Extraction is a very important and crucial element of the kitchen. As you cook, extractor fans take grease, steam and smells outside of the house, which aids in keeping the surfaces and air in your kitchen clean.
With the popularity of open-plan design and the return of the kitchen as the hub of the home, investing in good ventilation for the efficient removal of cooking fumes is now more important than ever.
The best solution is to remove the fumes at the source, which typically has been done by placing the extractor over the hob. Having the extractor over the hob can come with its limitations; position it too close and the vapours can escape around the sides, too high and the vapours could disperse before they reach the extractor.
Aside from functionality, aesthetically overhead extractors can be bulky and obtrusive. This is especially the case in an open plan kitchen, where homeowners usually are looking to keep the space minimal and clear.
The best type of extractors are those that ‘downdraft’, where the fumes are taken directly from the source and then ducted downwards through either an outside wall, or pass through charcoal filters and come out as clean air through grilles in the plinth. These two options are called ‘Ducting’ or ‘Recirculation’. Most extractors today offer the option for either type of extraction. Recirculation is typically used when ducting out externally is not a viable option.
The technological development of downdraft extractors has sky-rocketed over the past 10 years as companies strive to design the most efficient and minimal extractors based on how kitchens today are designed and used, as well as how we cook. The specification standards for the technical elements are more important than ever as we pay more attention to the air flow, noise levels and energy efficiency labels.
Down Draft Extraction System
Downdraft is a term used for extractors that are installed separately from the hob into the worktop. When in use, the extractor rises up to perform efficient extraction at the source and sits flush with the worktop, hidden and out of sight when not in use.
The Siemens DowndraftAir system has touch controls located at the top for easy use.
Integrated Downdraft
Novy, a leading ventilation company, brought integrated downdraft systems to the market with the Novy Panorama, One and most recently Novy Up.
These products have similar downdraft technology, where the extractor raises up to extract from the source, however Novy have integrated these systems within the cook top itself.
The Novy Panorama is the most similar to the Downdraft systems; located at the back of the hob, this extractor raises to 3 different set heights, adjusting to different types of cooking, making extraction even more efficient. The hob has a panoramic formation, meaning all rings are in a row allowing for maximum cooking space.
Head to our YouTube channel to watch how the Novy Panorama works.
Surface Extraction
With further development into down draft extraction, Bora, another leading company in ventilation, specialise in hobs where the extraction is again built into the hob surface, but draws the vapours downward directly from the source.
With the circular extractor located centrally to the hob, the design is even more minimal and requires no motorised movement.
Head to our YouTube channel to watch how the Bora Pure and Bora X Pure work.
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