Do I really need a range hood?
SEE OUR FINISHED KITCHEN HERE!
I need to tell you my deepest darkest kitchen secret:
I do not like a range hood.
I hate them all.
I particularly detest the massive monument-to-wasted-space that has become a bizarre status symbol; like mounting a Range Rover over your stove.
Sure, you can choose one that is low-profile, but that would be in direct opposition to the opportunity to install an oversized jet-engine, directly in the place your face goes while standing at the stove.
Although obviously, (like any sensible person) I would trade a good portion of my soul for this kitchen.
Those sentences above are the beginning of a post I started months ago… Back when I thought I could withstand the scorn of the internet if I chose to not waste money and space on an appliance that I will never use.
However.
I have since begun to fear the wrath of the Appropriate-Cooking-Evaluators: a band of angry militants who patrol the internet for violations which offend them personally; and who believe that forgoing a direct-vented range hood is akin to voluntarily injecting yourself with Ebola virus— unbelievably stupid.
Like this kitchen below– so terrible! Let’s take a moment to reflect on how badly we feel for these people that their kitchen is so subpar!
I’m practically BLIND FROM HOW HORRIBLE THIS IS.
So why would I consider an about-face from hood-denier to herd-animal; when my preferred response to scorn and judgment is always to dig in my heels and run forward towards the executioner?
I guess the internet has broken me.
Specifically, a particular element to the internet that pervades every single topic that people can possibly form an opinion about: the mindset that there is ONLY ONE GOOD ACCEPTABLE WAY to do something that has zero impact on anyone else’s life.
The ONLY ONE GOOD ACCEPTABLE WAY people believe ONE THING, and then that is ALL THEY BELIEVE and they make it their life’s work to make sure anyone not doing THE WAY is immediately disqualified from life, clapped in irons, and dragged to the town square to be flogged for idiocy.
Which, upon reflection, is the source of all human conflict through history: your own opinions are fine, but other people’s are moronic and intolerable and deserving of the flaming cannonballs with chains.
Unless they happen to agree with you, in which case they are well-informed.
The ONLY ONE GOOD ACCEPTABLE WAY people’s initial input is well-meaning! (If bordering on didactic and unhinged.)
But if you fail to PROPERLY HEED THEIR WARNING AND APPRECIATE THEIR WISDOM…they become enraged.
WHY! Why would someone WHO HAS BEEN WARNED!! Fail to instal a direct-vent range hood???
Look at THESE IDIOTS! Living without a range hood!
Imbeciles!
I am thinking specifically of a kitchen-chatboard thread, where a woman explained that it was IMPOSSIBLE to direct-vent her range hood. And she wondered if (seeing as how she couldn’t direct vent,) could she just skip the questionably-effective-substitute-which-is-essentially-just-a-fan and install a light fixture she had fallen in love with.
It was the light fixture of her dreams! A design element that would bring her peace and joy and goodwill towards all! A lamp that would improve her very existence on earth and she could die happy because SHE HAD THE BEST LAMP.
The responses varied… but there were an ALARMING number of respondents who were EXTREMELY BOTHERED by the fact that this woman was not gutting her kitchen to the studs and reconfiguring everything towards the goal of direct-venting the range hood… and she should probably just go out and rent a bulldozer THAT VERY NIGHT and knock it all down to the ground while flagellating herself for having considered any other option.
They basically went on to suggest that she was a filthy, squalor-dwelling subhuman moron.
And as I read on and on and on… I have to tell you that I was AMAZED at the PASSION total strangers were bringing to disparaging this woman and her lamp… I mean, who has time for lengthy screeds decrying other people’s DESIGN CHOICES?
And then I was EVEN MORE AMAZED at how these people do not realize that they look like flaming lunatics.
My FAVORITE response was from a woman who wrote:
This one time, we didn’t have a range hood, and we had to THROW AWAY ALL OF OUR BELONGINGS INCLUDING THE FURNITURE after one month BECAUSE THEY SMELLED SO FOUL AND HORRIBLE from non-vented cooking odors.
I don’t know about you… but that does NOT sell me on a vent… it DOES, however, make me wonder WHAT THIS WOMAN IS MAKING FOR DINNER.
Anyway. All of this is to explain that I do not want a range hood.
But that I am thinking about it anyway.
Because of the internet.
And I am mad about it.
The way I’ve decided to deal with this irritating anxiety that MY kitchen in MY house designed to MY preferences might draw the ire of some random stranger on the internet is to turn it over to you.
Here’s what you need to know: our township construction code does not require one. I will not have an eight-burner stove outgassing 67 billion btu’s/therms/whatever other specs.
Ok! GO FOR IT!
This is your chance!
I WASH MY HANDS.
And if you fail to draw me out from the cave and convince me of the shadows on the wall, then you must return to your war room and inform the other ONLY ONE GOOD ACCEPTABLE WAY-ers that your method is flawed.
Please make a good argument! Definitely do not include information like this: you NEED a hood!
Because: SURPRISE! I do not!
I can prove that to you because we HAD a hood! It was direct-vented!
And I NEVER USED IT.
I never used it SO MUCH that I had Paul take it out.
Every single night I was like— WHY IS THIS THING RIGHT IN MY FACE?
Until eventually I was like– Plague of nonsense, BE GONE!
p.s.— save some outrage for the post where I explain how I’m thinking of not having a freezer.
xoxo,
VEB, squalor-dwelling subhuman moron, esq.
December 14, 2016 @ 12:03 pm
The reason I need a range hood is that I cook meat on top of the stove. You don’t. If I were a vegan, I wouldn’t bother either. The amount of grease generated by vegan cooking is minuscule, unless you’re deep fat frying your veggies and thereby ruining your nutrition. The pics without hoods are gorgeous. One of the best things I did in my kitchen remodel is to install bars over and to the sides of the stove and hang my pans on them. Looks great, and so convenient. A high shelf would also work for you, with your height.
If you think you might sell your house at some point, I would install cabinets over the stove, not too low, with a hood hidden inside. My sister hates the look of a range hood, and that’s what she did. You don’t know it’s there, and because the projection is standard upper cabinet depth (15″?), you don’t bump your head against it when you’re cooking.
December 14, 2016 @ 12:04 pm
I think you should NOT get one because your first instincts will kick in and you will hate yourself for going along with the crowd. We had a house that had the cooktop on an island and it had the pop up down drafting vent which worked perfectly fine. You could go with that. I love the European country cottage kitchens without massive hood vents.
December 14, 2016 @ 12:04 pm
My husband and I built our house 26 years ago. I too dislike hoods so much that we just didn’t put one one in. We have a gas stove. No smells or grease deposits. I do have the tendency to burn food once in awhile, but then I just open the windows and light a candle. We live in Canada so in the winter, we have chilly weather (-24 C) at the moment. God invented windows and doors for that exact purpose. Go for it. Buck the system. Don’t put one in. Also no one has ever noticed that don’t have one. I have a lovely rod over the stove where I hang some pots.
December 14, 2016 @ 12:05 pm
Hi Victoria!
I don’t have a direct vent hood, I don’t even have a hood. I cook for a family of 8 every night and never once have I lamented not having one. This was not a design choice, when I moved into this apartment the kitchen did not have one. We open the windows if we need ventilation. How barbaric am I? God speed and do not put a hood in your kitchen! Ps: I’m an interior designer!
December 14, 2016 @ 12:05 pm
Great post. I so agree. I’m 5′ 10 and the first thing I did when bought our early 80s house was rip out the range hood AND the upper cabinets! Now, I do have a fantastic pantry and a husband that likes to grill outside…even in winter so that does help the situation. I’m a designer and my contractor really fought me. He came around and everyone loves our little (by NoVa standards) kitchen. I was going to post a picture but couldn’t figure out how to in this comment field. Happy Holidays. I LOVE your posts! Alice Blackmer
December 14, 2016 @ 12:06 pm
We don’t have one. Over time, you’re going to accumulate grease splatter on your walls, ceiling, counters, and other nearby objects, but I have a pro tip for you. Baking soda and water. Put a spoonful of baking soda in water, stir til dissolved, and then scrub mixture on grease. It doesn’t even take that much scrubbing. That grease will come right off and your stuff will be white and sparkly again. You don’t *need* a range hood.
December 14, 2016 @ 12:06 pm
I’m fascinated with the lady who had to throw away everything she owned after one month of no hood. They were doing some good eating at her house, I guess? Or not.
December 14, 2016 @ 12:07 pm
I have had hoods, no hoods, and the microwave/hood combo. In my small kitchen I currently have the hood/microwave combo which I HATE, but because the kitchen is small the hood/microwave was/is necessary as the room gets very hot with the stove and oven on and for space constraints. If you don’t want a hood and don’t have to have a hood per code then do what you like. I would prefer no hood.
December 14, 2016 @ 12:07 pm
I would comment about this topic, but I’m still laughing about the woman who HAD to throw all of her crap away because of a month’s worth of food odors!! What WAS she cooking….7 day old road kill??!!? Hahahahaha!! Good grief!!
December 14, 2016 @ 12:07 pm
I could care less what you do or don’t do, it is your kitchen and you have to live with it. I personally like stove fans and mine is non venting but does have the grease catcher screens that everyone seems to think are so gross. That tells you one thing. If the grease were not in the screen, imagine where it would be…walls, ceilings, etc. Personally I don’t think they are that ugly and I didn’t buy a cheap one, I bought one that I liked the look of but it does not make a statement nor draw attention to itself.
Suit yourself, it is your kitchen, but one thing I know for sure is that whatever you do it will be lovely and you are the one who gets to clean if the treasures above the stove get greasy.
December 14, 2016 @ 12:09 pm
Although I do have an over the stove vent, I don’t care for it. It came with our kitchen, and I may do away with it when we remodel in the future. That being said, the most I use the vent for, is for ambient background noise to drown out the city noise or if the neighbor is having band practice in the garage.
December 14, 2016 @ 12:10 pm
I rarely every use my vent hood either, only when I’ve burned something, and even then I think it has only been the stupid fan kind which basically do nothing, so yeah, if you don’t want one, don’t get one. I love that big fancy mirror above the stove in one of the pictures. Also as long as you have at least the mini freezer that is attached to the fridge (you need somewhere to keep ice and ice cream lol) then yeah you can probably do without a freezer too!
December 14, 2016 @ 12:12 pm
I do have a range hood – don’t ever use it. However, my better half (?, questionable here) does use it. He also burns quite a few things that he cooks! We’re getting ready to make a few changes in the kitchen and he insists on a super-duper hood. Well, it will make things better when he burns his things and I will continue to ignore it. Works for me.
December 14, 2016 @ 12:12 pm
I recently did a full gut remodel to my kitchen, and chose to NOT get a range hood. I do have a Jenn-air stove with a downdraft exhaust, which I occasionally use. It is in the middle of the stove, between the burners, so does not create extra space at the back. I chose to put open shelves above my stove to display pretty pottery that I have started collecting. Why would I spend my money on an ugly exhaust fan thingy when instead I can continue to collect pretty, antique pottery which I may or may not ever use? (BTW – love my Jenn-air stove. It came with the house and is literally the only thing I saved when the kitchen was gutted.)
December 14, 2016 @ 12:14 pm
Joining in on the rebellious fryers and high-heat sauté freaks – I do not have one, made a conscious choice to not add one (after making certain it was not required by code) and have survived just fine. You know somewhere people are taking down our names to report us all, right?
December 14, 2016 @ 12:14 pm
Truly, unless you could some of the really spice laden ethnic foods, you don’t need a bent unless you do a lot of high heat cooking or grilling that creates smoke. That’s it! I would ask several local chefs their opinion. That’s what I did! My choice was strictly based on my cooking style and that of my family. Cooking is like cars…. some need to go fast on the highways or weekend racing , while others just need something small and efficient for town. Your cooking style will dictate what you need and the fact that you never used one on the past is kind of telling..😃 As a real estate agent, the only caveat to that would be resale, a different type of cook may need that and it might be a deal breaker. But, like bathtubs, it’s a personal choice. You can’t please everyone, so do what fits your lifestyle!👍🏻
December 14, 2016 @ 12:15 pm
I think it comes down to, how much do you cook and how?
I also have and old house, do not have a hood and hate the look of them. BUT when we remodel our kitchen to get rid of 1960s linoleum/cabinets etc in the 1860s house, I will ABSOLUTELY put one in my kitchen. Why? Because I love to cook. I live in New England and pan searing porkchops in Jan means doing it with the windows open. Boiling pasta in July heats up the whole house. I can my garden produce- and every d$&n time I fantasize about having a vent hood. Cleaning a hood is a pain, but the smoke and grease is going somewhere and you’ll have to clean it off of other stuff. (But people claiming you’re in for smell-agedeon are ridiculous.)
In the end, do what makes you happy and works with how you want to use your kitchen. Ignore the opinionated fools.
December 14, 2016 @ 12:16 pm
If you don’t NEED a range hood then don’t get one! PERIOD! I hate the look of them as well, and the only thing that has prevented me from taking it out is the brown greasy substance that accumulates on the metal mesh filters of my range hood. I’m not sure I want to clean off the ceiling. Bad enough cleaning the filters, without having to clean the ceiling if there are no filters there to catch it. I have actually thought that not using the stove it all is a viable alternative to having to have a range hood. So I’m looking forward to being reassured that I don’t need one.
December 14, 2016 @ 12:17 pm
I have had 20years cooking with kitchens without a vent. I’ve always had windows to open if needed. I’ve never had anyone tell me my house smells bad. In fact I’ve had many people tell me that my house smells really good, smells like home. I say if you’re going to put a hood in your home make it fabulous and fancy over your fireplace and not your oven
December 14, 2016 @ 12:18 pm
If it won’t affect the resale of your house, do what you want. We are in our sixth house and I have never been burned by this line of thinking. Your home really is your castle!