What is the best range hood for Indian cooking?
The best range hood for Indian cooking is a high-CFM hood with variable speed options that is ducted to the outside and includes stainless steel baffle filters. Continue reading to learn more about each of those features.
Indian cooking can be a lot of work. You’ll want to ensure that you have a powerful and efficient range hood to keep your kitchen clean and free of strong odors.
High CFM
Indian cooking involves a lot of recipes that require using high-heat, such as chicken tikka masala or tandoori chicken. Sauces, any type of curry, or marinades, which often need to simmer and take a longer time to cook, often have aromas that will also permeate your kitchen and your entire home.
An OTR microwave won’t be enough to effectively filter out the contaminants or strong odors produced by this type of cooking.
Instead, you’ll want to go with a high-CFM option such as a 2000 CFM Proline range hood to make sure the air is always clear and clean. You may not want or need that much CFM, though. In that case, we have some great information on understanding how much CFM you really need for your range hood below:
How Many CFM Do I Need for My Range Hood?
Range Hood CFM for Electric vs. Gas Cooktops
Multiple Speeds
It’s likely that you won’t be cooking these high-heat, strong-smelling foods all the time. For this reason, it would be best to invest in a range hood with variable speeds, depending on your cooking style. Some foods, such as dhal, will require low heat to cook – so you won’t want your range hood venting air out of your kitchen at 2000 CFM. Just put it on a lower speed so you don’t lose your heated or air-conditioned air from your home.
Most of Proline’s range hoods come with user-friendly four-speed and six-speed options that would be perfect if you cook a wide variety of Indian foods. Browse our models here.
Make-Up Air Kit
If you cook A LOT of Indian food, and have a powerful hood, you may want a make-up air kit. What’s a make-up air kit?
Make-up air units or kits pull in fresh air from outside and feed it to your kitchen when a high powered range hood is in operation. The goal is to achieve a balance between the air that is exhausted through your vent hood and the replacement or make-up air, that comes in through the make-up air kit.
Running a high-CFM range hood for a long period of time will change the air pressure in your kitchen. To prevent this, invest in a make-up air kit; the last thing we want is for you to become lightheaded while cooking or entertaining family or guests.
We don’t sell them, but you can purchase a make-up air kit from Amazon here.
Ducted Hood
Ducted hoods, in contrast to ductless hoods, are range hoods that vent to the outside of your home. These hoods are powerful and efficient at removing strong odors from your kitchen. A properly installed ducted hood can efficiently rid your home of the lingering smells associated with cooking fish, Indian food, or other highly aromatic cooking styles.
Ductless hoods, recirculate the air back into your home and are not ideal for strong-odors and high-heat types of cooking, like cooking Indian foods.
Stainless Steel Baffle Filters
Stainless steel baffle filters are a must for the best range hoods for Indian cooking. High-heat Indian cooking will produce a lot of grease – baffle filters are the ideal option to capture it, keeping your kitchen clean and free of strong smells. These filters include several steel baffles that trap most of the grease and dirt produced while cooking.
Take a look at the baffle filters on one of our customer’s PLJW 120 below.
Stainless steel baffle filters do not need to be replaced but require cleaning every three to six months. If you cook a lot of Indian food, you may need to clean your filters more often. Click here for a detailed guide on how to clean your stainless steel baffle filters.
With all that intense cooking, the outside of your hood may need cleaning as well – we have advice for that too!
Consider Your Blower Options Carefully
Internal Blower
An internal blower is a blower motor installed within your range hood. Positioning the blower like the one in the above diagram will maximize the efficiency of your hood.
Remote Blower
If you use your range hood at a high speed often, you may also choose to install the blower either in the ductwork, in your attic, or between the joists in your house. This will drastically reduce the noise (measured in sones) your hood produces, keeping your kitchen a warm and inviting space to gather or entertain in. Even at max power, your guests can socialize and enjoy the comfort of your kitchen.
Hood Style
Hood style is also important to consider when choosing the best range hood for Indian cooking. It does not matter as much as the four primary features and is often determined by your kitchen design or personal preference.
But some hood styles offer advantages when cooking Indian food. We’ve provided a brief section detailing these benefits below.
There are many different types of range hoods. Wall mounted, island, professional, and outdoor range hoods are popular choices for intense cooking. Under cabinet hoods also work well for Indian cooking, depending on your kitchen design; however, they are less versatile and customizable than some other models.
For Indian cooking – especially at a high heat or if you cook often – professional or outdoor range hoods are ideal. These hoods are very powerful and will work great for you if you are a serious chef.
Wall mounted and island hoods also have a wide variety of CFM options and are great for Indian cooking as well. Consider your kitchen design and where you want to place your hood when choosing between these two styles.
Recap
The best range hood for intense Indian cooking is a high-CFM hood with stainless steel baffle filters. Professional and outdoor hoods are the most powerful options, while wall mounted and island hoods are highly customizable and versatile for Indian cooking. Blower position is important if you want to control the noise level of your hood.
At Proline Range Hoods, we have many range hoods that are perfect for Indian cooking. Check out our huge selection here.
Are you looking for even more information on choosing the best range hood for you? Learn more about the best range hood for Asian cooking here!
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