February 12, 2025
Air Venting Hob Guide
An air venting hob opens up brand new possibilities for your kitchen. Combining your hob with an extractor is a modern and effective way of cooking. Our air venting hob guide will explain how they work as well as talk you through the pros and cons of this type of hob.
What Is An Air Venting Hob?
Air venting hobs offer two appliances in one: a hob and an extractor. The extractor is positioned in the centre of the hob and draws the air downwards beneath the surface. There are two different extraction methods to choose from; recirculated and ducted out. Recirculated models use charcoal filters to trap grease and moisture before releasing the clean air back into the kitchen. Ducted out models expel the air outside your home using a pipe that connects from the extractor to an outside vent. Typically, air venting hobs use induction, however we do supply some air venting gas hobs too.
How Do You Use An Air Venting Hob?
If you opt for an air venting induction hob, you operate this in the same way you would a normal induction hob. Sliding digital touch controls allow you to adjust the temperature as well as the extraction rate. By having the controls for the extraction and the hob together, you can control the extraction rate without taking your concentration away from the cooking.
How Do You Clean An Air Venting Hob?
Air venting induction hobs are easy to keep clean. By wiping the glass surface with a damp cloth after each use, you can keep the hob looking shiny and new. A deep clean roughly once a month will also help towards maintaining your hob. Each air venting model will have a slightly different extraction section however most have either a grill or a vent that can removed to clean. We have some tips and advice in our Hob Cleaning Guide. You can also find more information about how to clean your extractor and the grease filters in the manufacturer’s instruction manual.
Pros Of An Air Venting Hob:
Rather than having a bulky overhead extractor, you can eliminate steam and cooking odours without taking up much space.
Air venting hobs blend seamlessly into your kitchen. The modern style works well in new kitchens, especially built into an island.
As previously mentioned, you can wipe down the hob after each use. The smooth glass surface is easy to maintain. Most hob extractors are easy to clean too.
Because you are removing odour and vapour directly from the source, you can keep the air fresh and clean in your kitchen. Often this is more effective method than using a traditional cooker hood.
Cons Of An Air Venting Hob:
Because these hobs feature an extractor fan, you can find they produce extra noise. We do supply Quiet Mark certified air venting hobs if you’re looking to keep noise levels to a minimum*.
If you opt for an air venting induction hob, it is worth noting that you’ll only be able to use induction safe cookware. This can add to the upfront costs of replacing your hob if you’ve previously not used induction.
You’ll need to hire a professional to install this type of hob to ensure the ducting is installed correctly.
Air venting hobs tend to be more expensive to purchase than other hob types because they offer more functionality. However they are also highly energy efficient. So you will find that your running costs are cheaper than using a gas or ceramic hobs with a traditional cooker hood.
Things To Consider When Buying An Air Venting Hob
Brand
You might wonder which is the best air venting hob brand? We supply a variety of brands who make this type of hob. There are some specialist extraction brands that we would recommend. Find out which brands we think are best in our Best Hob Brand Guide!
Size
You’ll need to ensure there is enough space below the hob for the extraction ducting and filters. It is important to note that you will not be able to use the cupboard space beneath an air venting hob as the pipework and extractor motor will take up most of this space.
Features
Our range of air venting hobs offer many great features. Some models have a bridging function which combines two cooking zones so that you can cook with larger pots and pans. There are some models which can even weigh out your dry ingredients for you!
