Recycled Air Hood Recommendations?

[Vinotas]

Seeing how helpful everyone's been about helping me pick both a new range and a new dishwasher (probably both will be Bosch stainless steel), I was hoping to pick your brains about recycled air hoods.

I can not do a vented hood as I live in a NYC apartment, and cutting through the wall would be frowned upon by management. Going through the window would cut out the light and be rather unsightly.

So I am left with a recycled air hood.

Anyone have any good recommendations that would not break the bank (ie under $800-1000) and be reliable? And, of course, look good?

Thanks in advance,

Cheers!

[Vinotas]

Shamelessly self-serving desperate bump.

[rooftop1000]

maybe a Thump will help

I have an outside door next to my stove and a window over it but would like a recirculating fan too...opening the door in January just 'cause I wanted some foie gets chilly

T

[Fat Guy]

Point of nomenclature: the preferred terms for these sorts of hoods are recirculating, ductless and unvented. I haven't heard recycled uses much.

Bad news: don't get your hopes up. Recirculating hoods can remove some particles from the air with their filters, but if you don't have ducted hood (or a window right by the stove) you can only do so much before your apartment fills with smoke or grease. You'll have to adapt your cooking style to the constraints of the hood, so there are various restaurant techniques you'll want to avoid, like doing a hard sear in a super-hot cast-iron skillet. You'll also want to get in the habit of using splatter screens, partially covered pots and the oven broiler as a stand-in for some searing techniques.

That said, I'd recommend something like the Broan 88000 Series. You should be able to pick one up in the $350 range, plus you need the Microtek filters and some hardware, which adds another $75 or so to the price. Here's one vendor. I have a Broan ducted hood and it performs as well as plenty of more expensive, fancier hoods. Broan makes a good product at a reasonable price.

I'd also recommend getting a couple of basic HEPA filters from Costco, Home Depot or the equivalent and placing one in the kitchen and one near the entryway to the kitchen. Run them at full when you cook, and set them to low for a couple of hours after you cook. These can help limit the accumulation of grease and other pollutants.

[rooftop1000]

So going with their numbers - 24 inch above range and a min of 31 inches for duct - I am guessing with a ceiling height of less than 7ft I should just give up and open the door.

tracey

Edited October 3, 2007 by rooftop1000 (log)

[Fat Guy]

With a ceiling height of 7', you can certainly do a hood but you won't be able to do much in the way of putting a cabinet above it.

[Vinotas]

Thanks Fat Guy!

We have an 8' ceiling, so we might have room for a smaller cabinet. I keep reading about how awful recirculated air hoods can be, but frankly when living in an apartment on the UES of NYC, it's a bit tough to do anything else. Our management board won't allow us to drill through the wall or put in a window vent, so I have no other choice.

I just need to get rid of the smoke that occurs whenever I sear a steak or some foie gras, for example.

I will look into the Broan, though others have suggested the Proline Prestige.

Cheers!