Which hood for an open kitchen?
The best option for an open kitchen is a ceiling or island hood ducted to the outside. A downdraft in the hob is a compromise when the ceiling or island does not allow a hood body to hang. Recirculation suits light cooking and works as a fallback, because it does not remove moisture or heat.
In an open plan the job is harder than in a closed kitchen: steam and smell are not locked behind a door but travel to the living room, the sofas and the curtains. A good-looking body is not enough. You need airflow, a correct height above the hob and a duct that actually takes the air out.
The CTE (DB HS 3) requires at the cooking zone an extraction system of at least 50 l/s, independent of the general ventilation. That is 180 m³/h: the minimum to meet the code, not for searing steak on an island.
Does a hob with built-in extraction work?
It works if you cook in low pots and pans and the hob is induction. Steam rises, and the hob extractor catches it at the start, before it spreads. It captures tall pots and their steam less well: the device sits lower than the rising plume.
The advantage is that there is no hood body above the island: in a large living room with a view this saves the interior and the light. The price is under the worktop: a duct of about 150 to 200 mm and the motor take up the drawer under the hob, and the cabinet loses capacity. The duct leaves through the plinth or floor, and it has to be set before the screed.
With a gas hob the choice is narrower: the flame deflects the flow and efficiency drops. Pick the model by the data sheet: airflow and noise at each speed.
Can you vent a hood to the facade in Barcelona?
Technically yes, but in an apartment block the facade is common property, and opening an outlet needs a decision of the comunidad de propietarios. Most often the meeting refuses: for the look of the facade, smell for neighbours and noise complaints.
In some Eixample buildings the facade is protected and alteration is simply forbidden. Nor is it wise to vent into the inner light well (patio de luces): grease and smell go to neighbouring windows, and it is a frequent cause of disputes.
There are two realistic routes: reuse an existing vertical duct (old buildings sometimes have the flue of the former coal kitchen) after a technical check and the comunidad's agreement, or run a duct through the false ceiling to a legal outlet. You must not connect the hood to the bathroom extraction duct: DB HS 3 requires an independent duct for the kitchen hood, not shared with other rooms.
Can recirculation cope with frying?
Not fully. Recirculation passes air through a grease filter and a charcoal filter and returns it to the room: it traps grease and some of the smell, but moisture, heat and CO2 stay.
For light cooking (vegetables, pasta, eggs) it is enough. For high-heat frying, meat, fish and wok cooking the smell remains, and the charcoal filter runs out fast: it is usually changed every few months according to the manufacturer. A forgotten filter turns the hood into a decorative object.
Recirculation is justified when no duct can be run, or as a complement: a weak duct plus a good filter. In a flat where you cook every day, it is better to spend the time and money on a duct than to air the living room afterwards.
Make-up air and safety
For air to leave, it has to come in from somewhere. In a modern flat with airtight windows, a 600 to 800 m³/h hood creates negative pressure: the door whistles, the motor starves for air and the hood performs worse.
The fix is an inlet vent (in a window or wall) or the trickle opening of a window, which you use while cooking. The make-up air should be near the kitchen so the air crosses the cooking zone.
If the flat has an open-flue gas boiler or water heater, negative pressure can cause backdraught and carry combustion products into the room. That is a safety question, settled by the engineer in the design, not by the crew on site.
How noisy is a ceiling hood?
Noise depends on airflow, duct diameter and motor position. On low speed it sounds like a quiet conversation; on maximum it is heard in the next room. A motor inside the body overhead is the loudest option; a remote motor in the false ceiling or on the roof is 10 dB quieter or more.
A 200 mm duct is quieter than a 150 mm duct at the same airflow, because the air moves more slowly. Flexible ribbed hose is noisy and loses performance: use rigid galvanised duct with as few bends as possible. The motor is hung on anti-vibration mounts and, if needed, a silencer goes in the duct.
Choose airflow with a margin: the code minimum is 180 m³/h, and for island cooking in an open kitchen, about 600 to 800 m³/h is typical so the hood can run at a medium, quiet speed.
How to plan the hood, and what we do
The decision is made at the layout stage, before the kitchen is ordered and the ceiling is closed. You need: the hood and hob models, the duct route, the depth of the false ceiling (for a 200 mm duct, at least 25 cm), the outlet and the make-up air.
Mind the order: appliances are approved first, then furniture, then the ceiling. We covered that order in our article on appliances before joinery. For an outlet to the facade or a shared duct, the comunidad's agreement comes first.
BCN YARD puts the hood into the design before the finishes: we calculate route, noise and make-up air, help prepare the request to the comunidad and run the work so that the ceiling is not opened twice. If you are planning an open kitchen with an island, we visit and find how to take the smell out of your flat.
Frequently asked questions
Does a hob with built-in extraction work?
Yes, with low pots and induction: it catches steam right at the source. It is less effective on tall pots, and with gas performance drops. The 150 to 200 mm duct and motor take up the drawer under the hob, with the route through the plinth set before the screed. Choose the model from its data sheet.
Can you vent a hood to the facade in Barcelona?
The facade is common property, so you need a decision of the comunidad de propietarios, which is often refused. In some Eixample buildings the facade is protected. Venting into the inner light well is not acceptable because of smell and grease. Realistic routes: an existing vertical duct or a route through the false ceiling to a legal outlet.
Can recirculation cope with frying?
Not fully: it traps grease and some smell, but moisture, heat and CO2 stay in. It is enough for light cooking, not for high-heat frying, fish or wok. The charcoal filter is usually changed every few months. In a flat where you cook daily, a duct is the better investment.
How noisy is a ceiling hood?
On low speed it sounds like a quiet conversation; on maximum it is heard in the next room. A remote motor is 10 dB quieter or more. A 200 mm duct is quieter than a 150 mm one, and rigid pipe is quieter than flexible hose. Choose airflow with a margin, 600 to 800 m³/h, so it runs at medium speed.