Whether you are in the process of adding an outdoor kitchen or are simply remodelling yours, one of the most important things to include is an outdoor rangehood. Many people assume that hoods are unnecessary for outdoor kitchens because all of the smoke, grease, oil and other things will naturally go up into the air.
This is a good theory. It’s not accurate, as outdoor kitchens are just the same as indoor ones and produce unwanted smoke and heat.
Keeps Patio Clean
Perhaps the best reason for investing in an outdoor rangehood is that it will help keep your patio clean. Many people with an outdoor kitchen find that keeping the patio clean is one of the toughest jobs because of all the grease and oil cooking spouts into the air, even outdoors.
All of this stuff must land somewhere, and it’s usually across your patio furniture, barbecue grill and other surfaces. An outdoor rangehood serves similarly to an indoor one as it pulls the grease, oil, and dirt up into the hood and away from the room.
Reduces Smoke Around the Patio
If you plan on hosting outdoor parties, even if it’s just with family, an enclosed or even a partially enclosed patio can get smoky fast. No matter what claims your grill or BBQ manufacturer makes about not producing any smoke, it is going to happen. Pellet grills produce far more smoke than others, as do smokers.
The last thing a homeowner wants is a tonne of smoke accumulating under the ceiling of the patio. An outdoor hood is meant to pull the smoke up and away from the outdoor kitchen, just as it does with your indoor kitchen.
Best Kind of Hoods for Outdoors
Just as with its indoor counterpart, the purpose behind outdoor rangehoods is to vent your cooking space. With this being said, many people wonder if it’s possible to use a ductless hood outdoors since your patio is a bit more open than your kitchen.
The short answer to this question is no. You don’t want to use a ductless hood because it will do nothing to help remove any unwanted air. It simply recirculates it
A ducted hood system will pull away all unwanted air, helping reduce the smoke trapped around the patio. Ductless systems are okay for people who don’t cook a lot but are still not the ideal choice. A big issue with ductless systems is they aren’t big enough to cover most outdoor cooktops and are not as powerful.
