Smoke Signals: Choosing Kitchen Extraction Before the Cabinets Go In

Most kitchen renovations follow the same order: choose the look, pick the hob, then find an extractor that fits above it. That is backwards. Extraction is not a finishing touch; it is a building decision. It affects where the hob can go, whether cabinets can run to the ceiling, how much noise you live with, and whether your kitchen smells of last night's curry at breakfast. In a British home, it also has to survive old walls, awkward flat roofs and the realities of leasehold rules.

So before you fall for a sleek hob or fix the cabinetry layout, spend an afternoon on ventilation. It is less glamorous than worktops, but it is much cheaper than discovering the problem after the first plasterboard goes up.

Start with the food, not the fan

A extractor should be sized around how you actually cook. A household that boils pasta and reheats soup has different needs from one that sears steak, stir-fries, and roasts a Sunday joint every week. High-output gas hobs produce more heat and combustion products than induction, while wok cooking sends oil and steam sideways as well as upwards.

Ask yourself three blunt questions: how often do you cook, what do you cook, and how much steam and grease does it create? If the answer involves a lot of frying, a weak recirculating hood is not a fair fight. If you mostly make toast and tea, a huge ducted canopy may be overkill.

Ducted extraction: still the benchmark

A ducted extractor pushes air outside. It removes moisture, odours, grease and heat rather than simply moving them around the room. For a serious cooking household, it remains the most effective option.

The catch is the route. Ducting needs to reach an external wall, roof or soffit with as few bends as possible. Short, straight runs in rigid ducting work best; long, squashed runs in flexible pipe are where performance goes to die. A 150mm duct is generally better than a 100mm one if the motor can support it, and every bend costs you airflow.

In a Victorian terrace, the external wall may be at the front or side rather than where the hob wants to be. In a flat, the obvious wall might be communal or protected. In a bungalow, the ceiling may be the only route. None of these are reasons to give up on ducted extraction, but they are reasons to plan it early, before the ceiling comes down or the kitchen units are fixed.

Recirculating filters: convenient, but not a magic trick

Recirculating extractors pull air through a filter and send it back into the room. They are easier to install because there is no external duct, which makes them popular in flats, rentals and awkward internal kitchens.

They can help with grease and some odours, but they do not remove moisture. That matters in a British kitchen, where condensation, window frames and winter mould are familiar enemies. Carbon filters also need changing regularly; a tired filter is mostly decoration with a motor attached.

Recirculating is a reasonable compromise when ducting is genuinely impossible, or when cooking is light. It is a poor choice if you expect it to behave like a ducted hood. Budget for replacement filters from the start, and check whether the model offers a ducted conversion later if the route ever opens up.

Downdraft: sleek, but pick your battles

Downdraft extraction rises from the worktop or hob when needed and disappears when not. It is brilliant at preserving a sightline, especially in a kitchen with a window or open shelving where a big hood would dominate.

But downdraft has trade-offs. It pulls steam and fumes downwards, which can work well for shallow pans but is less intuitive for tall stockpots. The ducting still has to go somewhere, often through the floor or along the base cabinets, which can eat into drawer space. Some models are not recommended for gas hobs because the airflow can disturb the flame, so check the manufacturer's guidance carefully.

Downdraft is not the lazy option; it is the precision option. It suits a considered layout and a cook who understands its limits. It rarely suits a busy family kitchen where every centimetre of base storage is already contested.

Old walls, flats and the regulations nobody mentions

In the UK, ventilation is covered by Building Regulations, particularly Approved Document F. A kitchen extractor is part of that picture, not a standalone gadget. If you are replacing a gas hob or altering ventilation, your installer and building control need to be satisfied that the system is safe and adequate.

Flats bring another layer. Leasehold agreements may restrict external alterations, and running a duct through a communal wall is rarely a casual decision. If you live in a listed building or conservation area, even the external grille can matter. In older homes, solid brick walls, lintels and hidden services can turn a simple core hole into a proper job.

There is also the make-up air question. An extractor cannot remove air from a sealed box without air coming in somewhere. Trickle vents, background ventilators and gaps around doors all play a part. A powerful hood in a tightly sealed new-build can struggle if there is no replacement air path, and an open-flue appliance in the same space needs professional advice.

Noise, grease and the details that bite

Noise is the great underrated extractor specification. A hood that is too loud at full speed will be used on low, which means it will not do the job. Look at the decibel rating, but also think about where the motor sits. Remote or inline motors can move the noise away from the room, though they need space and access for maintenance.

Grease filters need washing, carbon filters need replacing, and ducting needs to be accessible enough to check. A beautiful concealed duct run that cannot be inspected is a future problem.

A simple planning sequence

First, decide how you cook. Second, find a viable duct route or accept a recirculating compromise. Third, choose the extractor type and model. Only then finalise the hob position and cabinetry. If the route needs a builder, a roofer or a ventilation specialist, get them involved before the kitchen design is frozen.

Extraction will never be the star of the show. But get it right, and every other choice in the room works better. Get it wrong, and you will be reminded of it every time you fry an onion.