High heat and plenty of oil are involved in Indian cooking. This creates thick fumes and sticky grease that coat your home. Over time, this grime ruins your walls and cabinets. A kitchen chimney solves this problem by pulling smoke outside. However, picking the wrong model is a common mistake.
Many people focus on looks rather than performance when buying a chimney. They end up with a noisy or weak machine that fails to clear the air. To avoid wasting money, you must understand the key features before buying a chimney.
This guide highlights the most frequent errors and explain how to choose the right one wisely.
10 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Kitchen Chimney
If you want a good chimney for kitchen use, you need to avoid these common mistakes:
1. Choosing the Wrong Size
Many people buy a chimney that is not a proper fit for their stove. A three-burner stove produces too much smoke for a 60cm chimney. The smoke will escape from the sides of the hood, which leads to dirty ceilings and sticky cupboards.
You should always match the chimney size to your stove width. A two-burner stove needs a 60cm chimney, while three or four-burner cooktops need a 90cm chimney. The bigger hood design captures all the steam that rises into the air. This keeps your kitchen walls much cleaner over time.
2. Ignoring the Suction Power
Indian cuisine requires excessive amounts of oil and butter in its recipes. The cooking process produces dense smoke, which settles on all nearby surfaces. You should use a chimney that possesses strong extraction capabilities to remove the smoke. Choose a model that provides a suction capacity of 1200 m^3/h or higher.
Low-power models fail during deep frying or making tadka. High suction ensures the kitchen stays cool while you cook. It also removes strong smells from the house quickly. Never settle for low suction just to save a little money.
3. Picking the Wrong Filter
Filters catch the grease before it reaches the motor. Baffle filters are the best choice for Indian homes. They use curved stainless steel panels to trap oil. These filters do not block easily and maintain good airflow.
Mesh filters are made of thin layers of wire. They get blocked very quickly with grease and oil. You have to wash mesh filters every week to keep them working. Baffle filters only need cleaning once every few weeks. They are much more durable and reliable for heavy cooking.
4. Forgetting to Check the Noise Level
A loud kitchen chimney is very annoying when you are cooking. It makes it hard to talk to your family. It also prevents you from hearing the doorbell or phone. Always check the noise level in decibels before you buy.
A good chimney should stay below 58 decibels at high speed. Test the machine in the store if possible. Quiet motors make your time in the kitchen much more pleasant. High-quality motors usually produce less noise and last longer.
5. Skipping the Outlet Pipe
Ducting chimneys use a pipe to send smoke outside the house. This is the most effective way to clean the air. It removes heat, moisture, and odors completely from the room.
Ductless chimneys use carbon filters to clean the air. They then blow that air back into your kitchen. This leaves the room feeling very hot and humid. If you have a wall facing outside, always choose a ducting chimney. It provides the best cooling and air quality.
6. Bad Installation Height
The distance between the stove and chimney is important. If the chimney is installed too low, it may become a fire hazard. If the height exceeds, it will not work properly. You should always keep a gap of 24 to 30 inches between them.
This height ensures the best suction and keeps you safe. Technicians should measure this carefully during the installation process. A wrongly placed chimney is a waste of money and power.
7. Overlooking the Auto-Clean Feature
Cleaning a greasy chimney manually is a very hard task. You have to scrub sticky parts for hours with soap. Modern kitchen chimneys now come with a helpful auto-clean button.
This feature uses heat to melt the oil inside the machine. The oil then flows into a small collector cup. You only need to wash this small cup once a week. This saves you from a lot of messy manual work.
8. Choosing Poor Quality Pipes
The pipe that carries smoke outside must be strong. Many people use thin plastic pipes because they are cheap. These pipes have a high vulnerability to both melting and being punctured.
The best results come from using aluminium pipes or stainless steel pipes. These materials handle heat much better than thin plastic. A strong pipe ensures the smoke moves out without any leaks. This keeps your kitchen air perfectly clean.
9. Not Checking the Control Panel
Kitchen Chimneys come with different types of buttons or touch panels. Push buttons are simple but can get greasy and stuck. Touch panels are easier to wipe clean with a cloth.
10. Ignoring After-Sales Service
A chimney is a machine with a motor and fans. Like any machine, it might need repairs or part changes. Many people buy cheap brands with no service centers nearby.
Always buy from a brand that offers good local support. Check if they provide regular maintenance visits for cleaning. A good chimney for kitchen lasts longer when a professional services it once a year.
Conclusion
A chimney protects your health by removing harmful smoke. It also saves you money on kitchen painting and repairs. Do not make a quick choice based on looks alone. Check the suction, size, and filter type before you pay. A good chimney for kitchen will make your cooking life much easier.
Glen Appliances offers strong chimneys with high suction. Their auto-clean models save you from messy cleaning. They build appliances that last a long time. These chimneys look great and work hard. Visit the Glen Appliances website to pick the best model for your home. Keep your kitchen fresh with Glen.
