If you want to cook without an overhead extractor, a venting hob or a worktop extractor paired with a separate hob could be the answer, provided your cabinets can accommodate the appliance and its accessories. Whether you choose external extraction or recirculation depends on the ventilation options in your home. If you decide that an overhead extractor is acceptable after all, separate appliances let you replace the hob or extractor independently.
Before choosing a venting hob, check whether external extraction is possible. If it isn’t, look at models that can be set up for recirculation, along with their filters and the space they need beneath the worktop.
If you want to keep the space above the hob clear, compare an integrated venting hob with a worktop extractor. The latter lets you choose a separate hob, but both configurations require you to check the space beneath the worktop.
The visible width alone won’t tell you whether a new hob will fit in your kitchen. Check the cut-out, worktop depth, available cabinet height and the electrical requirements for the model you’re considering.
Start by checking whether external extraction is possible, then compare each configuration with your cabinet dimensions and the appliances you want to keep.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Extraction mode | Confirm whether an external outlet is possible and which modes are supported by the model you’re considering. For recirculation, check which filters and accessories are compatible, and ask a professional to assess how the appliance will work with your existing ventilation. | I want to avoid an overhead extractor, but the choice between ducted extraction and recirculation needs to suit my home. If an external outlet isn’t confirmed, I’ll look at configurations designed for recirculation. |
| Space beneath the worktop | Compare the cut-out, fitting height, worktop depth and duct routing with the measurements in the installation guide. Check drawers and any obstructions inside the cabinet, too. | I want to keep the storage space beneath the hob usable. The position of the motor, filters and ducts matters just as much as the hob’s width. |
| Separate appliances | A worktop extractor lets you choose a separate hob, provided you coordinate their dimensions and installation. A separate wall-mounted extractor is still positioned overhead. | If I want to replace the hob and extractor independently without an overhead appliance, I’ll compare worktop extractors. If I’m happy with a wall-mounted extractor, separate appliances are another option. |
| Performance in each mode | Only compare specifications or test results for the mode you’ll use. UFC-Que Choisir notes in its 2024 testing protocol that grease removal can vary depending on the installation mode. | I don’t want to assume that a recirculation installation will perform as stated for ducted extraction, or vice versa. |
| Induction and power supply | Check that your pans are suitable for induction. Read the electrical requirements for the exact model and ask a suitably qualified professional to check your existing power supply. | If I’m replacing my hob, I want to know whether I can keep using my cookware and whether the electrical installation is suitable for the new appliance. |
| Maintenance | Check how to access the grease filters and, for recirculation, which odour filter the appliance uses. Follow the model-specific instructions for cleaning, regenerating or replacing them. | I need to be able to reach the filters after installation and identify the compatible consumables for my chosen configuration. |
A venting hob also takes up space beneath the worktop. When replacing an appliance, the existing cut-out, cabinet and route for the accessories may mean you can’t simply reuse the current installation as it is.
Measure the cut-out, worktop depth, available height and any obstructions, then compare them with the installation diagram for the exact model.
Recirculation filters the air and returns it to the room, and the odour filters need maintenance. Performance in one mode shouldn’t be assumed to apply to the other: UFC-Que Choisir notes that grease removal can vary depending on the installation.
First check whether an external outlet is available and consider your home’s ventilation. Then check the mode and accessories specified in the chosen model’s instructions.
An induction venting hob requires compatible cookware. The electrical requirements must also match the model you’re considering, not those of another hob of a similar size.
Check that your cookware is suitable before buying, and ask a suitably qualified professional to check your existing power supply against the installation instructions.
Maintenance requirements vary by system. Once the hob and cabinets are in place, you’ll still need access to the filters to follow the care instructions.
Before finalising your kitchen layout, check where the filters are located, how to clean them and which compatible filter models you’ll need.
Bosch offers venting hobs, conventional extractor hoods and worktop extractors. Each type calls for a different kitchen layout.
Electrolux offers induction venting hobs, with installation guides to help you plan the cut-out.
Siemens offers induction hobs with integrated ventilation, designed to do away with an overhead extractor.
Elica’s NikolaTesla range includes venting hobs and accessories for under-worktop installations.
These options include induction hobs with integrated extraction, followed by wall-mounted extractor hoods to pair with a separate hob. Wall-mounted extractors won’t suit you if you want to avoid an overhead appliance; they’re included for anyone considering this alternative configuration.
Image unavailable
This appliance combines cooking and extraction, so there’s no need for an overhead extractor. The product name lists four Boost Flex zones and says the CBEHKIT installation accessories should be purchased with the hob. Check the instructions for the extraction mode, required accessories and space needed beneath the worktop.
Image unavailable
This 80 cm hob combines induction cooking with integrated extraction. Before planning to fit it in an existing cabinet, check the cut-out, clearances, extraction mode and electrical connection requirements in the instructions.
Image unavailable
This extractor is chosen separately from the hob, but it is still mounted overhead. The product name gives an airflow rate of 650 m³/h; this stated figure alone can’t predict how it will perform in your kitchen. Check the clearances and the installation mode that’s suitable for your home.
Image unavailable
This separate extractor is suitable only if you’re happy to have an appliance mounted overhead. The product name lists recirculation and ducted extraction modes, as well as a stated airflow rate of 650 m³/h. Check the clearances and which filters are compatible with your chosen mode.
Image unavailable
This extractor lets you choose your extraction appliance separately from the hob, but it doesn’t eliminate the overhead appliance. The product name lists three speeds, a stated airflow rate of 400 m³/h, ducted extraction and recirculation modes, and an included charcoal filter. Check the installation dimensions in the instructions.
No. It avoids the need for an extractor above the hob, but it doesn’t replace the home’s general ventilation. Before changing an air outlet or existing installation, ask a suitably qualified professional to assess the project and check that it’s compatible with your home’s ventilation.
Choose ducted extraction if your home has a suitable external outlet and the duct specified for the model can be fitted. Recirculation is an option for appliances designed to work this way, provided you use compatible filters and maintain them as required. Don’t apply specifications or performance figures for one mode to the other.
Start with the installation diagram for the exact model. Check the cut-out, fitting height and route for accessories against your cabinet dimensions. For example, Electrolux France gives the KCC8344 a fitting height of 225 mm and a cut-out size of 750–780 × 490 mm; these measurements don’t apply to other hobs.
Yes, as long as they’re suitable for induction. UFC-Que Choisir points out that this technology requires compatible saucepans and frying pans, so check the markings or compatibility of your cookware before replacing your hob.
Check the requirements in the instructions for the exact model and ask a suitably qualified professional to check your existing power supply. The width or appearance of a new hob won’t tell you whether it’s electrically compatible with your current installation.