If a practical route to the outside isn’t available, a cooker hood designed for recirculation is worth considering, provided you have the compatible kit and filters and keep them maintained. If a separate duct to the outside is an option, check its route and any building-related requirements before choosing an extraction hood. Either way, the hood complements your home’s ventilation; it doesn’t replace it.
You’re fitting a kitchen with no duct that’s easy to use or install. Recirculation lets you consider a hood without an external outlet, but it requires suitable filters and regular maintenance. Qualitel identifies this as a situation where recirculation is worth considering.
Extraction seems possible, but the route is horizontal, long or includes bends. Before choosing a hood, check the route and duct diameter against its instructions: Bosch and Novy point out that bends and duct length create greater resistance to airflow.
You want to manage steam and odours near the hob without confusing the cooker hood with the home’s general ventilation. Qualitel describes mechanical ventilation as a system that continuously renews the air; Bosch advises against connecting an extraction hood’s duct to it.
For a kitchen without a direct outlet, first establish whether a separate duct to the outside can be installed. Recirculation and extraction then involve different installation and maintenance requirements; in either case, you’ll also need to consider your existing ventilation.
Consider this: when an external outlet isn’t practical and the hood can be fitted with the accessories required for recirculation.
Bear in mind: filtered air is returned to the kitchen, and odour filters need maintenance specific to their product reference.
Consider this: if a dedicated duct can vent outdoors and its route complies with the instructions and building requirements.
Bear in mind: the duct length, bends and any requirements relating to the work could affect your plans.
| Criterion | What to check | Consumers concerned |
|---|---|---|
| Duct and building | Check the route, diameter and bends against the hood’s instructions; find out what requirements apply to the external outlet. | If a duct is part of my kitchen plans, I want to know whether it can genuinely vent outdoors before choosing an installation method. Around 42% of consumers put this feasibility check first. |
| Cooking without an external outlet | Confirm that the hood supports recirculation and has a compatible kit and filters; take the type of hob into account. | Without a practical outlet, I’m looking for a hood that works in this set-up, without assuming that it vents air outdoors. This is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Filter maintenance | Identify the odour-filter reference and check its replacement or regeneration instructions. | If I choose recirculation, I want to be able to maintain the filters suited to my hood over time. Around 25% of consumers make compatibility and maintenance their top priority. |
The type of hob can affect your decision: Qualitel advises against recirculation with gas cooking, as this mode does not vent combustion pollutants outdoors. A recirculating hood also doesn’t remove the need to maintain your home’s ventilation. ADEME and Qualitel distinguish the hood’s local function from the air renewal provided by ventilation.
A recirculating hood returns filtered air to the kitchen. On its own, it doesn’t provide the continuous air renewal that Qualitel describes for mechanical ventilation.
Keep your existing ventilation running and maintain it separately. For an extraction hood, Bosch recommends a dedicated duct that vents outdoors, without connecting it to the ventilation system.
The stated airflow rate doesn’t tell you how air will move through the actual duct. Bosch and Novy explain that bends and duct length can impede airflow.
Before ordering, check the planned diameter, route and outlet against the instructions, as well as any building-related requirements.
Creating the duct and outlet may also mean extra work and additional requirements for your project.
Instructions vary by product reference: Elica, for example, describes a disposable filter, while Novy gives specific guidance for certain monoblock filters.
Check which filter reference is compatible with your chosen hood, then follow its instructions for replacement or regeneration.
Depending on the filter, you may need to replace it regularly or set aside time for regeneration.
A hood that can run in recirculation mode may need suitable accessories. For the models concerned, Bosch advises checking kit compatibility using the appliance reference.
Check your model’s instructions for the kit, any deflector and the required filters, and confirm what’s actually supplied with the hood.
Worth considering if you’re comparing a hood with recirculation accessories and installation information for the specific model.
Worth considering if you’re choosing duct accessories or deciding which filter type is intended for a recirculating installation.
Worth considering if the duct route or maintenance of a dedicated recirculation system is an important part of your decision.
These hoods are featured for kitchens where recirculation is being considered; their descriptions also state that they offer extraction. Before choosing either mode, check the recirculation accessories for the exact model or confirm that an external duct is feasible. If you have a gas hob, bear in mind Qualitel’s caution about recirculation.
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Worth considering for a kitchen without an external outlet: the listed modes include both recirculation and extraction.
The product name states that a charcoal filter is included and that it has touch controls. Check the instructions for maintenance details for the filter supplied with this model.
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Consider this angled hood if you want to compare recirculation and extraction for a 60 cm wall-mounted space.
The product name states an airflow rate of 300 m³/h and that a charcoal filter is included. Check the maintenance instructions for the filter that’s compatible with this model.
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Worth considering for a wall-mounted installation where recirculation is an option, provided you confirm which filters are suitable.
The product name states 580 m³/h, three speeds and touch controls. These specifications don’t replace the need to check the installation and filter maintenance requirements.
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This wall-mounted hood is listed as offering both recirculation and extraction. For a kitchen without an outlet, check what accessories are needed for recirculation.
The product name states 650 m³/h and gesture and touch controls. Check the reference for the compatible charcoal filter or kit before choosing recirculation.
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Worth considering if a 90 cm angled hood suits your space and you’re thinking about recirculation.
The product name states 620 m³/h and four speeds. For recirculation, check which kit and charcoal filter are compatible, along with their maintenance instructions.
Bosch advises against connecting an extraction hood’s duct to mechanical ventilation: it should vent outdoors through a separate duct. As Qualitel explains, mechanical ventilation has a separate role in renewing the air in your home.
No. It filters the air and returns it to the room, while your home’s ventilation system renews the air. Keep your existing ventilation system in place and maintain it separately from the cooker hood.
Check the duct route and any applicable requirements before starting work. The rules published by Légifrance distinguish, among other things, between work that changes a building’s external appearance and, in a block of flats, work affecting communal areas or the external appearance. Ask your local planning department and, where relevant, the building manager about your specific project.
How often you need to replace it depends on the filter and hood, not just on the recirculation mode. Elica publishes instructions for specific disposable filters, while Novy distinguishes between several generations of monoblock filters. Follow the instructions for the filter reference compatible with your appliance.
Qualitel advises against using a recirculating cooker hood for gas cooking, as it doesn’t vent combustion pollutants outdoors. Before choosing this set-up, consider the type of hob, extraction options and ventilation in your home.