If you’re a mom like me, who likes to cook varieties of dishes for your loved ones, then I’m sure you are a sufferer of excess smoke and grease walls inside the kitchen. Isn’t it?
Well, that is where the Kitchen Chimneys and Exhaust Fans come handy.
They help maintain the air circulation and get rid of all the smoke inside the kitchen.
However, there are a few benefits and drawbacks for both chimney and the exhaust fan, which we shall discuss in this article.
What is a Kitchen Chimney?
It is a kitchen appliance that helps eliminate the smoke, fumes, moisture, grease stains etc…and keeps your kitchen clean and free from bad odor.
How Does a Chimney Work?
The Chimney comes with a suction motor, which when turned on, will extract all the smoke inside the kitchen and routes it towards the outdoors. Whereas the powerful filters traps the greases and sends them into a collector tray, which can be cleaned manually once in a while.
Some high-end Kitchen Chimneys do come with automatic cleaning feature and also purifies the air inside the kitchen, which is very beneficial as some cooking oils generate dangerous chemicals when heated.
What is an Exhaust Fan?
It is an electrical appliance with fan blades that acts as a ventilator to extract the fumes and smoke inside the kitchen towards the outside environment so that you can breathe easily while cooking.
How Does an Exhaust Fan Work?
An exhaust fan comes with multiple blades that rotate in a manner to absorb all the moisture, odors & chemical fumes inside the kitchen and in return allow fresh outside air to pass inside.
Kitchen Chimney Vs Exhaust Fan [Pros & Cons]
| Kitchen Chimney | Exhaust Fan | |
|---|---|---|
| Oil & Grease | A Chimney is more efficient in removing the oil and grease quickly as it is located exactly above the gas stove. As a result, your ceilings and nearby appliances or walls look clean and tidy. | They are not powerful enough to eliminate grease and oil stains as they’re situated a bit away from the stove counter. It don’t have any effect on your ceilings or walls. |
| Smoke, Odors & Hazardous Chemicals | Most of the chimney have enough capacity to eliminate all the smoke and odors inside the kitchen. The top-end models can also eliminate hazardous chemicals released as a result of cooking oils and a few brands provide air purification feature as well. | The exhaust fans can only eliminate smoke and odors, but cannot remove the carbon in the air. |
| Ease of Installation | New kitchens don’t have any installation issues as they come with the hole drilled by default. However, if yours is an old house, then you’ll need to bare the issues during the chimney installation, such as drilling and cleaning. | Requires minimum space for installation, which is also straightforward and easy. |
| Cleaning & Maintenance | Requires occasional maintenance (once a month). Some high-end chimneys with auto clean feature can be maintained once every 2 months or so, depending on your usage. | Need to be maintained regularly as it attracts a lot of dust and oil easily. It also makes a lot of sound while running. |
| Power Consumption | They normally consume around 230 to 250 watts of electricity. | They consume around 65 to 80 watts of power. |
| Affordability | Basic Chimney models start from Rs.5000 and can go up to Rs.20000, depending on the brand and features they offer. | These are very economical and can cost anywhere between Rs.1000 to Rs.2000, depending on the brands and material used. |
Conclusion:
When we compare Kitchen Chimneys with the Exhaust Fans, it is obvious that the Chimneys score more points over the Exhaust fans as they’re more efficient in eliminating the hazardous gases and at the same time keeping your interiors clean.
They also make the air inside your kitchen easy to breathe, which is very essential as the Indian women stay longer inside their kitchen.
