What are Downdraft Hoods?

Cooker hoods can often be something we’re quite keen to hide. As the world of appliances gets more inventive and innovative, manufacturers are finding all types of ways to design their appliances so they have a contemporary edge. One such example are Downdraft Hoods, which represent a very modern solution to hiding your cooker hood.

Not everyone wants to hide their hood, for some kitchens it can tie into the feel of the room. Like a traditional chimney hood over a range cooker can give your kitchen a rustic, traditional look. But modern kitchens are increasingly becoming more about clean lines and functional space. 

The kitchen can be as much a place to entertain guests, especially as lots of homes go open-plan to give the room a sense of greater space and because an open-plan kitchen and lounge is a great feature to have in the home. More and more homeowners are incorporating kitchen islands and breakfast bars into their kitchen to create that open-plan space. 

Whilst island hoods remain a very popular option for that, some people don’t want a cooker hood that might obstruct their view of say, their garden, or towards the lounge – it very much depends on how your kitchen is configured. So where do downdraft hoods come into this?

What is a Downdraft Range Hood?

Downdraft Cooker Hoods have a very unique design and functionality. They are designed to be flush with your countertop. When switched on, it rises from the counter and extracts from behind the range instead of from the top. They rise to about 20-25 centimetres above the range.  This opens up a whole new realm of design possibilities for your kitchen. 

Just as ceiling hoods give you an extractor that doesn’t disturb or obstruct any of the space in the room, so does a downdraft hood. It also doesn’t give the odours and vapours a chance to rise, they are immediately drawn in. This is due to them being integrated into the surface of your counter, drawing the odours down instead of up. 

How Do You Duct a Downdraft Hood?

A downdraft hood is ducted downwards and out of the house just like any other hood, or  you can get one that uses charcoal filters which are very efficient and you don’t have any location restrictions on your new hood. 

If you are ducting downwards, then you need to make sure you’ve taken extra measures to ensure that grease isn’t collecting at the bottom of the duct, as this becomes a fire hazard and a food source for rodents. If they then get stuck in your ducting, your hood won’t be able to get rid of kitchen doors as a very different one will start emanating into the kitchen. 

Browse our full range of Downdraft Hoods in our Extraction section. Stacked with hoods from top, market-leading manufacturers, they are a perfect companion to a design-forward, modern kitchen. If you want an extractor fan that’s unobtrusive and can be completely hidden when not in use, then these will definitely pique your interest.

With a whole host of cooker hood selections to choose from, we’ve got an extractor fan for everyone with options to suit any budget and interior.

Head to our Cooking section to see matching appliances for your extractor, like our collection of Hobs and Range Cookers. We often have package deals, so see if you can’t save yourself some money with one of our bundles!