year

      Hi Nicola, yes we did consider the sink being there instead but after many months of debate our layout is decided as we see it best for us.  Luckily this is one end of a larger open plan area so we still have uninterrupted views of the garden from the dining/sitting end.  Thanks so much for your comments.

    • Sarah U-S
      last year

      Is it possible to not have an extractor and then have a fan elsewhere on an external wall? I guess it depends on how often you would use it? In all honesty, we never use ours!!

      Ruth House thanked Sarah U-S
    • Ruth House
      Original Author
      last year

      Thanks Sarah, I believe for building regs this could be an option yes, it is an option we have discussed in the past. We are keen cooks and do use our extractor often so I worried it wouldn't do a good enough job. I can't believe the least exciting bit of my kitchen design hasbhad to have the most conversation and brain power to sort out.

    • Sarah U-S
      last year

      Ha ha! When we did our kitchen extension a few years ago, we had an RSJ blocking the only possible route for any ducting from an extractor. To solve the problem we had a recirculating fan above the hob and then an extracting fan on an exterior wall. I cook a lot - and I can probably count the number of times I’ve used either on one hand. If needed, I open the back door!

    • Kim
      last year

      Maybe something else to consider? We have the type of extraction you might normally see in a bathroom but much more powerful. Inline fan unit up in the loft and the only evidence in the kitchen is the two ceiling grilles and isolator switch. Works really well and much quieter than most hoods unless you have thousands to spend on one. We had all the work done so I could watch the children in the garden and talk to family at the table while cooking and my no go's were a chimney hood or a noisy one! (I am highly sensitive to noise) Our kitchen work still in progress.

    • Ruth House
      Original Author
      last year

      Thanks Kim, that does look smart.  We have a few months before purchase so will talk through these options with our builder.

    • User
      last year

      I know you dont want to compromise but I do think both the round and square extractors look ugly, the ceiling fan solutions look better, but I dont known how well they work, perhaps you could have a big ceiling fan above your hob and another smaller fan on an outside wall. I know what you mean about noise, my kitchen fan is too noisy for me, but I put up with it whilst cooking as it does a good job! I turn it off when eating though. In future, if I get a new kitchen, I would get a down draft hob from Bora, like my daughter and another fan on the wall above/near the ovens. I do not like a smelly kitchen. However, whatever you choose will be ideal for you and you are living with it and only you matter, so go with your gut instinct and just enjoy the result, a perfect home in the eyes of the world isnt necessarily a perfect home, a home is individual and personal, not a show house.

    • David Thomas
      last year
      last modified: last year
      • For a island that contains a hob you definitely need a ceiling extractor otherwise you'll get streaks on the white paint leading to an extractor placed somewhere else and more importantly grease on the ceiling. Just build a rectangular box out of wood or MDF slightly bigger than the extractor and firmly attached to available joists above or a concrete ceiling. Hide any electrical cable in the ceiling cavity or in some sort of cable ducting that's not too bulky if you have a concrete ceiling.
      • Round within a rectangular ducting will look awful and it'll almost certainly be too small to do an effective job if it has to fit into your planned ducting which looks quite narrow.
      • Without a shadow of doubt the best ceiling extractors are made by an Italian company called ELICA. [ I've no axe to grind. ] In fact most of the other electrical retailers have them made by Elica to their specification and then charge a lot extra on top. Particularly watch out for German brands AEG, Miele, Bosch, Thermador, Gaggenau, Neff etc, which are no better. You'll have to pay upwards from £1,500 to get a good German ceiling extractor (not recirculating with filters which are a pain in the neck, literally and metaphorically to get the filters out and replace or clean them.) Lumière in one of the pictures above is Malaysian and is much cheaper - buyer beware - avoid a false economy and watch out for guarantees and potential repairs.
      • Why not just buy an ELICA direct for £1,000. Prices are going up rapidly due to inflation and if they need to be paid for upfront remember they mostly come with only 12 months guarantee. Most of the others manufacturers are of a pretty naff quality and will likely break down after 2-3 years. Read the reports in Which or Trust Pilot. If the extractor is in the ceiling you'll need to have a remote control somewhere or, better, a 'zap' or a 'fob' which you could place close to the hob to switch on and adjust speed.
      • Good luck - the price is a bit of a shock and you'll also have the installation costs for an electrician - not at all easy to do a DIY job for an extractor with outstretched hands holding up the quite heavy structure until it's anchored in place. Having it fall on your head would be rather painful !
    • 123
      last year

      We have an Elica ‘Charm’ which is a circulating extractor. As suggested we have a separate ducted extractor but we hardly ever use it. No marks on the ceiling despite lots of cooking, the Elica is very effective.

    • 123
      last year

      Here is ours, you can see the ducted extractor in the top left of the picture

    • Eileen Nixon
      last year

      Just open a window, part of the pleasure of cooking/baking is the smell and anticipation of taste, just saying.

    • PRO
      Luke BORA ASM London
      last year

      I know I'm biased (I work for BORA) but what's wrong with a venting hob. quiet, looks great, easy to clean, no extractor in your way & very efficient


      check out this recent kitchen from one of our dealers!!!





    • Ruth House
      Original Author
      last year

      Thanks Luke from BORA.  We have of course considered a venting hob.  'Looks great' is subjective, they don't look bad bit not as nice as a hob without one. And 'easy to clean' may be true but again in comparison to not having to clean one.  Plus I am not keen on the amount of space they use us in the unit below, the impact on my unit layout is huge and at some expense.  We will consider all our options again before the plans are finalised, builder doesn't start until November and I do appreciate they function well to avoid a ceiling fan. Thanks for input.

    • PRO
      Luke BORA ASM London
      last year

      Hi Ruth, the grease filter & nozzle go in the dish washer ..they just lift out. Our system only take up one drawer. if you have any questions let me know.

    • Eileen Nixon
      last year

      Hi R House, column extractors are just indoor chimneys, when friends are round what’s she going to look like with a chimney on her oops I feel a song coming on!

    • User
      last year

      It comes down to personal choice, I thought my daughter was

      mad paying for the hob from Bora, but I now see I was wrong, I dont work for any firm and am retired, but I do think Bora are the way forward at present. Another expense I scoffed at was a tap that filters water, gives boiling water and chilled drinking water thats sparkling, its worth every penny if you have extra pennies to spend! Sorry I’ve been proved wrong and if I felt I could afford a change, I’d knock the wall down between my kitchen and dining room and splash out on a lovely new kitchen! Just enjoy yourself and make sure you get exactly what you want, you might be like me and have to live with your choices for over 22 years! Mind you, I lived with my old kitchen for 25 years and it wasnt me that changed it, we moved house!!

    • Ruth House
      Original Author
      last year

      Thank you all so much.  We have had months and months of conversation and research on this issue and I'm just so tired of it.  Now we've paid the deposit for the kitchen and the builder is booked for the extension work to start we're feeling the pressure in terms of making decisions.  You've all helped to encourage me to reconsider all options again with fresh eyes (we put the whole thing on hold for a coupld of months as we're unable to make a decision).  The round chimney is my preference of the two and I prefer it to any other chimney style extractor.  My overall preference would be a flush ceiling extractor but this is ultimately down to what the builder says and how this could fit alongside the beam.  A venting hob is a compromise for us, which I'm sure we'd get used to very quickly as you always do once things are done.  We have already designed the kitchen layout and planned where everything will go so it will take some thinking to lose the drawer/cupboard below the hob.  It's exhausting going over and over the same pert of the project and never quite finding a conclusion we're happy with.  But if certainly helps to have all your friendly people to talk it through with. Thanks again. Ruth

    • lspendl 828
      last year

      If flush is simply not a possibility then, of the two you’re considering I’d go with the circular one. Sometimes compromise is a necessity. I fully understand that feeling of being sick to death thinking about your project for months on end - I’m there too but with windows.
      Good luck. I’m sure your kitchen will we stunning.

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