Smoke-free kitchens – Do they sound like a dream? Well, not anymore. Thanks to the hundreds of options for the best kitchen chimneys in India. But choosing the best kitchen chimney for your home is not an easy task.
Kitchen Chimney is an appliance that aids in making your kitchen clean, oil and smoke-free. It sucks in all the smoke and oil that is released by cooking. Installing a kitchen chimney in your cooking space aids people who love to cook but are restrained by the fear of watery eyes and the smell of the smoke that causes irritation in the throat.
A kitchen chimney has many names, it is known as a kitchen hood, exhaust hood, or range hood. It resembles a mechanical fan that rests over the cooktop or a stove, but instead of blowing air, it works on a mechanism that absorbs the smoke, heat, and oil smell while cooking. A Kitchen Chimney is built in such a way that it mixes the fresh air with the heat or smoke produced by cooking and then absorbs it all and is releases it through a vent.
With this buying guide, we will help you choose the best kitchen chimney for your home according to your needs. We will also answer basic questions that surround you when you go to purchase a chimney-like – types of kitchen chimneys in India, how do they work, what are the features that you must out for in a kitchen chimney, how to clean a kitchen chimney and what are ductless chimneys.
1. Best Chimney With Filterless Technology: Elica Filterless Auto Clean Chimney
2. Best Chimney With Baffle Filter: Hindware Auto Clean Chimney
3. Best Chimney With Pyramid Style: Inalsa Pyramid Chimney
4. Best Chimney With Large Size: Eurodomo Auto-Clean Chimney
The table below highlights the 7 best kitchen chimneys in India:
The kitchen chimney is an important part to have a hassle-free cooking experience. If you’re looking for one, check out our picks of the best kitchen chimney!
This chimney from Elica comes with efficient filterless technology. This technology helps in ensuring powerful suction capacity as the chimney draws in unhealthy smoke and oily fumes to keep your cooking experience free from smoke. The chimney is wall mounted and has a curved glass type. It also includes LED lamps and a touch control panel. This appliance uses motion sensing technology that can operate using just a simple wave of hands.
Product Features:
- Striking black matte finish
- Includes a separate oil collector
- High suction capacity
This chimney comes with a curved glass structure and black finish. The size is 60 cm and is ideal for 2-4 burner gas stoves. The chimney operates using touch and gesture controls. The appliance includes a smart LED and a touch control panel to have an easy and hassle-free cooking experience. Along with this, it features an auto clean and filterless technology to manage the heavy smoke better. It has a powerful motor and an oil collector too.
Product Features:
- Includes gesture and touch control
- Perfect for a small to mid-size kitchen
- High suction power
Eurodomo chimney has a suction capacity of 1200 cubic meter per hour and has a separate oil collector for cleaning. This kitchen chimney comes in a size of 90 cm. It is suitable for 3-5 burner stoves. This chimney can also be mounted on the wall, and it also has a baffle filter fitted. This kitchen chimney also has a touch control panel with curved glass. It is also available in size: 60 cm.
Product Features:
- Suitable for 3-5 burner stoves
- Wall-mounted appliance
- Includes baffle filter
This Inalsa kitchen chimney is of size 60 cm and has an airflow displacement of 875 cubic meter per hour. It has 2 baffle filters which give it more power to suck all the impurities of the air. It has 3-speed controls and you can change them depending on the type of food being cooked. It has a push-button control with LED lights. This kitchen chimney can also be mounted on the wall.
Product Features:
- Includes two baffle filters
- Comes with 3 speed control options
- Features 2 LED lights
The chimney from BlowHot includes a baffle filter to keep the smoke out of your kitchen and have a good cooking experience. Along with this, it has a low noise level which allows you to cook in peace. It has a copper motor and a plastic blower. Also, it features a push control type. This wall mount appliance is elegantly designed and is a perfect match for your modern kitchen decor. The chimney includes two big mounted LED lamps to cook your food in a better light.
Product Features:
- Wall mounted appliance
- Includes a baffle filter
- The noise level is less than 59 dBA
Hindware chimney has a suction capacity of 1200 cubic meter and has curved black toughened glass. This kitchen chimney has a blue film on it for protection. Moreover, it has an airflow displacement of 1200 cubic meter and comes with auto-clean technology. It has touch control and a baffle filter fitted. It has curved black toughened glass which adds elegance and class to your chimney.
Product Features:
- Includes water auto clean technology
- Comes with an oil collector cup
- It has a metallic blower
This chimney is a ductless chimney and has a suction capacity of 1100 cubic meter per hour. It is 90cm in size which makes it suitable for 3-5 burner stoves. It can be mounted on the wall. It has curved glass and no filter, which makes it a ductless chimney. This chimney also has auto clean technology and touch control making it easy to operate.
Product Features:
- Suitable for 3-5 burner stove
- Wall-mounted kitchen chimney
- Has a curved glass
Table of Contents
How does a kitchen chimney work? | Parts of a chimney and their functions
The working of a kitchen chimney is very simple. Smoke and oils released while cooking is sucked in by the kitchen chimney and released outside while the kitchen chimney filters lure the grease and they get stuck there itself. A kitchen chimney can be with a duct or ductless. But both these chimneys work in different ways, which we will get to later.
There are various important parts of a kitchen chimney. Let’s find out what all they do and how they work.
1. What is a hose pipe or a PVC pipe in a kitchen chimney?
A hosepipe or a PVC pipe is a drain pipe that accumulates oil and grease from the filter, but this pipe also needs to be cleaned. It can be cut to fit in any size of a kitchen, and it can also be painted to match the walls or tiles of your kitchen.
2. What is a duct in a kitchen chimney?
A duct is a pipe that aids in releasing smoke or oil outdoors. It plays a very important role in a kitchen chimney, as it does the most important work. During installation, you should make sure that it is installed properly or else your kitchen won’t give you the best results, which it is supposed to.
3. What is a hood in a kitchen chimney?
A hood is that part of the chimney that is right above the stove. All other parts are fitted inside the hood, and that hood is then connected to the duct or vent. Hoods come in various styles that add décor and value to your modular kitchen. You should select the right size and shape of the hood that suits your kitchen the best in the space available.
4. What is the function of a motor in a kitchen chimney?
A motor is a machine that operates on electricity, and when fitted in an appliance, it accumulates power in the appliance to make it work.
5. Which filters are used in a kitchen chimney?
A filter, in general, is a particle collecting device and its job in a chimney is to separate the oily greasy particles from the smoke. In a kitchen chimney there are variants of a filter:
A. Mesh Filter
Mesh Filter is made up of many layers of Aluminium. It traps grease and oil particles from smoke that is produced by cooking. This type of filter needs cleaning every week, and it is not a good option for Indian cooking. A kitchen chimney fitted with a mesh filter makes more noise as compared to the others. This filter is not expensive, but it is not enduring either.
B. Baffle Filter
Baffle filter is made up of numerous curved panels of stainless steel. It is similar to the layers of aluminium and traps all the grease and oil particles from the smoke. This type of filter doesn’t need cleaning every week, it can be cleaned monthly and as a result, it is a good option for Indian cooking.
A kitchen chimney fitted with a baffle filter makes less noise as compared to a chimney fitted with a mesh filter. Also, it is more expensive than a mesh filter and hence; it is more enduring.
C. Charcoal Filter
A charcoal filter is made of the charcoal ballot with holes in it and these holes do the absorption mechanism. A kitchen chimney fitted with a charcoal filter is suitable for Indian cooking. This type of filter can’t be cleaned and this filter makes more noise. A kitchen chimney fitted with this type of filter is expensive and requires a lot of work as this filter needs to be replaced every 3-4 months.
Types of kitchen chimney in India
There are 2 types of kitchen chimneys available.
1. Conventional Kitchen Chimneys
These are the best kitchen chimneys available online if you don’t have enough space in your kitchen for a chimney with a hood. They also operate similar to kitchen chimneys with a hood, but they need lesser space for installation.
2. Contemporary Kitchen Chimneys
These are the best kitchen chimneys which are also available online and they are well suited for a modular kitchen as they add style to your kitchen. They can also be called modular kitchen chimneys. They come in various designs and you can select any design that is in your budget.
Let’s see the type of hoods available.
| Wall Canopy |
1.Most common hoods 2.Fixed on the wall 3.Hood hangs above the stove |
| Downdraft Chimney |
1.Stylish and classy 2.Comes over the stove when needed 3.Push button to open and close |
| Island Canopy |
1.Fixed on ceiling 2.Looks like it’s not hanged and just positioned nowhere 3.Best for counter-top cooking ranges and gas stoves 4.Best for western-style counters |
| Built-in Hood |
1.Masked behind or under cabinets 2.Can be blended with kitchen design |
What to check before buying a kitchen chimney?
Things to keep in mind while buying the chimney for a kitchen.
1. Suction Power
It is the capacity with which a kitchen chimney can suck the polluted air. Chimneys with long PVC pipes have higher suction power. For cooking Indian food, the best kitchen chimney would be with higher suction power. Suction Power also depends on the size of your kitchen. For those who cook frequently and would be using their chimney quite often, the power ranges from 400 cubic meter per hour to 1000 cubic meter per hour.
2. Filters
Suction becomes poor if the filter doesn’t function properly. You need to choose a kitchen chimney with an appropriate filter that you want to be based on your needs and choosing the right filter augments the performance of the chimney.
3. Motor/Blower
The blower or motor in the chimney should be sealed to protect it from dust particles. The Aluminium nonstick blower and motor is the right choice if you want to save yourself from the pain of re-servicing every 2-3 months.
4. Size
The size of the kitchen chimney depends upon the size of your kitchen. It also depends upon the size of your stove. The chimney should cover the stove from all sides in order to suck in the maximum amount of heat or smoke produced from cooking. An average kitchen chimney comes in the size of 2 feet and 3 feet.
5. Maintenance
You should always select a chimney which requires less maintenance which doesn’t have to be done every 2-3 months. You should also install your chimney at a lower height so that it is within your reach and you are able to clean it properly and installing a chimney at a lower height also sucks in more heat, oil, and smoke produced from cooking.
6. Budget
There are multiple designs available with multiple brands. So, you don’t need to worry about the fact that whether you will be able to buy a good chimney in your budget or not. The cost of a kitchen chimney ranges from 3000 to 100000.
7. Noise
You should select a chimney which doesn’t make noise or makes very minimal noise which doesn’t irritate the cook or other members of the family. You can always select a chimney which has an additional silent kit installed which will lower down the sound of your chimney.
8. Speed Settings
The speed with which a kitchen chimney sucks the polluted air is less at the beginning. But, nowadays, there are chimneys with multiple speed settings and you can select a higher speed setting to get quicker results.
9. Warranty And Service
Make sure to buy your chimney from a verified seller so that you get a warrant. Most chimneys come with a 1-year warranty, but few have lifetime warranties as well. Warranty is an integral part because no matter which chimney you choose, eventually it will need cleaning.
Kitchen Chimneys – Some Features You Can’t Ignore!
Some feature to definitely look for while buying one.
1. Auto Cleaning Chimneys
Some chimneys come with an option of auto cleaning, which means once you put it on auto-clean mode, it cleanses itself by heating the coil for 15-20 minutes and converting the oil into liquid, and letting it out. Such chimneys turn themselves off after the cleaning procedure is complete.
2. Convertible Kits
Some brands offer a kit with the kitchen chimney which gives the user to convert the chimney from ducted to ductless and vice versa.
3. Noise Proof Kits
These kits assure you that your chimney will make no noise, no matter what the speed setting is.
4. Detachable Oil Collector
This tool collects all the oil from the filter, and it can be removed and cleaned very easily. This way, the life and the capability of the filter is increased.
5. Auto Heat Detector
It detects when the heat and oil particles start accumulating and automatically turn on.
6. Indicator
An indicator in a chimney turns on when the filter needs cleaning or needs to be replaced.
Method To Clean Kitchen Chimney Filter
All you need is a lemon, salt, and baking soda. Then you put some baking soda in boiling water and add salt and lemon to it. After that, leave the filter in the solution for 2-3 hours. Then, scrub the filter gently with a mild detergent, rinse it off with clean water and let it dry naturally.
As mentioned earlier, a modular kitchen chimney can be ducted or ductless and they work in different ways.
Kitchen Chimney: Ducted
A ducted kitchen chimney has a complicated ducting system which needs to be installed properly and very carefully. It needs proper plumbing to be done, and usually, it is placed above the stove for proper ventilation. These types of kitchen chimneys vent the air with smoke outside your home. Their performance is also better as compared to the ductless kitchen chimneys.
This type of kitchen chimney requires a hole of at least 6’’ to be installed for ducting reasons. For the chimney to give the best results, the size of the duct should be at least 6-8 feet.
The duct should have minimum or no bends while installation because bending the duct multiple times reduces the productivity of the chimney and increase the noise that it makes.
In order to avoid such problems, few companies have introduced flexible ducts, which are easy to install and can be bent, and there is no issue of corrosion in them.
Kitchen Chimney: Ductless
A ductless kitchen chimney works well as a ducted chimney, but without ducts. Instead of ducts, it has an extra carbon filter. The air produced by cooking has smoke, grease, and other pollutants, so in a ductless kitchen chimney, this air first passes through the first filter which cleanses the air from the oil particles, then it goes to the carbon filter which cleanses the air by removing smoke and odor from the polluted air and once the polluted air is clean, it is then released back into the kitchen.
This is the major difference between a ducted kitchen chimney and a ductless kitchen chimney. A ducted chimney releases the polluted air outside while a ductless chimney purifies the polluted air and releases it back into your home. We believe that ducted kitchen chimneys are a better option than ductless kitchen chimneys.
Why is a ducted chimney better than a ductless one?
- A ducted Kitchen Chimney releases the polluted air while a ductless chimney purifies it and releases it back into the kitchen.
- Though ducted chimneys are expensive as compared to ductless chimneys, their filters can be washed so they have less maintenance cost.
- The carbon filter in the ductless chimney can not be washed, Hence, it has to be replaced every few months.
- Ducted kitchen chimneys have higher suction power.
- Ductless chimneys don’t purify the air from heat and moisture, so, it is released right back into the kitchen.
- A ducted chimney generally makes less noise (depending on the size and model).
Frequently Asked Questions
Here we answered few important frequently asked questions by our readers:
1. What are the top brands for kitchen chimneys in India?
Several brands are highly regarded for their kitchen chimneys in India, including:
- Faber: Known for its powerful suction capabilities and durable build quality.
- Elica: Offers stylish designs with advanced technology and effective filtration systems.
- Hindware: Features budget-friendly options with good performance and efficiency.
- Kaff: Renowned for its innovative designs and high-end features.
- Glen: Provides reliable performance with a focus on energy efficiency.
2. What factors should I consider when buying a kitchen chimney?
When purchasing a kitchen chimney, consider the following factors:
- Suction Power: Higher suction power is ideal for heavy cooking, particularly in Indian kitchens where deep frying and extensive use of spices is common.
- Filter Type: Choose between baffle, carbon, and cassette filters based on your cooking habits. Baffle filters are generally preferred for Indian kitchens.
- Size: Ensure the chimney size matches the size of your stove or cooktop. Common sizes are 60 cm and 90 cm.
- Noise Level: Opt for chimneys with lower noise levels for a more comfortable cooking environment.
- Maintenance: Consider the ease of cleaning and maintenance, including whether the filters are dishwasher-safe.
3. How often should I clean the filters of my kitchen chimney?
The frequency of cleaning the chimney filters depends on the type of filter and your cooking habits:
- Baffle Filters: Should be cleaned every 2 to 3 weeks. They are designed to handle heavy grease and oil, making them suitable for Indian cooking.
- Carbon Filters: Need to be replaced every 3 to 6 months, as they are not washable. These filters are used for odor absorption.
- Cassette Filters: Should be cleaned every 2 weeks. These filters are less efficient for Indian cooking as they get clogged easily.
4. Is a ductless kitchen chimney effective?
Ductless kitchen chimneys, also known as recirculating chimneys, can be effective but have some limitations:
- Advantages: Easy to install as they do not require ductwork. They are portable and can be placed anywhere in the kitchen.
- Disadvantages: Less effective in removing smoke and heat compared to ducted chimneys. Require frequent maintenance and replacement of carbon filters.
- Suitability: Ideal for kitchens where installing a duct is not possible. However, for heavy-duty cooking, a ducted chimney is recommended for better performance.
5. What is the average lifespan of a kitchen chimney?
The average lifespan of a kitchen chimney typically ranges from 7 to 10 years, depending on the brand, usage, and maintenance:
- Brand Quality: Premium brands like Faber, Elica, and Kaff usually have a longer lifespan due to their superior build quality.
- Usage: Frequent and heavy cooking can reduce the lifespan of a chimney.
- Maintenance: Regular cleaning and timely servicing significantly extend the lifespan of a chimney. Filters should be cleaned or replaced as recommended by the manufacturer.
Proper care and usage will ensure your kitchen chimney remains efficient and lasts longer.
In conclusion, selecting the best kitchen chimney online or offline with the best price available in your budget is hard but not impossible. Our picks for the best kitchen chimneys are Elica Filterless Auto Clean Chimney, Hindware Auto Clean Chimney, Inalsa Pyramid Chimney and Eurodomo Auto-Clean Chimney. This guide will certainly help you in making the right choice.
