On this blog we highlight a lot of cool products to make the workflow in your commercial kitchen run more smoothly, but today we’re taking a tiny detour to talk about a product will make everyone in your kitchen breathe a little easier- ventless hoods.

What is a ventless hood?

A ventless hood, sometimes called a ductless hood, is an air filter for use with commercial equipment. It sucks in the dirty, smelly, gas-laden air through a blower or fan, pulls it through a charcoal filter, and pushes out clean, fresh air. Unlike a vented hood, the ventless hood does not need to be hooked up to an outside air source or worked into existing ductwork.

Proper ventilation is a requirement for every foodservice operation. Safety and code requirements aside, guests want to have a pleasant experience without kitchen odors intruding on their meal. Ventless hoods are positioned directly above the stove/over/panini press/etc. to catch those odors before they can waft out to the dining area.

Constantly opening and closing oven doors, running burners, fryers and other cooking equipment makes kitchens hot places to be, no matter what the weather outside. Catching that hot air with a ventless hood before it can add to the heat build-up will make the kitchen a more amiable environment for everyone.

It is right for your kitchen?

Ventless hoods are great at what they do but may not be right for every kitchen. Generally speaking, a very large, high-volume food service operation would find a vented hood meets their ventilation needs more efficiently than a ventless system. However, high-volume kitchens shouldn’t write off ventless hoods just yet. As I mentioned, they’re great at filtering greasy, smelly air. A kitchen that’s constantly using their deep-fryers, convection oven or other equipment may benefit from a ventless hood to give their existing ventilation system a boost.

Turning that charming Victorian home into a delightful tearoom, was a great idea, but continually opening the oven to bring out adorable tea cakes and boiling water heat up that tiny old-timey kitchen like it’s the surface of the sun (how anything got done before 1996, I have no idea). Because it doesn’t require any special ductwork or access to outside air sources, the ventless hood is perfect for these types of non-traditional commercial kitchen spaces. Concession stands, coffee shops, and other smaller spaces would also find a ventless hood meets their ventilation requirements.

For more information, you can visit our website at cooksdirect.com or give our sales and customer service team a call at 866-613-2617. We are happy to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have when purchasing new foodservice equipment.