Chimney Buying Guide – Things to Consider Before Buying a Chimney

The kitchen is the heart of every home. But to keep it looking cool and clean is no easy task, especially if you are cooking Indian cuisine. Indian food has rich aromas, uses tempering, and involves plenty of frying too. It leaves behind grime and odours and often food particles/stains on the cooking range, cabinets, and walls. So, the best solution is to install an excellent electric kitchen chimney or what is also called a kitchen hood for the hob. An electric chimney sucks the hot air inside a kitchen and expels or filters out food particles,  grease, grime, and odours. As the air passes through the electric chimney, the filters in the chimney absorb heat and trap the grease particles, keeping your kitchen clean, cool, and completely free of odours.

What are the benefits of an electric kitchen chimney? 

Here are the ten benefits of installing a kitchen hood in your kitchen: –

• Keeps the air clean. Keeps the house free of odours.

• Removes hot gases and toxic pollutants from your kitchen air.

• Reduces the level of carbon monoxide in the kitchen while cooking.

• Controls the growth of bacteria by reducing the humidity and hot air circulation.

• Makes cooking comfortable with built-in lights.

• Makes cooking safer as it absorbs steam from the cooking pot.

• Helps control airborne grease particles that stain backsplashes, ceilings, and cabinets.

• Requires little cleaning and maintenance.

• Looks aesthetically appealing and gives a modern vibe to the kitchen.

How to select the right chimney? 

Here are ten criteria that will influence your final purchase: –

1. Kitchen chimney size 

The ideal kitchen chimney should be the size of the stove or larger but never smaller. A standard 60cm chimney is ideal for a 2 to 4 burner stove, while 90cms is best for a  3-5 burner stove. If the kitchen  chimney size is smaller than the stove/hob, some cooking fumes may escape the direct suction power and  spread in the kitchen.

2. Mounting Type 

The mounting style of a chimney is best determined while constructing or renovating a kitchen. It is either wall-mounted or ceiling mounted. Whichever you choose, ensure the chimney exhaust pipe fits the duct perfectly. Better still, install a chimney without ducting that recycles the air. 

3. Suction Capacity 

Kitchen hoods are available with suction capacities between 700 m3/hr to 1600 m3/hr. The rule is – more  cooking needs higher suction capacity. Also, since most households have a family of four and cook three  meals a day consisting of spicy, veg, non-veg dishes, we suggest you invest in a chimney with over 1200  m3/hr suction power.

4. Type of filter 

Depending on the material, structure, and filtering process, there are three types of filters:-

∙ Mesh or Cassette Filter: This filter type has multiple aluminium or stainless steel layers. Since the mesh often traps the solid particles while allowing the smoke to escape, the filter requires cleaning once a week to work efficiently. 

∙ Baffle Filter: 30% more effective than the traditional mesh filter. The design contains panels on the filter with multiple curves. It is fitted in most Indian kitchen chimneys and requires to be cleaned  only once in 3-4 months 

∙ Carbon Filter: The oil and grease particles effectively stick to the carbon filter. It requires cleaning only once in 6 months. Most new chimneys use carbon filters.

5. Auto Clean Chimney 

There are chimneys available in the market called auto clean or filterless chimneys. This modern auto-clean technology does not require removing and cleaning filters every few days/months and is worth investing in. Today, the best auto-clean chimneys by Hindware are available on Evok.

6. Features 

Modern kitchen chimneys with touch panels have powerful LED lights. They also have additional features like: – 

∙ Remote Control: Control the chimney from any part of the kitchen. 

∙ Motion Sensor: Motion Sensor chimneys can be switched on with just the wave of a hand. ∙ Timer: The timer automatically switches off the chimney at the set time, thus saving electricity. ∙ Metal blower with a high-capacity motor: It eliminates the task of replacement of filters at regular intervals 

∙ Oil collector cup: Oil collector cups collect the grease droplets, which otherwise collect on kitchen surfaces. 

∙ Filter cleaning buzzer: Indicates it is time to clean the filter or replace it.  

∙ 2D suction: The new two-directional suction uses vertical and horizontal air filters for improved performance. 

∙ Ductless hood: Ductless hoods are easy to install, clean and maintain, and need lesser space.

 ∙ Auto-cleaning technology: It is a one-touch cleaning that makes it easier to maintain in the long run. 

7.  Speed and Noise 

The latest chimneys have 3-speed touch controls to ventilate the kitchen faster. When put on the Turbo  Exhaust mode, it runs at the highest speed to remove any blockages in the system. But the higher the suction power of the chimney, the noisier it is. Today, there are greener chimneys with BrushLess D C (BLDC) motors that conserve electricity. Few brands offer a chimney with the motor pump installed outside the kitchen to make it less noisy. 

8. Aesthetics 

Chimneys with ducting can disturb the aesthetic of the kitchen. Opt for a ductless one that does not require any exterior wall cut-out. You may also consider body material types – Stainless steel, GSPS sheet,  powder-coated to blend with the interior design of your kitchen.

9. After Sales Service and Warranty 

Most importantly, buy a branded chimney. That way, you will be assured of good service and a higher warranty period. Kitchen chimneys from well-known brands like Hindware have warranties on all their products and have dedicated customer service to attend to service requests and complaints.

10.Price 

The price of the kitchen chimney depends on its features. For example, the Optimus iPro IOT enabled chimney, with thermal auto-clean technology and MaxX Silence Technology is priced at INR 45,000, while the chimney with cassette filter costs only INR 6,990. While checking on the prices, don’t forget to check out EMI options and discounts. 

To help you further below are few points you need to consider :

What are the types of chimneys available in India? 

∙ Wall-mounted chimney: The chimney is fixed on the wall above the hob. It requires only one  opening on the wall for the duct. 

∙ Island chimney: These hanging island chimneys are mounted on the ceiling. Most open kitchens  use an island chimney above the centre island. 

∙ Built-in chimney: They are fitted within the kitchen cabinets to conceal the extra parts of the  chimney.

Which is the best type of kitchen chimney for Indian kitchens?

Wall-mounted is the best to install in Indian kitchens because they take up less space and are easy to install/dismantle. Also, their oil collectors are easy to clean. 

Is there a minimum kitchen size to install a kitchen chimney?

In any kitchen above 200 sq ft, you can install an electric kitchen chimney. 

Is an auto clean chimney better?

Auto clean chimneys require no maintenance, suction filters are stronger, preserves oil clogging, and keeps the functions fresh. Manual chimneys have a higher maintenance cost because they need labour to clean the filters, suction filters are not very powerful, and oil clogging does happen. If you are buying a new chimney, go for the latest auto clean type. 

Which chimney shape is best for Indian kitchens?

Indian chimneys have two shapes – one with curved glass and one with straight glass. For a wall-mounted chimney, use the curved glass shape and for a ceiling mounted chimney, use a straight glass shape. Of course, this is not a hard and fast rule; it can be interchanged based on your taste and the kitchen decor.