ᐅ Is an open kitchen without an external ventilation system advisable? What are your thoughts?

Hello,

we have a brochure for a top-floor apartment. The kitchen is an open plan design within the living area, but it is located internally, meaning it is not adjacent to an exterior wall. The ceiling is open up to the roof ridge, so there is no (horizontal) ceiling. The developer states that venting to the outside is not possible. Whether this is technically true or not still needs to be clarified.

But assuming this is the case, is it actually feasible to operate an open kitchen effectively with only a recirculating extractor hood? Do you have any specific experience with this? What is the current state of technology?

The house will most likely have a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery. An exhaust ventilation system would be possible only with additional effort and costs. Others are more experienced in that area.
However, a kitchen with recirculation only still makes sense – you can still cook that way.
We have that too ... as well as other setups 🙂

What is controlled residential ventilation?

The bathroom is located next to the kitchen (both interior rooms), and the bathroom requires (and we will have) an external ventilation system.

Okay, but won’t that cause much more odor than a system vented outside? And what about the grease in the air—will that really be filtered out?

Hello begibegi,

As someone who cooks and fries a lot, I can say: recirculation hoods work well – but only from a certain price point. Those that can compete with ducted hoods in terms of extracting steam and removing odors tend to be more expensive.

There is maintenance involved due to the need to replace the charcoal filters. However, especially in some of the better models, this is a very simple and quick process, completely hassle-free.

Even more affordable models filter grease quite effectively. It is important to position the hood so that there is as little cross-draft as possible – so potentially not the popular but fully open kitchen island layout, but rather a stove along a wall.

For islands – in my personal opinion – downdraft systems are the better choice.

The only thing that is not removed is moisture from cooking. In practice, this is not an issue, as it can be ventilated out.

A controlled residential ventilation system is a mechanical supply and exhaust air system commonly installed in many new buildings. It eliminates the need for manual ventilation and is also often used to meet energy-saving regulations.

As a general rule, I would say that recirculating hoods cost about €500 more if they are to perform roughly as effectively as their ducted counterparts. This makes sense, since they require an additional filter system and more powerful fans.

The high-end recirculating hoods I have used so far have done their job very well. I cannot comment on their long-term maintenance effort. Unfortunately, all types of range hoods need cleaning, especially if you frequently cook with high heat...