Suction: how to size it honestly
The rule is kitchen volume × 10 to 15 air changes per hour for Indian cooking, against 6 to 10 for European. A kitchen of 8 × 10 × 10 ft is 800 cu ft, roughly 22.6 m³ — at 12 changes that is 272 m³/hr of actual requirement, but rated suction is measured at zero back-pressure, so a real duct run with two bends typically delivers 50–65% of the number on the box. Hence the 1,200–1,600 m³/hr rating for a normal Indian kitchen. If the duct run exceeds 3 m or has more than two bends, go to the top of that band.
Types and prices
| Type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wall-mounted pyramid | ₹14,000–26,000 | Cheapest; noisy; poor capture area |
| Wall-mounted straight-line / box | ₹22,000–45,000 | The standard good choice |
| Auto-clean with oil collector | ₹28,000–55,000 | Worth it for Indian frying |
| Island hood, ceiling-mounted | ₹45,000–95,000 | Needs a ceiling duct route |
| Downdraft, rising from the counter | ₹65,000–1.4 L | For islands with no ceiling route |
Ducted or recirculating
Ducted removes the air from the flat; recirculating filters it through charcoal and blows it back. For Indian cooking, ducted is the only sensible choice — charcoal filters saturate within three to six months with tadka and deep-frying, after which the hood is an expensive fan. Ducted needs a route to an external wall or a designated shaft, in 150 mm or 200 mm rigid pipe with the minimum number of bends, and society permission if it penetrates a facade.
What people get wrong
- Mounting height: 650–750 mm above the hob for a straight-line hood. Higher and it captures nothing; lower and you hit your head.
- Hood width should equal or exceed the hob width — a 600 mm hood over a 750 mm hob leaves the outer burners uncovered.
- Flexible aluminium ducting halves effective suction. Use rigid pipe.
- Filters need cleaning monthly regardless of what auto-clean claims.
See modular kitchen design and how a modular kitchen is made for how extraction is planned alongside the joinery.
Frequently asked questions
What suction do I need for an Indian kitchen?+
1,200–1,600 m³/hr for a typical flat kitchen, at the upper end if the duct run is long or the kitchen is enclosed. Ratings are measured without back-pressure, so a real installation delivers considerably less than the label.
Is an auto-clean chimney worth it?+
For Indian cooking, generally yes. The oil collector and heated cleaning cycle keep the blower cleaner, which is what preserves suction over years. It does not replace monthly filter cleaning — nothing does.
Can a chimney work without a duct?+
It can run in recirculation mode with charcoal filters, but for Indian cooking that means saturated filters in three to six months and a hood that only moves air around. Duct it if there is any route at all.
How high should a chimney be above the hob?+
650–750 mm for a straight-line or box hood, 700–800 mm for an island hood. Follow the manufacturer's figure where it differs — capture efficiency falls sharply with height, and so does safety over a gas flame.