Some appliances in our kitchens can have different names, such as kitchen hoods or range hoods. But the name range hood can cause confusion for some homeowners, and they may wonder if they need a hood over an electric cooktop or stove. Many people believe that only gas ranges require a hood, but this isn’t the case. All cooktops and stoves need a hood. Keep reading to learn why this is the case and what size hood your kitchen needs.

Why Electric Cooktops Need a Hood

All cooktops and stoves need a kitchen hood, even if they’re electric. While electric cooktops produce less heat than gas ranges since there’s no open flame, they can still benefit from having a kitchen hood. An electric cooktop still produces heat, and whatever you’re cooking will still release grease, fumes, smoke, and other pollutants into the air. A kitchen hood will suck up this hot air and various pollutants to keep your kitchen surfaces and air cleaner.

What Size Hood Your Electric Stove Needs

Kitchen hoods are measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM), which calculates how much air a hood can exhaust per minute while working at full speed. While that acronym sounds complicated, measuring CFM for your range hood is fairly easy, especially for electric stoves and cooktops. All you need to do is measure the width of your stove or cooktop and multiply that number by ten. For example, if your stovetop is thirty inches wide, your kitchen hood size minimum is 300 CFM. However, most manufacturers suggest using a 600 CFM kitchen hood at minimum to ensure air quality.

Another sizing rule of thumb is that the hood should extend beyond your stovetop. Think about how grease can splatter to the side of your cooktop, or smoke can curve away from your stove. A hood that extends an inch or two on either side of your cooktop can better absorb this grease and smoke, keeping your kitchen clean and safe.

Types of Hoods To Pick From

Now that you know the minimum size hood for your electric cooktop, you can pick one out. There are two types of hoods for you to pick from: vented and non-vented. Vented hoods require ducting so that they can suck the dirty air out of your kitchen and deposit it elsewhere, ideally outside of your home. Non-vented hoods do not require ducting and filter the dirty air out before redistributing clean air throughout your kitchen.

Your choice between the two will depend on whether you have ducting in your kitchen or how much you can spend to add it. Non-vented hoods are frequently cheaper since they don’t require you to add ducting, so they’re ideal for people on a budget. Vented hoods are often better since they completely remove the dirty air, but they are more expensive.

Do you need a hood over your electric cooktop or stove? Choose a hood with at least 600 CFM, then select the type of hood you want in your kitchen. Robam offers kitchen hoods for sale to fit your CFM and hood type needs.