Awoco Chosen Best Undercabinet Range Hood Brand Of November 2022 - Forbes Home

November 19, 2022
by Kelvin Situ

Best Under Cabinet Range Hoods Of November 2022

No matter what recipe you’re making, an efficient and functional range hood is key to keeping your remodeled clean, ventilated and a pleasant place to cook. The best range hood for you will also blend in seamlessly with your kitchen’s style and design, without being too loud or obtrusive. An under-cabinet range hood is installed underneath existing cabinets. If ducted, the ductwork is typically placed in adjoining walls. Due to smaller size, under-cabinet range hoods are convenient for many kitchens—especially those with limited space or lots of cabinet storage. Under-cabinet range hoods serve to filter air-borne pollutants like grease or smoke produced while cooking, thereby ventilating your kitchen. So if you’re ready to upgrade this important appliance, here are the best under-cabinet range hoods to make your kitchen renovation complete.

Awoco RH-C06-30 Under-Cabinet Classic Stainless Steel Range Hood

Average Price: Excellent

Customer reviews: Excellent

Warranty: 36 Months

Why Forbes Picked It

The Awoco classic under-cabinet range hood is a ducted, stainless steel option that vents outdoors. It comes in three sizes (30”, 36” and 42”) and has four operating speeds. The baffle filters are easy to remove and install. Plus, they boast durability, reduced noise and improved airflow. At a reasonable official sale price, these range hoods are a good choice for any residential kitchen.

Pros:

Baffle filters are dishwasher friendly
The brushed finish on the stainless steel and the LED lighting provide a sleek, modern look for your kitchen
Not loud: Noise level ranges between 49 dB (low setting) and 62 dB (high setting)

How to Choose an Under-Cabinet Range Hood

You should take several factors into account when choosing an under-cabinet range hood.

Size of Cooking Surface

In order to have the most useful impact possible in your kitchen, your under-cabinet range hood should be the same width as your cooking surface. This will allow your range hood to catch and funnel the grease- and smoke-filled air you want to filter and potentially vent from your home. Though it won’t be an issue if your range hood is a little bigger than your cooking surface, if your range hood is too small it will not be able to filter all the air you want it to. Because under-cabinet range hoods are installed under, well, cabinets—which typically do not extend to cover the entirety of your cooking surface—you should focus on finding a range hood to match the width, not depth, of your stove. Under-cabinet range hoods are designed to take this smaller size into account and can still provide adequate ventilation so long as width requirements are met.

Size of Cabinets

Because this type of range hood is installed underneath existing cabinets, it’s imperative that you have enough cabinet space to accommodate it. In addition to the unit itself, you will want to leave a width of two to three inches on either side for ideal ventilation. You will also need enough space nearby (e.g. in the walls or ceilings) for any ductwork and vents that accompany the range hood system.

Airflow (in CFM)

The CFM (cubic feet per minute) rating on all range hood products refers to how much air the unit can process, filter and remove at once. A higher airflow will give you a speedier (but not necessarily better) ventilation than a lower airflow rating. The best CFM for you will depend on the size of your kitchen and your cooking style. For example, if your cooking produces a lot of heat, grease and smoke, it may be better for you to have a range hood with a high airflow.

Exhaust Timers

If your under-cabinet range hood comes equipped with this feature, it simply means the fan will turn off after a certain amount of time (typically 10 minutes). This feature is useful if you want to leave your range hood running even after you finish cooking but might not have a chance to or might not remember to turn it off.

Fan Settings and Speeds

All range hoods should have, at the bare minimum, two fan speeds: low and high. The low setting is quiet and best used to clear the air while finishing or just after cooking. The high setting is best used while in the process of cooking, especially if you are generating a lot of smoke, steam or grease. A third speed is often included, offering a middle ground between the more extreme settings. More than this is typically not necessary for a domestic kitchen.

Ducted vs. Ductless

If your under-cabinet range hood is ducted, it means the air processed by the range hood will be vented outside (through a ductwork system). A ductless range hood will simply vent back into the kitchen after filtering. Make sure you know which system you want for your home—while a ductless unit is not as effective as a ducted system, it is convenient for a smaller kitchen or home or for those who do not cook often.

Existing Cabinets

Perhaps the most obvious reason to pick an under-cabinet range hood simply comes down to practicality: If your kitchen already has cabinets over the stove, it makes no sense to get rid of them. Simply mount the under-cabinet range hood underneath, install any ductwork required and voilá, you’re in business—no expensive or exhausting remodeling necessary.

Overall Kitchen or Apartment Size

For a smaller apartment or kitchen, there’s no need to go big and get a huge range hood when a neat under-cabinet unit will do the trick. It saves big time on space without sacrificing any cabinetry you already have. Better yet, the smaller size doesn’t mean you’ll be missing out on efficiency: A high-quality under-cabinet range hood will still be able to ventilate your kitchen and home without issue.

Budget-Friendly

Under-cabinet range hoods are usually quite budget friendly. It’s rare to find an under-cabinet range hood with a cost over $1,000; most will run between $200 and $400 (including most of the ones on this list). Installation costs for an under-cabinet range hood will typically run around $85 per hour.

Easy to Install

An under-cabinet range hood is quite easy to install. Unless you need to install new ductwork, you’re simply mounting the unit to the bottom of a pre-existing cabinet. When you buy your new range hood, check the manual for exact installation instructions; some may even point you toward videos to help you with the process. Complications may arise if you need to extend wiring, add ductwork or alter the existing vent system, but generally speaking you can expect to spend half a day to a day on this project at most.

Methodology

To determine the best under-cabinet range hood ranking, the Forbes Advisor editorial team analyzed data on 32 plans, with each plan’s rating determined by evaluating a variety of metrics, including: