Cooker Hood vs Downdraft Extractor: Which Performs Better?

What We Mean By Each One

If you have been reading American websites you will have seen "range hood" and "downdraft vent". In the UK the same products go by different names, so here is a quick translation.

• Cooker hood. What Americans call a range hood. It sits above the hob and pulls air upwards. It includes chimney hoods, angled glass hoods, canopy hoods hidden inside a wall unit, island hoods hung from the ceiling and flush ceiling extractors.
• Downdraft extractor. A slim unit set into the worktop behind the hob. It rises at the touch of a button, pulls steam sideways and down, then drops out of sight when you have finished.
• Venting hob. An induction hob with the extractor built into the middle of it or along one side. Steam is pulled down into the hob itself. It is the newest of the three.

Downdraft extractors and venting hobs work on the same principle, so for most of this guide we treat them together as "downdraft".

Which One Clears The Air Better

Hot air rises. Steam, smoke and the fine grease carried in them head for the ceiling on their own, and a hood placed above the hob is simply waiting where they are already going. It does not have to work hard to catch them.

A downdraft has to do the opposite. It must pull rising steam sideways and downwards before it escapes, which takes a stronger motor and only works within a short distance of the intake.

In everyday use that means:

• Low pans close to the intake are handled well by a good downdraft. Frying and simmering on the nearest rings is fine.
• Tall pans are the weak spot. Steam from the top of a deep stock pot or a pasta pan is already above the reach of a downdraft by the time it leaves the pan. A lid left slightly open on the side facing the extractor helps.
• Rings furthest from the intake are served less well by a pop-up unit behind the hob. A venting hob with a central intake does better here, because every pan sits next to it.
• Heavy, smoky cooking, such as searing steak or stir frying at high heat, is where an overhead hood shows a clear advantage.

So on performance alone, a well chosen hood above the hob comes first. The gap has narrowed with modern venting hobs, but it has not closed.

Side By Side

Point	Cooker hood	Downdraft or venting hob
Catching steam	Very good, works with rising air	Good with low pans, weaker with tall ones
Best hob type	Any: gas, induction or ceramic	Induction
Looks	Visible, can be a feature or hidden in a unit	Almost invisible when not in use
Island hobs	Needs an island hood or a ceiling extractor	Ideal, nothing hangs overhead
Cupboard space	Uses space above the hob	Uses space in the unit below the hob
Duct route	Through the wall or ceiling, usually short	Under the units or the floor, often longer
Cleaning	Filters lift out from underneath	Filters lift out from the top, with a tray to catch spills
Relative cost	Widest range, including the most affordable	Generally more expensive to buy and to fit

Ducted Or Recirculating Matters More Than The Type

Every extractor, of either type, can work in one of two ways.

Ducted (extracting). The air is carried through a duct and blown outside. Steam, smells and moisture all leave the house. This is the better option wherever it is possible.

Recirculating. The air passes through a grease filter and a carbon filter and is blown back into the room. It reduces smells, but it removes no moisture at all, and the carbon filters need replacing or regenerating regularly to keep working.

A ducted downdraft will usually outperform a recirculating hood, and the reverse is also true. So before choosing between hood and downdraft, find out whether each one could be ducted outside in your kitchen.

The duct itself matters as well. A short, wide, straight duct lets an extractor work quietly and at its rated power. A long, narrow duct with several bends chokes it and makes it noisier. Hoods on an outside wall have the easiest route. A downdraft on an island has to send its duct down through the unit and under the floor, which is straightforward with a suspended timber floor or during an extension, and harder with a solid concrete floor.

In a flat, a listed building or a conservation area, a new vent through an outside wall may need permission, so check with your council and your factor first.

Your Hob And How You Cook

Induction. Works with everything. Induction heats the pan rather than the air around it, so there is less rising heat for a downdraft to fight against. This is why venting hobs are nearly all induction.

Gas. Better suited to an overhead hood. A strong downdraft next to a gas ring can pull at the flame, and many downdraft models are not recommended for gas. If you are set on gas, check the manufacturer's guidance, and remember that any gas hob must be installed by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Range cookers. A wide range cooker puts out a lot of heat and steam across five or more rings. It wants a chimney hood at least as wide as the cooker. This is the classic pairing in a country kitchen or a shaker kitchen, and it works very well.

One safety point for open plan rooms: a powerful ducted extractor removes a lot of air, and that can affect the draw of a wood burning stove or an open-flued gas appliance in the same space. If you have one, mention it at the design stage and take advice from your stove installer or a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Which Suits Which Kitchen

• Hob on an island. A downdraft or venting hob is the natural choice. It keeps the view across the room clear and avoids a large hood hanging at head height. The alternatives are a ceiling extractor or a statement island hood.
• Hob on a wall run. A cooker hood is simpler, cheaper and performs better. If you dislike the look, a canopy hood hidden inside a wall unit gives the clean lines of a modern kitchen without giving up performance.
• Island kitchen, hob kept on the back wall. Often the best of both. The island becomes a clear space for preparing food and sitting at, and the hob gets an ordinary wall hood.
• Small kitchens and tenement galleys. Cupboard space is precious. A slim canopy or telescopic hood under a wall unit keeps storage above and below. A downdraft takes a large bite out of the base unit, which a small kitchen can rarely spare.
• Open plan kitchen and living rooms. Smells travel to the sofa, so performance and noise both matter. Choose ducted if you possibly can.

Noise, Cleaning And Living With It

Noise. Extractor noise comes from the motor and from air being forced through the duct. A hood puts the motor at head height. A downdraft puts it in the unit below, which some people find less intrusive, though it often has to run at a higher setting to do the same job. With either type, a good duct is the best way to cut noise.

Cleaning. Both have metal grease filters that go in the dishwasher. A venting hob also has a removable tray underneath to catch anything that boils over into the intake, which is easy to empty but does need doing. The outside of a hood gathers a film of grease over time, while a downdraft hides away when it is not in use.

Using it well. Switch the extractor on a few minutes before you start cooking and leave it running for ten minutes or so afterwards. It makes a bigger difference than most people expect, whichever type you choose.

Cost And When To Decide

We have not given prices for individual appliances here, because they vary a great deal by brand and change often. As a general guide, a standard chimney or canopy hood is the most affordable way to extract well. Downdraft extractors and venting hobs cost noticeably more to buy, and fitting them involves more work: a cut-out in the worktop, an altered base unit and a duct route below.

The important thing is to decide early. The extractor affects the units above or below the hob, the worktop, the electrics and the route to the outside wall, and all of that is far easier to plan on paper than to change once units are in. In a new kitchen we design the room in 3D, so you can see how a hood or a clear island will look before you commit.

For context, our fitted kitchens start from £6,000, and most land between £8,000 and £15,000. A typical kitchen is fitted in 10 to 14 working days. Finance is available from £35 a week, subject to status, with details on our finance page. You can see working displays at our showrooms, or a designer can come to you.

Quick Answers

Is a cooker hood better than a downdraft extractor?

For catching steam and smells, usually yes, because it sits where hot air is already rising. A downdraft is chosen mainly for looks and for island hobs.

Do downdraft extractors work with gas hobs?

They are much better suited to induction. A strong downdraft can disturb a gas flame, and many models are not recommended for gas, so check the manufacturer's guidance.

Is ducted better than recirculating?

Yes. A ducted extractor removes moisture and smells from the house. A recirculating one only filters smells and returns the damp air to the room.

What is a venting hob?

An induction hob with the extractor built into it. Steam is drawn down into the hob, so there is nothing above the worktop at all.

What is a range hood?

It is the American term for a cooker hood. In the UK you will also see it called an extractor hood or chimney hood.

Does a downdraft extractor take up cupboard space?

Yes. The motor and duct sit in the base unit under or behind the hob, so you lose some or all of that storage.