Range hoods are a sometimes forgotten appliance when compared to your stove and refrigerators. However they have an important role in the kitchen. Not only do range hoods take care of the smoke coming from your cooking they can reduce heat in the kitchen, help you deal with the smell of whatever you are making and most significantly they are an important tool to prevent kitchen fires and accidents.
If you are on the fence about getting a range hood, those reasons should convince you to add it to your kitchen. If you already have one then take a look at the filter options you commonly have.
- Charcoal filters
- Baffle filters
- Mesh filters
These are the main 3 types of range hood you can get. Once you install your range hood you will get more familiar with the model and what filters are compatible, plus we’ll give you the pros and cons of each one so you can make the best decision.
Charcoal range hood filters
This type of range filter is one of the most used and popular. The top feature of charcoal filters is that it doesn’t need a duct installed in order to function so they can save you on installation.
The charcoal work absorbing all the smells, smoke and grease, and you can just throw it away and get a new one when it’s done.
Benefits of charcoal range hood filters
- No need for expensive installations
- Affordable filters
- No washing, no maintenance, just use and dispose
Negatives of charcoal range hood filters
- Big energy spender. The charcoal filter blogs a lot of air flow so it uses the fan more.
- Louder than other filters
- Needs replacement often, depending on how much you cook it lasts between 3 to 6 months
Baffle range hood filters
Probably the easiest type of range hood filter to maintain. It works by capturing the cooking residue when the air pases a set of intertwined baffles. It’s a great method since it reduces the debris within the range hood itself.
Benefits of baffle range hood filters
- Easy to clean
- One of the most efficient fire preventing range hood filters
- Probably one of the most durable types of range hoods
Negatives of baffle range hood filters
- Needs to be cleaned often, every 2 months or less
- This type of range hood can be heavy and require special installation or expert repairs
- Most costly type of range hood filtration
Mesh range hood filters
This one is probably the overall most common range hood filtration system. Using a metal mesh the filters traps smells, smoke and grease as air pases through it. Practical but likely to build up residue often so you need to keep an eye on them and clean them often.
Benefits of mesh range hood filters
- One of the most lightweight but durable materials for filtering smoke and cooking grease
- The top in efficiency at filtering grease
- Easy to find and use
Negatives of mesh range hood filters
- Its less loud than the charcoal option but louder than the baffle
- If you enjoy high temperature cooking often then baffle is probably better
- Less fire protection than baffle filters
