Do I need a vent hood for an outdoor kitchen?
Are you getting your outdoor kitchen ready for summer? It should be a comfortable space where you can enjoy great conversations and memories with your family and friends.
Maybe you're looking for that wow factor – the finishing touch to your outdoor space. You want to catch people’s attention right as they walk in.
You might be wondering: do I need a vent hood for an outdoor kitchen?
Yes, you need a vent hood for an outdoor kitchen. A vent hood removes heavy grease and smoke produced by your grill. It’ll remove strong cooking odors and keep grease and oils off your cabinets, walls, and countertops. A vent hood is a beautiful addition to your outdoor space that will impress your guests.
5 Reasons You Need an Outdoor Vent Hood for Your Kitchen
You can’t live without your outdoor grill.
If you love to grill, you’ll love your outdoor vent hood. It’s essential for avid cooks to keep the outdoor kitchen air clean and fresh. Anytime you grill, whether it’s for yourself or a crowd, turn the hood on and watch as it sucks up all the pesky grease and cooking exhaust.
You can’t seem to keep the grease, smoke, and cooking odors at bay.
If you’re struggling to keep strong cooking odors and smoke out of your patio area, an outdoor hood is the best solution.
You might be wondering: why do I need a hood if I’m already outside? Isn’t that enough ventilation?
Well, grills simply produce way too much smoke. The heavy smoke can get on your ceiling, walls, overhangs, and cabinets making your kitchen look less appealing and age faster.
Also if you cook often, you may need more ventilation. Otherwise cooking odors and grease can fill your kitchen. Cook for a few days without an outdoor range hood or vent hood and you’ll know what I mean!
You want a WOW factor!
Do you want an impressive statement piece that your guests won’t stop talking about? Mount a professional outdoor hood in your kitchen space and it’ll be one of the first topics of conversation every time you have people over.
Outdoor hoods give people a great first impression of your patio area. In fact, they add some nice value to your home as well.
You’re looking to build or remodel your outdoor kitchen.
Every new outdoor kitchen can benefit from an outdoor vent hood. It’s a long-term investment that will last you years.
If grilling is one of your favorite hobbies, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth. Even if you only grill a few times a week, an outdoor hood is a practical option for your kitchen. It keeps the air clean, meaning you don’t have to spend so much time scrubbing grease off your cabinets and walls. It creates a more pleasant environment for you and your family. You won’t be smelling last night’s dinner.
If you’re remodeling, the same is true. Your outdoor kitchen should not only be a place to cook delicious meals but also one where you can enjoy time with family and friends. A grease-free, smoke-free kitchen helps with that!
You enjoy hosting barbecues, get-togethers, or other social events.
Barbecues and a great way to spend the spring and summer months! That means hours of cooking and a lot of smoke and fumes. A lot! The more you host parties, the more power you’ll need out of your outdoor vent hood. Keep reading and we’ll teach you about the right CFM for your hood and more.
Outdoor Range Hood Buyer’s Guide
Size
To keep smoke and cooking odors out of your outdoor kitchen, size your hood 12 inches larger than your range. It should extend six inches beyond your range on each side. This gives great coverage over your cooktop, capturing all the smoke and grease with ease.
For example, over a 36” outdoor grill, mount a 48” vent hood. Learn more about sizing your range hood right here.
CFM
We recommend at least 1200 CFM for your outdoor vent. The most powerful outdoor hoods feature 2000 CFM blowers; here are some of our favorites.
If you know the BTUs of your grill, you can calculate the minimum CFM you need for your hood. Just divide the total BTUs by 100. For example, if your gas grill produces 120,000 BTUs, you’ll want at least a 1200 CFM range hood.
Material
Outdoor vent hoods are manufactured in durable, corrosion-resistant stainless steel. It withstands the elements along with the high heat of your grill. One of the most popular outdoor-rated stainless steels is 304 SS.
Learn more about the difference between 304 SS and 430 SS, indoor-rated stainless steel, at this link.
Ducted or Ductless?
When shopping for outdoor hoods, you have one option: ducted. We strongly recommend a ducted range hood for your outdoor kitchen because ductless hoods simply don’t have enough power. They won’t be able to handle the smoke and heat of your outdoor grill.
Click here to learn more about your venting options for ducted hoods. Or to learn more about ductless hoods, check out this post.
Mounting Height
Mount your outdoor range hood between 36” and 42” above your grill. This reduces the risk of your hood getting damaged. It’s also where your hood will be the most efficient. Any further and much of the smoke and oil will escape into your cooking area.
Learn more about mounting height in our range hood mounting height guide.
Duct Size
In most cases, you need a 10” duct for your outdoor hood. Take a look at the chart below comparing CFM and duct size.
It’s important to not go any smaller than the above requirements. A duct that is too small will choke the air and decrease the efficiency of your hood. Grease can build up in the duct and eventually your hood won’t remove smoke and grease from your outdoor kitchen.
It’ll still try to suck air but that air won’t have anywhere to go. Imagine going for a run and having to breathe through a straw.
For more helpful tips on range hood duct size, take a look at our complete guide.
Filters
With ducted range hoods, you have two options for filters: mesh and baffle. We recommend baffle filters because they are more efficient at capturing grease. Efficiency goes a long way when you’re cooking with high heat grills that produce heavy smoke.
Learn more about range hood filters in our range hood filter guide.
That’s all for our article on outdoor range hoods. Hopefully you found this information helpful!
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