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538 Comments

  1. Kelly
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:10 am

    Ha! I didn’t want a vent hood (I have a center island range) so didn’t build one when we built the house. When we redid the kitchen (a year and a half ago, after 11 years in the house) my husband INSISTED on a vent hood because he was sick of me setting off the smoke detectors 😉 (we just redid the appliances and counters – kept the layout and cabinets because they’re awesome – but we were poor(er) when we built so had laminate counters and cheaper appliances) Anyhoo – if you’ve never needed one, don’t do it. I needed one, so I got the lowest profile one I could find (I wanted glass but husband of the “you never clean” argument vetoed that idea – darn spouses!!) I’ve loved following along on your remodel – good luck!

    Reply

    • MAC67
      December 14, 2016 @ 11:28 am

      So what do your homes smell like??? We have pancakes on the weekend, my husband’s mom has been known to cook fish and kimchi soup; egads, what about that Thanksgiving turkey?? Where does the steam and grease end up if not sucked through the screens?

      Reply

      • Debra
        August 12, 2017 @ 1:16 pm

        My home smells lovely. I cook every day! I have very high ceilings and good lighting. I open a window or a door once in awhile and it is wonderful. I have an electric cooktop. I use to have an over the cooktop Microwave with fan. HATED it. I never used the fan and the Microwave was a nuisance. I only used it for the light. Once I got rid of it and all of the upper cabinets…my lovely high ceilings and recessed lighting were all I needed. I purchased a regular counter top microwave.

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        • Melitta
          July 9, 2018 @ 2:17 pm

          This is exactly what we’re doing with our kitchen remodel right now! I’m so opposed to a hood because of how open and wonderful it makes my tiny galley kitchen without it. Before we gutted, we had the overhead microwave/fan situation and it was so noisy and annoying, we never turned it on. Ripped it out and took out the cabinets above as well. Glad to know i’m not the only one 🙂

          Reply

      • Sis
        August 27, 2018 @ 6:55 pm

        Or you could have removed the smoke detectors!!!!!

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        • Ellen
          November 13, 2023 @ 3:18 pm

          Thank you for this. I just had a fire in in my microwave fan range. I started looking on the internet for a replacement and then thought, what if I don’t replace it? My question led me to your hilarious post. I seldom use it other than for the light anyways ( and I’m not aware of my house smelling bad) lol. I have 1oo yo farm house and maybe it’s drafty enough to keep smelling farm fresh. Think I’ll raise the cupboards to the ceiling and add some open shelves. Love all the inspiration.

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    • Chris Peterson
      December 14, 2016 @ 12:00 pm

      Flaming cannonballs with chains, what a phrase!

      Reply

      • Jen
        October 9, 2022 @ 11:26 pm

        Speaking of flaming cannonballs, would range hoods work in the bathroom? Asking for a friend.

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    • Pattie C
      December 14, 2016 @ 12:52 pm

      There are people who do not need a range hood. They are people who NEVER cook. But if you like your kitchen coated in grease and foul smells by all means, go for it.
      I don’t like the look of toilets but I don’t think the bathroom would look as nice with a hole in the ground.

      Reply

      • Mrs. Marc Otto
        December 14, 2016 @ 8:31 pm

        This is awesome. It’s what you were going for, right Victoria? 😉

        Reply

      • Johanna
        December 15, 2016 @ 10:10 am

        We are a family of four who eat at home 6 nights a week and breakfast (yes pancakes, eggs, bacon, etc) every day. We took our range hood out. No problems so far and going on 5 years.

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        • Laura
          December 17, 2016 @ 2:03 pm

          Same here except a family of 5. If things get a little smoky, we just…horror of horrors…open the window. Or the back door. Or both for a few minutes. Granted, we don’t fry things or flambe, so your mileage may vary, but we cook breakfast and dinner every day and we are completely hoodless. I have a cooktop that’s separate from the oven in a peninsula that separates the kitchen from the eating area and it would totally obstruct the openness of the kitchen.

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          • Chris
            December 27, 2016 @ 4:03 pm

            I open my window, as well. If I cook something smelly (like fish), I throw a couple of cloves and a cinnamon stick in a pot of water for a few minutes. Well, sometimes I do that. I rent a place without a hood vent and it’s not worth moving for a hood vent!

            Reply

          • Heather
            May 3, 2020 @ 2:50 pm

            Can I somehow see a picture of your kitchen? That sounds just like what I want to do, but I need visual confirmation. 🙂

            Reply

          • Kate
            December 13, 2022 @ 11:51 pm

            I don’t like range hoods. I like my
            Microwave over the stove and use it ALL the time. Less so the stove. Don’t want to take up counter space with a microwave or lean over and squat down for one in the island. Need wall cabinets for storage.
            Hood seems a big waste of space to me.
            Not doing it.
            Loved this post.

            Reply

      • Aila
        October 24, 2018 @ 7:31 pm

        Mmm not true. I live in Mexico where every other person is almost a chef and no one uses them in their homes.

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      • Edith Aint
        February 11, 2019 @ 6:31 pm

        So….all these people who don’t have a range hood over their stove, yet claim to cook regularly for large families without an issue….do you think they’re all lying? Squalor-dwelling subhuman morons? Or are you just a clean-faced like my mother? I don’t “hate” range hoods, but I certainly think they’re a loud, bulky, filth-accumulating waste of time and money. I’d prefer a window over the stove.

        And a hole in the ground to squat over.

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        • Andria
          July 29, 2020 @ 10:32 pm

          Just here to say I love this comment! hahaha

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        • lisa
          September 23, 2023 @ 9:07 pm

          great comment, but I prefer an outhouse — without a range hood.

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      • Marge
        December 1, 2019 @ 1:32 pm

        Thank you!! My husband is a fantastic cook but refuses to use the hood vent. The result? The kitchen cabinets, wine bottles, and spice bottles are all covered in a thin layer of an oily residue. If you cook with oil, butter, or any type of fat, you’ve got a potential problem. Grease is in that steam and smoke, folks, and it’s gotta go somewhere.
        I’ve noticed cooking smells on our soft surfaces like a sofa and even clothes hanging in our laundry room. But hubby won’t budge because the fan noise bothers him.
        If you don’t cook often, it’s not a huge deal but for people who cook meals daily, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to vent that stuff. Yes, you can wipe down all the surfaces after you sear a steak or pan fry a fish fillet, and yes, you can open all the windows and wait for it to air out eventually, but I prefer to flip a simple switch and mitigate all that extra work.

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        • Kim
          January 19, 2020 @ 11:19 am

          I cook everyday. I have the microwave vent/fan/light combo. I HATE it!! The only thing that is of any use is the light. The vent/fan really does nothing. The only thing I really use it for (and it makes very little difference)is when boiling water. I hate the fact that the steam condensates on the unit and drips back into my pot! That is GROSS! So, I too am considering doing away with a hood/vent when we remodel our kitchen.

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          • Celia
            April 2, 2020 @ 10:26 am

            Hi Kim! I couldn’t wait to get rid of the microwave/vent/fan monstrosity in my small condo kitchen. I did install the lowest profile vent I could afford in its place, and it is wonderful! Number one, the lights are brighter above the stove, number two it actually works to remove smoke and grease and number three I have a nice big space above the stove. I stenciled a cement tile look there, but I also have lots of room if I wanted to do a spice rack. I needed a vent due to allergies.

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            • Diane
              February 26, 2022 @ 12:45 pm

              I would love to know what low profile vent you installed. Thanks!

          • Andria
            July 29, 2020 @ 10:35 pm

            Yeah, I was thinking about when I actually use the vent, and it’s mostly when I’m boiling water and the condensation is collecting ON THE VENT and dripping back down. So….

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        • KathyT
          June 18, 2020 @ 5:39 pm

          I know I am necra-posting but I agree with you. My daughter lives in a loft (VERY high ceilings) and she doesn’t have a vent and seems no more the worse off. I was shocked at her decision not to include a vent but she and her husband are architects so I trusted they know what they are doing.

          I had one of those pop up vents in my last home (9 foot ceilings) and it was barely worth the effort so in my new kitchen I knew I had to have a decent but quiet vent. I choose to house it much like the first kitchen photo (Elizabeth would trade her soul for) i.e. straight lines across with a Zepher tucked up inside it. The outer metal parts go in the dishwasher and about once a few months I start to notice grease dripping from it so I dismantle it and clean it. If you have expensive textiles in your house which I do, a vent makes sense. I don’t want that grease on my drapes. If you rarely sear or fry maybe you don’t need one.

          Also if one is cooking with gas or propane which is even dirtier (we have propane as the gas lines don’t come out to our area) and anyone in the house has asthma or other lung issues, it is good to have ventilation. One of my daughter has asthma so I needed decent ventilation to improve her air quality. If your stove top boast higher BTUs the air quality in your house can suffer. If you cook with electricity ( I am sorry) then you don’t need a vent just for the fumes of the stovetop itself. If you have a conduction cook top then you are lucky, you not only don’t need the hood for ventilation. Even better still conduction actually cooks beautifully too.

          The kitchen in question has low ceilings so that is not a plus in the question of to vent or not to vent. The space is already suffering from so many poor design choices I can’t imagine adding in another quirk. She points to dream kitchens for affirmation in her design choice but her actual house is something less than architecturally inspiring. This couple doesn’t have children and appear to be healthy so they might be able to handle the fumes if they stick with gas cooking. The air quality in the house will suffer but if the homeowner would never use the fan anyway (even if her firstborn was gasping for air every time she boiled water) , then what is the use? Make a weird space weirder, a hot mess hotter and smellier. Who cares about air quality? Plus she is never going to finish this kitchen and cook in it anyway. So I say, no to the vent on that reasoning alone.

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          • Cyn
            February 2, 2022 @ 6:12 pm

            Why such a mean response? Jeeeez. What has happened to kindness?

            Reply

      • Bcat
        January 9, 2021 @ 8:33 am

        I can’t say it any better than you. There’s a reason why vent hoods became a norm because grease and odor builds up over time even with the hood in the house, it merely reduces the amount. This lady is saying she doesn’t need it now, but she will once there’s a layer of grease along her high ceiling.

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      • Jennifer Allyn
        March 19, 2021 @ 4:26 pm

        I cook all the time–three kids. I have not, for the last twenty six years, had a hood. The only time I have an issue is when I fry bacon and burn it and must open a window. (Now I bake my bacon–so much better.). I don’t have any issues with cooking odors or my house smelling like cooking odors. I have a pot and pan rack above my stove. Every once in awhile I pull down a pan and it’s a bit dusty from lack of use–but I give it a quick wash–but I don’t have a grease problem.
        Works for me just fine.

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      • Steve
        June 20, 2022 @ 10:32 am

        If you are concerned about your walls and ceilings being coated with grease from cooking then I might suggest that you see a cardiologist because the food producing the grease that you consume is also coating your arteries!

        Reply

        • Monica Martin
          August 20, 2022 @ 6:50 am

          Actually that’s a myth Steve. Cooking in animal fat is extremely healthy.

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          • Katarina
            October 14, 2023 @ 7:28 pm

            I second this! Animal fat!
            Greasy kitchen, bring it on!
            🙂

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        • Kate
          December 13, 2022 @ 11:55 pm

          This

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        • Kate
          December 13, 2022 @ 11:56 pm

          Yes, people should cook with less grease!

          Reply

      • Katarina
        October 14, 2023 @ 7:24 pm

        If your food smells bad when you’re cooking, there is something wrong with your cooking.
        Downdraft situation kitchen here, never use that darn thing. When I do, it doesn’t work anyway.
        I cook ALL THE TIME. There is slight grease on the railing in the upper level right above the stove. It takes several months to build up and it gets cleaned with lightly soupy water pretty easily.

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      • Crystal
        April 12, 2024 @ 1:26 pm

        I’m super late to this comment convo, but we are redoing our kitchen soon and I was wondering about how necessary the vent hood really is. We have the microwave vent right now and I just realized that in the 13 years we’ve lived here, I’ve never turned it on once. I just turned it on just now to see what it’s like and it sounds like a jet is taking off in the kitchen. Yikes! We cook a lot (vegetarian) and have 9.5’ ceilings. The milk glass I keep in the open cubby cabinets way up under the ceiling does get dirty after a long while, but it’s mostly dust with just a little grease that comes off in the dishwasher, but the cabinet doors right near the stove are not greasy at all. I do wipe them down once in a blue moon. Neither is the ceiling. At least by the looks of it. We probably will end up getting a hood vent, just because we have the space for it, but I don’t know that I’ll actually remember to use it and it better be a whole lot quieter than the one I have now if I do want to use it.

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    • carol garcia
      December 14, 2016 @ 12:53 pm

      the apartment i bought from a lovely widow lady already had a kitchen with a rangehood… we thought to completely redo the kitchen eventually (hahaha, that has been 10 years) so we left everything as is. it is clean and livable. is it me? absolutely not. the only reason i haven’t ripped the rangehood out is because i need the light feature. my kitchen is dark. and blue and white laminate with flowered tiles. one of these days i will explode and rip everything out and then yes, we will redo this anticuated kitchen.

      Reply

      • Amber
        December 20, 2016 @ 12:54 pm

        Family of 6! Never ever use the vent! Cook and bake every day! The only time I ever think about wishing we had a vent is when we fry bacon (the smoke, the stink!). But we just throw open the doors and windows and everyone survives … plus the kitties like the aroma!

        Reply

    • Kathleen
      December 14, 2016 @ 2:56 pm

      1) In my farmhouse I never had a vent over the stove. It had shelves on the wall above and I admit that periodically I had to wash the shelves and items on the shelves for slightly greasy dust but it look fine
      2) New house had “ductless vent hood” that was never vented, so unused except for the light.
      3) remodeled “new” house now old with new kitchen. Mix up and they installed the hood and hood cabinet without connecting it. I got a discount for that. But I don’t need it, not “dust” from the farm to get greasy.

      BUT I LOVE the new fancy hood for the tremendous heavenly LIGHT of the halogen bulbs and if I wanted I can install a heat light. Best lighting over stove ever! Especially for my ageing eyes! And I have a dark house living in a forest!

      So I have managed to live to “cough” older age without every having a working vent over my stove and found no real need for it. My current kitchen is large and open by the way for cooking odors, but I never found that a problem, either.

      Reply

    • April King
      December 14, 2016 @ 3:21 pm

      You have great instincts and should trust them! Also, you KNOW you won’t be stinking up your house with the smell of fish or bacon! Who are these people, anyway, that hide behind the anonymity of the internet and unleash their screeds on others? Are they anybody you want to invite to your next dinner party? No way!!

      BUT if you would really like to thumb your nose a hood-fanatics, you can do what we did…

      Our local code, plus the fact that I tend to steam everything up when I’m canning or making pasta, dictated the need for an exhaust system. Rather than put a stupid hood over the stove, we decided to put an exhaust fan in the ceiling. It has a filter rated for grease: Broan L300KMG. It goes up to 3.3 sones at full speed, but we have it on a variable speed control (like a dimmer) and never turn it up more than half way. It is so quiet that we actually forget to turn it off, sometimes for several days! How many people can say that about their stupid hoods? Four years living with it and I have no regrets!

      Friends of ours, told by their architect that they would have to lose the only window in their kitchen in order to put a hood (same city, same codes as us), looked at our solution and decided they would keep their window and go for the Broan L300MG. They, too, are delighted with the results.

      So even if your code changes today and you’re suddenly required to vent your kitchen, there is a great solution…and it’s not an ugly hood!

      Reply

      • David Kuester
        December 14, 2016 @ 8:02 pm

        April King; perfect, as in absolutely PERFECT solution. IF one decides they need the fan. Although I think M. Barnes is correct that she does not. And should not listen to the militant people on the internet. But, if necessary, this is totally the best solution ever. And I have no problems with hoods. But do have problems with militant people who insist that their way is the ONE TRUE WAY. Although I may be a wee bit hypocritical when it comes to hollandaise and buerre blanc with that whole one true way thing…..

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      • Jenlaumer
        December 17, 2016 @ 8:32 am

        I’m very intrigued by the ceiling filter idea. How high are your ceilings? I have a low-profile range hood and we do use it, mostly when we sauté.
        Do you have lighting next to it? A hanging fixture? I am not a fan of hoods and ours is starting to act up (issues turning it on with either the remote or on the hood itself), so a ceiling filter sounds good. Tell me more…tell me more 🎶

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      • Laura Barnes
        December 23, 2016 @ 6:00 pm

        Cook your bacon in the oven on a baking sheet. Grease contained.

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        • Chris
          December 27, 2016 @ 4:05 pm

          Yes! This is what I do, as well.

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        • Kathy
          September 27, 2017 @ 4:39 pm

          We do our bacon on the grill outside! No grease and no smell in the kitchen.

          Reply

          • Andria
            July 29, 2020 @ 10:41 pm

            How have I never heard of this? Or thought of this??? Brilliant

            Reply

      • Raney
        November 10, 2020 @ 12:43 pm

        Hi April-I know this is an older post, but I’m in this same predicament (as the OP) and I’m VERY intrigued by your work around! Is this still working as a solution for you? Has one vent been enough for your needs? I’m wondering if these could be installed into the wall in a way that isn’t horrible looking. As a means of getting it closer to the steam/grease/etc. before it clings to our windows above the stove…Would love any further details you’re open to sharing!

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      • Ivy Daly
        August 31, 2021 @ 1:13 pm

        Thank you April King!!! And this blog!!! I hate vent hoods and could not think my way around having one- the bacon/ grease debacle. Plans to renovate my kitchen this fall but have been ignoring the vent hood problem hoping it would go away AND NOW IT HAS! Thank you!!!!!!!

        Reply

    • Annika Wiesenbach
      December 14, 2016 @ 3:32 pm

      I almost never use mine, but the stuff above my stove tends to get covered in a greasy film as a result. It’s your decision, do what your heart says <3

      Reply

    • Paula Maloney
      December 14, 2016 @ 4:30 pm

      I don’t have a range hood. I don’t have a microwave. I don’t have a dishwasher in one of our homes. My house is clean and doesn’t smell. Don’t care what anyone thinks.

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      • David Kuester
        December 14, 2016 @ 7:57 pm

        This may be the best reply ever. Ever!!

        Reply

      • Karen
        December 15, 2016 @ 6:17 pm

        I’m with you Paula! No microwave, no dishwasher (except me, of course), and no range hood. We had one and my husband kept hitting his head on it. It wasn’t even a “real” range hood. Just a fan of sorts with a metal mesh filter and a light that melted the plastic bulb cover. OUT it went! Do I have grease everywhere? No. Why not? 1. I wipe down my cabinets, doors and counter tops after I cook. 2. I also use mesh pan covers if I do fry something and fry on low to medium heat. My home does smell, however. It smells of fresh bread, cakes, pies, and lovely savories!

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    • Diana Craig
      December 14, 2016 @ 5:50 pm

      I believe the main purpose of a range hood is the soft glow from the lovely small range hood light bulb. I’m not a fan of electrical fans, ever, actually. I don’t like ceiling fans, standing fans, range hood fans or bathroom fans. They are noisy, dust and grease collecting, finger slicing, fire hazards. I like windows.

      I did note, however, most of the kitchens you have pictured do have lovely high ceilings and large windows which would help to diffuse any bacon or fish frying smells much quicker than my poverty stricken, apartment style, windowless, 8 foot kitchen ceiling. I also suspect some of those stoves as having hidden fans that pop up from the back of the stove or some other secret, motorized compartment.

      I’m also with you regarding freezers but then again, I haven’t taken up gardening, hunting or fishing as ways to sustain myself yet and my occasional forays into baking produces products that are so wonderful they disappear before my very eyes or so spectacularly terrible, they go right into the compost.

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      • Rachel
        February 22, 2017 @ 2:42 pm

        I just want to say, there are a lot of great comments here but I just found this to be a particularly hilarious and delightful comment, especially the last paragraph. Bravo! 🙂

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    • Rosalind MK
      December 14, 2016 @ 7:34 pm

      Never had a range hood. Never been a necessity and I’m a cordon bleu chef.
      READ Catherine Norris: Acedia & Me
      After you have read that, nothing anyone thinks or says about you (or me) will ever bother either of us … EVER.
      Happy Christmas Victoria. You light up my reading life!!!

      Reply

    • Emily
      December 14, 2016 @ 8:55 pm

      Ok – don’t love the hood vent either – however I am putting one up soon because I don’t like how much steam & grease and cooking odors (yes, going there) build up in my kitchen without it.

      That said, if you only cook non smelly, non greasy stuff, go for it. I think the necessity for them depends on the type and amount of cooking you do.

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    • susan herrod
      December 14, 2016 @ 11:53 pm

      I live in Louisiana, where we cook live crustations inside for dinner. My home is ranch style, built in the 50s. One of the first things I did was remove the cabinets and hood above the stove, separating the kitchen from the family room ( we still call them that). In spite of VERY auromatic cooking, smells quickly dissipate. Yea, we may have to open the door and let misquitos in, but soooo worth no ugly stove vent, and much better view!

      Reply

    • Lisa Lakner
      December 15, 2016 @ 10:55 am

      Living in the cooler northern climes, you would not need a range hood. I have one that is the underside of the microwave that sits above the range – not my ideal but it was here when we bought the house which was only three years old. Living in Houston, my vent comes on automatically when I have too many pots going on high heat on the range, which is a frequent occurrence. And I sometimes turn it on during the summer, which lasts 6 months here, when I have the stove and the oven going all at the same time. And when the oven starts smoking because, while I love to cook, I only clean the oven every couple of 10 years. So I say do without!

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    • bea
      December 15, 2016 @ 1:56 pm

      Our home did not have one, and the owner never cooked. I am a bad cook and without one I kept setting off the smoke alarms. Now we have one and yes its ugly but the dog and cat love that the smoke alarm is not going off at dinnertime anymore.

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    • Mary Beth
      December 15, 2016 @ 4:44 pm

      Stop with the frying and other grease inducing cooking. I have a fan I never use…my house doesn’t smell. Save your money and sanity and light a candle when needed. The way your brain works, if you get a range hood we will never hear the end of it. It exhausts me thinking about it.

      Reply

    • Marlena
      December 17, 2016 @ 4:45 am

      So I love your blog and look forward to your updates in my inbox!!! But I am wondering….did you decorate for Christmas this year??? Would love to see photos of that!!! XO. Marlena

      Reply

    • Maaike
      December 17, 2016 @ 9:11 am

      We are now in house number two without a hood. I thought I REALLY wanted one, and was MAD that this house also came without. Fast forward four years, and I can say that unless you are frying up big stinky meaty things on a daily basis, there is NO NEED for a hood. So you have to wipe down your walls and upper cabinets a little more often…or not. It’s OK!!! Open the windows, air out the kitchen – the fresh air is good for you.

      Reply

    • Sweetbriar
      December 18, 2016 @ 3:59 pm

      You know the first three photos and the last two have exhaust vents, either overhead or along the back of the stove, right? That little French kitchen from elle is one of my favs, but they have nine foot open doors either side of the stove, so there’s that. Do like the first photo, if you have uppers on either side. It’s DIY and conceals halogen lighting as well as the vent. Good lighting can’t be sacrificed, I had to change out the armillary light over the sink that inspired my entire kitchen reno because I couldn’t see clearly to wash a dish.

      Reply

    • Hilary Franey
      December 22, 2016 @ 8:32 pm

      It is so damned refreshing and exciting to find that another human being has impeccable taste like me. But I must say, your sense of humor and wonderfully funny writings far surpass my talents in those areas.

      Reply

    • Cece
      June 28, 2018 @ 1:08 pm

      I would have made hubby deactivate the guilty smoke detector!

      Reply

    • PJ
      July 9, 2020 @ 11:00 am

      I am so happy I found this post, even though it’s an old one. I am about to remodel my kitchen and move my cooktop over to the bar side of my counter top. I don’t want a big ugly chunk of metal floating in my face. I use cast iron a lot, but I keep my kitchen wiped down pretty well. If it ever gets that smoky I’ll just open a window. I live out in the country and I love the aroma of my cooking floating through the house.
      So thank you for sealing the deal for me!

      Reply

    • Anders
      July 9, 2020 @ 4:46 pm

      Greatest article I have read in some time.

      Reply

    • Whitingale
      July 27, 2020 @ 2:04 pm

      I agree they aren’t for every kitchen, but please don’t act like if going without it ruins your furniture, you are cooking something wrong. Some of us aren’t from the western culture, and a range hood is required – yes – required, if you cook, say, authentic Chinese food regularly. (If you don’t know why, Chinese diet involves less soup and little salads but mostly sautéed/pan-fried things. Sticky countertops anyone?)

      Nothing wrong if you need one, and nothing wrong if you don’t need one. There’s no universal rule whatsoever.

      Reply

    • Holly
      September 14, 2020 @ 2:32 pm

      Lol. No vent hood. I never realized that was a crime. We haven’t had one in our kitchen for almost twenty years! It’s really not critical. Yes there’s been a couple of times smoke has sent us running to cra:ck a window. I also tried to get fancy doing a balsamic reduction that made everyone’s eyes water for a few minutes(sorry guinea pigs, I mean my lovely family).You just laugh about it and move on.
      The best part, no vent hood in my face. And if I want to use the biggest pot I can possible lift to h ave a lobster bake or make a big batch of broth to freeze, I can.
      P.S we never put in a dishwasher either. It’s the empty space we use to house a returnable trash bin and a dog food container:)

      Reply

    • Debra
      November 8, 2020 @ 1:01 pm

      We are getting ready to build a new home. And guess what – no range hood! I also hate the eye-sores. As stated: it is my cook area, in my home. I am not. Isolating any codes. It is my design choice so…no range hood.

      Reply

    • l
      August 25, 2021 @ 12:19 am

      there are ceiling mount hoods. they are virtually invisible

      Reply

  2. Carol White
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:10 am

    I totally agree about range hoods! Messy, nasty, smelly, and the hi-tech expensive hood lighting bulbs burn out after a week ($20 each!!!!???) so I just don’t buy the bulbs, which leaves the stinky, greasy screens to clean and degrease. Sooner have an exhaust pipe run out the window….from another Squalor-dewlling sub-human.

    Reply

    • Dora
      December 14, 2016 @ 11:36 am

      Have you consider the ranges that have the exhaust on them? Years ago, I used to have a Jen-Air and it worked OK. Perhaps they are better now….just a thought

      Reply

      • Suzen
        December 14, 2016 @ 1:34 pm

        Let me just say that we had a jenn aire and that damn fan ducked the gas flames over to one side making cooking uneven and you had to keep rotating the pan. Plus it had a greasy metal screen to be cleaned. AND because it vented low out the same vent as our dryer, raccoons showed up looking for their chicken dinner when we ran it. We have no vent now and after a year with exposed shelving, & copper pans hanging right over the range, WE ARE FINE! Just clean once in a while. PS we don’t have a dishwasher either and have lived to tell of it.

        Reply

        • Suzen
          December 14, 2016 @ 1:52 pm

          That would be “sucked the gas flames.” Yeesh

          Reply

        • Lora
          December 14, 2016 @ 2:03 pm

          Not to laugh at your frustration but the raccoons looking for their chicken dinner might be the best thing I read all week!

          Reply

          • Sue Fiorentini
            December 14, 2016 @ 3:05 pm

            I totally agree with you. At our last house we had a down draft range and it was aweful to reach into to clean. Grease up to your elbows! Thankfully no raccoons! We sold that house October 2016 and have been living in temporary quarters since then ( no exhaust fans, in kitchen or bathroom). I never thought I would say it but I miss the fans! We hope to move into our new house in a couple of weeks and I bought an GE slate gray range hood for the stove. Maybe if you look at it as a design opportunity, tile back splash etal.

            I loved your pool “slate” table idea but I haven’t seen any on Craigslist yet!

            Reply

          • Sue Fiorentini
            December 14, 2016 @ 3:06 pm

            I totally agree with you. At our last house we had a down draft range and it was aweful to reach into to clean. Grease up to your elbows! Thankfully no raccoons! We sold that house October 2016 and have been living in temporary quarters since then ( no exhaust fans, in kitchen or bathroom). I never thought I would say it but I miss the fans! We hope to move into our new house in a couple of weeks and I bought an GE slate gray range hood for the stove. Maybe if you look at it as a design opportunity, tile back splash etal.

            Reply

          • Darlene Sneden
            December 15, 2016 @ 6:16 pm

            I agree with Lora!

            Reply

        • Mary
          July 8, 2020 @ 11:22 pm

          I had that awful Jenn Aire as well-venting into the basement-over the washer and dryer ! Oh good, a terrible old 20 foot long flimsy aluminum pipe hanging over my clean clothes as a conduit for grease which could never make it out of the house given the very long run. So it would just pool in the bottom of that pipe I guess. And the burners did that awful thing of flames going sideways-which also seemed dangerous. I stopped using it. When that oven died and I got another one no gas downdrafts were made in that size. I’ve lived without a hood of any kind for 12 years and there is no way to install one as the stove is not on an outside wall. Everything seems fine-no lingering odors. I have lovely textiles in the living, dining and bed rooms. They are not coated with a grease residue. I sometimes think people are imagining this. But my house is a nice medium size and I have lots of windows and 2 screen doors in the kitchen. I use a little fan on the countertop. Most of us are not cooking at restaurant volume and searing meat on the stovetop 9 hours straight.

          Reply

  3. Cecile Morgan
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:15 am

    Hahahahahaha! I love it!

    I don’t have a range hood either. After 32 years, my kitchen is fine. Below is a link to my Pinterest page about our house restoration:
    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/315814992592969392/

    Reply

  4. Erica
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:16 am

    We don’t have one. We have an induction stovetop on a peninsula with no fan or anything (although my husband, the cook, would probably prefer to have some kind of air suckage). If you won’t use it, just go without. You have my internet-supplied approval. 🙂

    Reply

  5. Kelly
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:17 am

    We do not have a range hood. Even when we had one, never used it. The times the kitchen filled with smoke, opened a window or a door, never once had an issue with the smell of food lingering and getting into our house.

    Reply

  6. Erin
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:17 am

    I would skip the hood if you prefer the open space or storage above the cooktop. I would consider a downdraft if you are concerned about resale or smoke detectors going off.

    Reply

    • Kim
      August 31, 2017 @ 12:43 pm

      I was going to recommend a downdraft, too, if she still wanted some ventilation. It’s what I would prefer, myself, when we remodel and I move the stove from the outside wall to an interior wall.

      Reply

  7. Kimberly ~ Serendipity Refined
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:17 am

    I’m only having one for two reasons: 1) my township building code requires it and 2) I can’t think of a single thing that I could do with the space above the range that wouldn’t require me to spend more time cleaning whatever I put above the range than I do actually using the range.
    Other than that, I’m all for open shelves full of shiny dishes or a huge, beautiful mirror of epic proportions…something that would require taking out a section of the ceiling and changing the roofline seems appropriate…at least as appropriate as the response to the poor woman who can’t install a direct vent hood.
    I figure that I’ll just follow along for now since I currently don’t even have kitchen cabinets, let alone appliances. xo

    Reply

  8. Johnece Sloan
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:17 am

    Is it possible to install a downdraft vent? It wouldn’t be in your face, but would be there if you had someone like me cooking in your kitchen. For me, a vent is a necessity. Even with one, I’ve been known to set off the smoke detector.

    Reply

  9. ActualConversationsWithMyHusband
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:18 am

    You may someday wish you had one. You may someday wish you had a carriage house, though, and I feel like now that I’ve mentioned a carriage house you’re already in another tab googling the possibilities so I don’t even know why I’m still typing.

    Ahem.

    So, speaking as an also-tall person who knows that the stupid hood is ALWAYS directly in your face and gets cleaned more often than it gets used (the ratio is so painful I’m now sorry I made mention of it – please forget I brought it up) and you have to duck down under the stupid thing and it puts a crick in your neck… I say get one just in case IF AND ONLY IF:
    1) Low-profile, totally blends in to the kitchen design, didn’t even notice it actually
    2) High enough to be out of your damned way
    3) Easy to clean. Crazy easy. Because you’re maybe going to use it once in about five years.

    If all three conditions cannot be met to your satisfaction? Flip the Internet the bird and remind them that this is your kitchen and they’ll never see or smell the smoke. Offer to stop showing them pictures of your kitchen (but you’ll still send some to me, right? Because we’re friends!) if they really can’t handle it.

    Reply

    • Lauren
      December 14, 2016 @ 6:11 pm

      Code usually dictates a max height from the stovetop in case of fire, I think (not sure how that works, are we supposed to suck the flames out?) so just hanging it higher doesn’t work. We went without the first summer for glorious spaciousness but the light in the – take note – angled, non-head-whacking Whirlpool-for-Ikea model I got for $25 from the classifieds was a godsend come fall. And the filters go in the dishwasher. Hanging pots or spoons too low behind/over the stove is dooming yourself to washing everything before and after use, trust us. And I also have only the freezer in my fridge. I cook from scratch for a family of 4, have berry bushes and an apple tree and have survived for 8 years with only those 4 tiny drawers.

      Reply

      • Lauren
        December 14, 2016 @ 6:33 pm

        Stupid phone. Please ignore duplicate post

        Reply

    • Lauren
      December 14, 2016 @ 6:31 pm

      Code usually dictates a max height from the stovetop in case of fire, I think (not sure how that works, are we supposed to suck the flames out?) so just hanging it higher doesn’t work. We went without the first summer for glorious spaciousness but the light in the – take note – angled, non-head-whacking* Whirlpool-for-Ikea model I got for $25 from the classifieds was a godsend come fall. And the filters go in the dishwasher. Hanging pots or spoons too low behind/over the stove is dooming yourself to washing everything before and after use, trust us. And I also have only the freezer in my fridge. I cook from scratch for a family of 4, have berry bushes and an apple tree and have survived for 8 years with only those 4 tiny drawers.
      *I have no idea what they’re called in English, but google “kopffrei haube” for a visual. Also note: our code states that we need a lock/alarm thingy that stops us from venting unless a window is cracked open, because we have a fireplace and the draft could cause a carbon monoxide build-up at floor (ie pet & kid) level

      Reply

  10. Tina
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:18 am

    Our house came with one of those $35 ones from Home Depot. I used it, although it was grosser than gross because I didn’t clean out the filter. Whatever. Susie Q. Homemaker I am not. When we went through with our kitchen remodel this summer, one of the things I knew the next people who owned our home (because it darn well better sell in spring/summer 2017) would want is an over-the -range microwave. It came with a built-in vent that vents to the room (so yeah, basically a fan). I don’t love it or not love it. It’s there. I sometimes use. Sometimes not.

    Do whatever the heck you want with your own darn house. Tell the internet to take a long walk off a short bridge. If you aren’t thinking of selling soon you don’t have to consider other people’s opinions (other than Paul, that is!).

    Reply

  11. Grandmas House DIY
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:18 am

    Range hoods are an absolute waste of space unless you plan on having a fish fry every night in your home. (Or plan on opening a greasy spoon diner right there in the middle of your kitchen.) We actually do fry fish (once or twice a year) and I still never used our range hood. When we renovated our house I opted to stick a microwave above our stove, I still find it rather intrusive and I NEVER use it as a range hood but I much prefer it to the uselessness of a range hood lol If you’re not against code then why waste the money if you don’t want one and will never use one?

    Reply

  12. Robbyn Mendleski
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:19 am

    I grew up overseas without hood vents in any or our homes; Europe or Asia and it appears most of your photos do not originate in the US. Unless it’s a building code in your area ~ leave it off they are SO ugly!

    Reply

  13. Sheryl
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:19 am

    I DON’T HAVE ONE! Sometimes just turning the heat down a bit alleviates the problem, also, but I’m kind of a hurry up cook, so just like to get it done. That woman who threw everything out just wanted new stuff! The odors dissipate, after all.

    Reply

  14. Toni
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:19 am

    Go with your gut….it’s YOUR house! I do not have a range hood, my possessions don’t smell! I do have a pop up vent system that I an use if I am cooking something particularly steamy, or odorous and it works great. The rest of the time it is out of site. The lighting in my kitchen is such that I do not need an overhead light. I am glad I have some kind of venting system but when I took away a bank of cabinets over my stovetop(which eliminated my hood) I was so glad I did!

    Reply

  15. Marlene Schmidt
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:20 am

    Agree! Range hoods are ugly, a waste of space and money! They look like they belong in a ship galley.

    Reply

    • John Stewart
      June 17, 2019 @ 11:31 am

      Hey,
      3 years down the line today, do you still hate range hoods up to now?

      Reply

  16. Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:20 am

    I’ve looked at the downdrafts, and it might be an option we go with… but it does force you to bump the stove out, which infringes on my plan to keep everything utilitarian to a minimum.

    Reply

    • Rhonda
      December 14, 2016 @ 11:54 am

      If you go this route, just make sure you get the extra tall one because the short one is useless. The tall one works okay and you can put the screens in the dishwasher. Which I do every five years whether they need it or not.😏

      Reply

    • Deborah
      December 14, 2016 @ 12:05 pm

      I’ve had a downdraft for about 20+ years & love it. Out of the way, don’t notice it but there for the 2-3 times a year I need it. Works great.

      Love your writing! Thanks so much for showing me I’m not alone!

      Reply

    • Julie
      December 14, 2016 @ 5:34 pm

      Our downdraft cooktop is in our island (the oven’s in a nearby wall cabinet) so no bumping out was required. We use it occasionally when something that spilled on the bottom of the oven sets off the smoke alarms or when my husband cooks something I can’t stand the smell of , like cauliflower.

      Reply

    • Bleubook
      December 16, 2016 @ 12:43 pm

      http://www.broan.com/products/lifestyle/kitchen-f5c683f7-b0ea-4cf8-904c-e336feac67f2

      ^^^ at least consider an exhaust fan somewhere in the kitchen.
      Even if you don’t put it over the stove.

      Reply

  17. Jenny
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:20 am

    I don’t think a hood is strictly necessary solely because most apartments and homes don’t have them fully vented anyways. They’re just redirecting the air from the immediate area and blowing it towards the rest of the room. Every apartment I’ve lived in was this way and so was my rental house.
    Regardless of whether or not there’s an exhaust fan, anything located directly over the stovetop is going to gain that delightful build-up of cooking grease and dust that is so fun to clean, whether it’s a hood or shelves or pots and pans.

    But yes, I am saving my outrage to convince you that a freezer is non-negotiable. 🙂 How else will you keep ice cream?

    Reply

  18. Kate Sparks
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:20 am

    My mom had a Jenn-Air cooktop that had a downdraft vent between the 2 sides of burners. It was vented to the outside. There’s another kind of vent that rises up behind the burners, but I don’t know the brand.

    Reply

    • Leah
      December 14, 2016 @ 11:35 am

      I have that Jenn-Air stove with the downdraft vent in the middle. It’s not too bad. I used it for the first time the other night when I was cooking bacon!

      Reply

  19. Sherry Stuifbergen
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:20 am

    I am looking at all the wonderful pictures of beautiful kitchens WITHOUT a range vent…and no, you don’t need one…so don’t buy one. Here’s another piece of advice that has drawn “horrors” from my friends…I don’t like conventional wall-to-wall kitchen cupboards either. How boring and monotonous! I like the open shelving look. Very modern, sleek, and even “Old World.” That is sort of like what you are creating throughout your house…”old world”… right? Don’t put in a range vent. I own one and you are RIGHT…it IS in my face and ugly. I could use the space for shelving and more displaying of my kitchen antiques.

    Reply

  20. ARS
    December 14, 2016 @ 11:21 am

    My city code requires it so I’ve never had a choice, but I do enjoy it. My home is pretty open concept, and things like bacon will make the entire downstairs of my home smell for the whole day.

    Reply

    • Aisha McSid
      December 23, 2019 @ 11:03 pm

      And there’s a code for a good reason. If you have a gas burner, that vent hood is helping keep unburned gas and flumes out of the rest of your home. So if you have an electric or induction burner, go for it. But check with local laws if you have a gas burner (or either way since local laws vary)

      Reply

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