The best cooker hoods we've tested aren't much noisier than the humming of a refrigerator; the worst can sound four times as loud. And don't forget about lingering odours either. The scent of dinner is welcome a first, but it will overstay its welcome without good ventilation. Metal filters are washable – they're easy to remove, as they clip in and out of the underside of the hood. They are usually suitable for dishwashers.

Island hoods – also called freestanding hoods – are large and can be very pricey, so take this into account if you're designing a new kitchen and deciding where to locate your oven and hob.Easy-to-use controls For ease, choose a hood with controls on the front rather than the inside or the underside. Cooker hoods are purpose-built to absorb the unwanted by-products from cooking and they're positioned in the best way to capture and remove steam, grease and odours. A window or dehumidifier away from the hob won't capture as much steam, and for odours and grease, they won't do much good.

These days, grease filters are usually made of aluminium or stainless steel, although you do still come across some made of a fleece material or paper. To keep the grease filters clean, you'll need to wash or change them regularly. The cheapest types are usually visor style, integrated (built in) or canopy-style hoods that are designed to fit over a four-ring hob or cooker. If you're looking for a cooker hood big enough to be fitted above a 110cm-wide hob or range cooker, you'll find plenty of chimney-style hoods to choose from. Downdraft extractors are a new, relatively expensive type of cooker 'hood' that hides away under your worktop, behind your hob, when not in use. Hob-to-hood wi-fi Some pricier hobs and hoods have a wireless connection that means the hob activates and adjusts the cooker hood automatically depending on what you are cooking.

Lamona black freestanding range

Alternatively, if you buy a cooker hood that is wider than your hob, say a 90cm-wide cooker hood for a standard-sized 60cm wide hob, you can expect slightly better performance. Cooker hoods that exceed your hob in width will be able to catch more rising steam and clear the air more easily. Features to look for on cooker hoods in this price range include three power settings, an additional power boost, and the option to set the hood to switch off automatically after a short period.

Cooker hoods aren't terribly complicated, but there are a few key features that can be useful to have: The ideal cooker hood width will correspond to the size of your hob and you'll probably want to match these up. Installing a new kitchen along with your new cooker hood? See our guide to the Best kitchen brands. Best cooker hood features to consider Other cooker hood sizes we've tested, but which are much more uncommon on the market, are 50-59cm wide cooker hoods, 80-89cm wide cooker hoods, and 100cm-plus cooker hoods. This product is designed to be compatible with the specified brand(s) and is not the original part. The name, model names and any part numbers of the original manufacturer(s) have been used for reference purposes only and are in no way associated with the original parts or manufacturer.If you like to chat or listen to the radio while you cook, or if you often eat in an open-plan kitchen, we'd recommend you choose a cooker hood that scores four or more stars in our noise tests. The most common cooker hood width is 60cm, which is suitable for standard-sized hobs. Also common are 90cm wide cooker hoods. You'll find that brands will often release the same cooker hood style in 60cm wide and 90cm wide versions. To read more about cooker hood features, see our Cooker hoods jargon buster. What size cooker hood should I buy?

This is the original type of cooker hood, and these models are sometimes referred to as conventional hoods.There are several types of cooker hood to choose from. Not all retailers categorise them in the same way, but we've summarised the main types below. Integrated cooker hoods All cooker hoods have grease filters – these capture grease as it rises from your hob, preventing it from settling on kitchen surfaces and leaving hard-to-remove residues. Not sure you have the space for a cooker hood? See our guide to the Best venting hobs - hobs with built-in extraction capabilities. Do cooker hoods have to be vented to the outside?