Kitchen chimneys have become the need of every person these days. They are responsible for removing all the dust and smoke produced while cooking. They keep the kitchen clean and ventilated. There is always confusion on how to choose a kitchen chimney.
Choosing a kitchen chimney will depend on the type of kitchen. Generally, the kitchen is chosen based on the size of the kitchen and stove. The chimney is chosen slightly bigger than the size of the stove.
This article is a complete buying guide on the types of kitchens and their various features. The person should choose the right type of chimney according to their interests.
Types of kitchen Chimneys
It is known that kitchen chimneys are important for the cleanliness of the kitchen. There are various types of chimneys and they are: –
1. Wall Mounted Chimney
This is an electrical chimney that is being installed against the wall and the cooktop. These are available at affordable prices. They are quite adjacent to the wall. It comes in different sizes according to the person’s needs. Buying this chimney is a benefit as no extra changes need to be made. Its design gives an astonishing look to the kitchen making it interactive. It has only one disadvantage it can be put up only on the wall.
2. Built-in Chimney
These chimneys are being installed inside the wooden furniture above the cooktop. But its installation is done in such a way that the extra parts don’t get covered. Often people having small kitchens prefer this type of chimney as they need very less space. Their glossy look makes it look stunning and attractive. They are available in various sizes with different types of filters. There is one disadvantage they are slightly more expensive than wall-mounted chimneys.
3. Island Chimney
These chimneys are best for the kitchen that has a cooking table in it. They are hung from the ceiling and can be fitted anywhere. They are available in many designs that provide a classy look to the kitchen. But it has to be ensured that it should not touch the cooktop, so it requires a lot of space.
4. Corner Chimney
It is clear from the name that these types of chimneys are installed at the corner of the kitchen. If a person has a small kitchen with a corner cooking table, then they can prefer using these types of chimneys. They are available in elegant designs with different types of filters. If the kitchen has a lot of space, then also they can be installed if the kitchen has a corner cooking table.
Kitchen Chimney Buying Guide – Things to Consider
1. Size of your chimney
The size of the chimney always depends on the size of the kitchen. Standard chimneys always come in 2- and 3-feet sizes. The size of chimney should be bigger or the same size as the stove. It shouldn’t be smaller than the stove. The standard size is between 60 cm and 90 cm. If the stove is with 2 burners, then the size of the chimney should be less than 60 cm.
2. Mounting Style
Mounting Style depends on the infrastructure of the kitchen. If the kitchen’s duct is round, then the chimney should contain a round pipe working as an exhaust. The normal exhaust hole kitchen can have a wall-mounted chimney. The shape of the chimney and duct should match. The island chimney can be used if there is a cemented duct.
3. Suction Capacity
The range of the suction capacity of the kitchen chimney usually lies between 700 m^3/hr to 1600 m^3/hr. The suction capacity should be chosen based on the cooking style. In reality, vegetarians need chimneys with less suction capacity as compared to non-vegetarians. Vegetarian food needs less oil resulting in less suction capacity ranging from 800 m^3/hr to 1000 m^3/hr. Nonvegetarians’ food is fried and contains more oil, so they need chimneys with at least 1100 m^3/hr.
4. Filterless technology
Nowadays, chimneys often come up with filterless technology. The chimneys without filters need less cleaning. These types of chimneys often come up with auto-clean technology and oil collectors. But people use more oils while cooking, and shouldn’t use these types of chimneys. They are slightly more expensive than the normal chimneys but the service cost makes that difference zero. People prefer these types of chimneys just because they are very easy to clean.
5. Installation kit included in the box
The installation kit included in the box varies from brand to brand. Not every brand or company provides the installation kit with the chimney. The installation kit consists of the aluminum duct and the end cap within the chimney box. The person should check that the installation kit is being included in the box as this kit is very important for the chimney to be installed properly.
6. After-Sale Service
Most of the chimneys have a 12-month warranty with them. But some chimneys come with a lifetime warranty. A customer should check the after-sale service before buying the chimney. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how good the product is but if the after-sale service is not good, then the customer shouldn’t buy the product. It becomes necessary to check if the brand provides the after-sale service to the location or not.
Famous Brands Providing Service:
7. Style
The chimneys often come in two types of styles. One is with curved glass and the other with straight glass. It all depends on the choice of the person. Curved glass is preferred for the wall-mounted chimney and straight glass for the ceiling-mounted chimney. The style of the chimney also makes the kitchen look more beautiful.
Types of kitchen chimney Filter
Here are three major types of chimney filters-
1. Carbon Filter
Carbon Filter uses charcoal as the source of Carbon. Charcoal is used to absorb remaining grease, oil, and other suspended particles which can adhere to the surface. It is used in addition to the baffle or the cassette filter. This makes the chimney more efficient. The absorbing power of this filter is high which increases the efficiency.
2. Baffle Filter
The baffle filter is one of the best components because of its great structure and enhanced functionality as a primary filtering medium. These filters are mostly made from stainless steel but there are some aluminum panels. Whenever smoke and greasy air pass through panels. These molecules get stuck to the surfaces and release only the smoke and hot air into the atmosphere. It is easy to clean as compared to a cassette filter. The panels of this filter are made up of stainless steel which is more durable than normal aluminum filters.
3. Mesh Filter
A Mesh filter is one of the basic filters for chimneys. It is used as the primary layer of protection in almost every type of chimney. Mesh Filter is generally made up of aluminum wire mesh with an opening hole size lof ess than half a millimeter. It does not use any complicated technology due to which it comes at the lowest price. It helps in protecting the kitchen for food lovers.
Normal Vs Auto Cleaning Chimney
The normal chimneys don’t contain any oil collectors which results in the collection of oil on the inner walls of the chimneys. This makes it difficult to clean the chimney. But on the other hand, auto-clean chimneys contain oil collectors that can collect oil and can be auto-cleaned easily. This feature increases the lifespan of auto-clean chimneys in comparison to normal chimneys. The auto-clean chimneys are modern based, so they have an elegant design but normal chimneys look quite simple. Also, auto-clean chimneys can be cleaned once in a month by just pressing a button. Normal chimneys’ flip covers need to get open and then mesh filters are taken out and cleaned.
Conclusion:
It becomes quite difficult to choose the right kitchen chimney. Chimneys have so many filters and features that make them better than others. Various brands manufacture several types of chimneys with advanced features. Often chimneys with less price don’t have as many advanced features as others. But people who can’t afford much buy chimneys with less price to avoid the big kitchen problems.
This article contained important points on how to choose a kitchen chimney. There are several types of chimneys being discussed depending on various features. The main feature that people often look for is an auto-clean chimney as it can be cleaned with one press. People should go on buying the right type of chimney according to their kitchen.