Understanding Commercial Kitchen Hoods
When you’re new to the commercial kitchen business, it is important to understand what kind of kitchen hood would work best with your kitchen. You do not want to settle on a hood without knowing for sure that it meets the needs of your restaurant. You want to make sure that the hood you choose will help your restaurant run efficiently, cleanly, and safely.
It is important to note that a commercial kitchen hood is very different from a hood you would use in your own kitchen. This is because you’re dealing with heat and fumes in a commercial kitchen for a longer period and in much larger doses. For that reason, you need to pick a hood that encourages clean airflow and discourages the buildup of grease and other irritants.
It is therefore important you consult with a professional before selecting just any commercial restaurant hood. Ambient Edge is here to answer any questions you may have, as well as help you select and install the kitchen hood that works best for your commercial kitchen.
Types of Restaurant Kitchen Hoods
Commercial kitchen hoods come in a variety of types and styles. However, you can typically boil all kitchen hoods down to two types: those that remove grease and smoke and those that do not.
For restaurants where grease is not as much of a concern, like sushi restaurants or delis, kitchen hoods mainly function to remove steam, heat, and odors from the restaurant. Restaurants that see a great deal of grease and smoke, like pizza places or burger joints, should opt for a kitchen hood designed to pull these from the air. A restaurant hood is one of your first lines of defense against a grease fire.
Types of Exhaust Styles
When you are looking to purchase a restaurant kitchen hood, your decision goes beyond how it looks. You also need to consider how you need your exhaust handled. There are a variety of options available to you insofar as kitchen hood exhaust styles.
The exhaust style you select can range from $100 to $1,000 for the install. It all depends on the kind of exhaust you need and your restaurant’s setup. A ductless exhaust style is the easiest to set up. It is also one of the least expensive. Ductless exhaust traps irritants, and then recycles the air through the kitchen.
Most restaurants need a vented exhaust style, which pulls the exhaust out of the restaurant entirely. The price of installation for vented exhaust can vary widely, depending on your kitchen.
Kitchen Hood Installation Costs
When it comes to the price of installing a commercial kitchen hood, it all depends on what kind you’re looking for. There are many options available to you.
For instance, if you are looking for the type of kitchen hood that installs under a cabinet or as a wall mount, installation can cost between $200 and $500. If, however, a cabinet insert is more appropriate, this can run anywhere from $500 to $1,000.
The difference between these kinds of setups is that a cabinet insert is less visible. It blends in with your cabinetry, and in some cases, you can even customize it to your liking. There is also the downdraft kitchen hood, which inserts into the range and is less visible while not in use. Downdraft kitchen hoods can cost upwards of $1,000.
