Cooker hoods: a complete guide to choosing yours in 2026 (types, m³/h, noise and installation)
The cooker hood is one of those appliances nobody looks at in the catalogue until the day the kitchen still smells of fried food three hours after lunch, the walls turn sticky and the ceiling starts to yellow. Then, suddenly, it becomes a priority. And that is when the questions come: decorative or built-in? 60 or 90 cm? How many cubic metres per hour do I really need? And what is a carbon filter?
At Híper Ocio we have been selling since 1923 and, above all, installing appliances in the Valle del Almanzora. That means we have fitted hoods in kitchens of every kind: new refits, replacements for an old hood that no longer pulled, open-plan kitchens that run into the living room, and small village kitchens with a tricky flue outlet. This guide gathers what we actually tell a customer who walks in or writes to us, without brochure jargon.
We will go through the types of hood that exist, how to work out the power you need for your kitchen, what width to choose, how much noise is acceptable, and how we ship it and who installs it. At the end there is a section of frequently asked questions with the doubts we hear most often.
What a hood is really for (and why it is not a luxury)
A hood is not only there so the kitchen does not smell. Its real job is twofold: to remove the smoke, steam and grease produced when cooking, and to stop that grease settling on units, tiles, ceiling and appliances. When you cook, especially if you fry or use a griddle, steam loaded with oil particles is released. If it is not extracted, it condenses on every cold surface in the kitchen. That sticky film that is so hard to clean off the tops of the wall units is exactly that.
In gas kitchens the hood also helps to clear humidity and the products of combustion, and in kitchens open to the living room, which are more and more common, it is the only barrier between the smell of frying onions and the sofa. So the more open your kitchen is, the more important it is not to fall short on power.
The types of cooker hood you will come across
Here is the first decision, and it depends mostly on your units and the look you want. These are the formats we work with:
Decorative hood (wall-mounted or chimney)
This is the classic T-shaped or inverted-pyramid hood that stays in view above the hob. It has become the best-selling format because it looks good, is powerful and is easy to clean. Within this group two finishes dominate: stainless steel, such as the Teka DBB-70, 70 cm in stainless steel (€145), a safe choice from a long-established Spanish brand; and glass, such as the Infiniton CMPTRAL-N68R, 60 cm in black glass (€209.99, available to order), which gives a more modern look and wipes clean in one go.
Built-in, telescopic or conventional hood
This is the one hidden inside the wall unit, out of sight. The telescopic version has a pull-out slide that you draw towards you to increase the capture area while you cook. It is the discreet option and usually the cheapest: the Infiniton CMPE-64WBM, 60 cm in white starts at €78.99 (to order). It is ideal if you do not want the hood to stand out in the kitchen and you already have the unit in place.
Filter canopy unit (built into the cabinet)
This is a motor that is fitted inside the cabinet and uses the cabinet structure itself as the duct. It gives plenty of power in little space and is completely integrated. A good example in stock is the Infiniton CMPG-527, a 720 m³/h filter unit for a 60 cm cabinet (€175). Those 720 m³/h make it suitable even for medium-sized open-plan kitchens.
Island hood
When the hob sits on a central island rather than against the wall, you need a hood hung from the ceiling, with the flue outlet going up. They tend to be wider (90 cm) and more powerful, like the Infiniton CMPY-CL9XA85, 90 cm in stainless steel (€419.99, to order). They are the most expensive format because they are visible from all four sides and carry large motors.
Extraction or recirculation: the decision most people overlook
Every hood can work in two ways, and this affects how well it works far more than the brand does:
Extraction (vented to the outside). This is the best option, always. The hood takes the smoke and expels it out of the house through a pipe. Nothing comes back into the kitchen, so it removes heat, humidity and smell for real. It needs a flue outlet; if you are refitting your kitchen, it is worth making provision for one.
Recirculation (with a carbon filter). When there is no outlet to the outside, which is typical in flats and interior kitchens, the hood filters the air and sends it back clean into the kitchen. To trap the smell it needs an activated carbon filter, such as the Infiniton universal one (€32.90). It is a perfectly valid solution, but with two conditions we will tell you plainly: it filters the smell but does not remove heat or humidity as well, and the carbon filter saturates and has to be replaced every 3 to 6 months depending on use. Keep that in mind, because a recirculating hood with an old filter smells almost as if you had no hood at all.
How many m³/h do I need? The sum almost nobody explains
Extraction flow is measured in cubic metres of air per hour (m³/h), and it is the most important figure on the whole data sheet. The rule we use is simple: the hood should renew the air in the kitchen between 10 and 12 times per hour. So:
Recommended flow (m³/h) = length × width × height of the kitchen × 12
A real example. A kitchen of 3 × 4 metres with a 2.5 m ceiling has a volume of 30 m³. Multiplied by 12, that gives 360 m³/h as the recommended minimum. With these approximate figures you are on safe ground:
- Small, closed kitchen (up to 8-10 m²): from 300-400 m³/h is enough.
- Medium, closed kitchen (10-15 m²): look for between 400 and 600 m³/h.
- Large kitchen or one open to the living room: do not go below 650-720 m³/h. The CMPG-527 at 720 m³/h fits here perfectly.
Two honest warnings. First: if you are going to install it in recirculation mode, go up one step in power, because the carbon filter reduces the flow. Second: the maximum flow on the data sheet is the figure at the highest speed, which is also the noisiest. The ideal is for the hood to handle your day-to-day cooking at medium speed without having to run at full.
The right width: 60, 70, 80 or 90 cm
The golden rule: the hood should be as wide as the hob, or wider. Never narrower. If the hob is 60 cm and you fit a 60 cm hood, you only just capture the edge; if you can go to 70 or 80, it will capture the steam from pans at the sides better.
- 60 cm: the standard for most 4-burner hobs and ordinary kitchens.
- 70-80 cm: extra capture that is well worth having if you have the space.
- 90 cm: for large 5-zone hobs, wide worktops or island hoods.
Models such as the 90 cm Infiniton are designed precisely for those kitchens where you cook on a large scale.
Noise, lighting and energy class
Three details that make a difference in daily use:
Noise. It is measured in decibels (dB). At low or medium speed, a good hood sits between 45 and 55 dB, a tolerable background noise. At maximum it can reach 65-70 dB, which is already annoying if you are talking. Tip: a powerful hood used at medium speed makes less noise than a barely adequate one always run flat out.
Lighting. Nowadays almost all of them have LEDs, which use very little power, last for years and light the cooking area well. It is a small extra, but one you appreciate every day.
Energy class. Hoods are labelled from A+++ to D. It is not the criterion that worries us most for this appliance (a hood uses little compared with a fridge or a tumble dryer), but between two similar models, choose the one with the better letter.
Grease filters. Check that they are aluminium and dishwasher safe. It is the cleaning you will really do every few weeks, and having them removable and dishwasher-washable saves you a lot of work.
Delivery and installation: all of mainland Spain, and by van in the Almanzora
This is where a local shop beats buying blind online. We ship hoods across the whole of mainland Spain by courier, with free shipping from €49.99, and in the Valle del Almanzora, the Levante Almeriense and Los Vélez we bring it to you ourselves in our van. Hanging it, connecting it and, in extraction mode, fitting the pipe to the flue outlet is done by the installer we work with: we put you in touch with him and you agree it directly. Outside the area, your own trusted installer fits it.
When you come to the shop or write to us on WhatsApp at 623 04 44 20, the first things we ask are the width of your hob, whether you have a flue outlet or will be recirculating, and the measurements of the space in the unit. With that we tell you which model really fits, without selling you more or less than you need. And if the hood that suits you is not in physical stock, many models are available to order with an estimated delivery of 3-7 working days.
On payment: you can finance your hood (and the whole kitchen refit if you need to) with Klarna. And if the product turns out not to be what you expected, you have 30 days to return it under our policy.
Why buy your hood from Híper Ocio
Let us be honest: you can buy a hood in a thousand places. What you will not find just anywhere is that the person who sells it to you is the same one who installs it and the same one who picks up the phone if one day it stops pulling. We are a family business founded in 1923, today with Antonio Martínez Rosado at the helm as the fourth generation, and we are still at Avenida 28 de Febrero s/n in Albox.
We work with serious brands such as Infiniton and Teka, with real spare parts, from carbon filters to components, because a hood is meant to last for years and should be maintainable. And above all, we tell you the truth: if your kitchen does not need a €400 hood, we will not fit you one. We would rather you get it right and come back than sell you too much once.
Frequently asked questions about cooker hoods
Is an extraction or a recirculation hood better?
If you have a flue outlet to the outside, always extraction: it removes heat, humidity and smell for real. Recirculation with a carbon filter is the solution when no outlet is possible, and it works well as long as you change the filter every 3-6 months.
How many m³/h does my kitchen need?
Multiply the volume of your kitchen (length × width × height in metres) by 12. As a guide: 300-400 m³/h for small closed kitchens, 400-600 m³/h for medium ones and 650-720 m³/h or more for large kitchens or those open to the living room.
What width of hood should I choose?
At least the same width as your hob; never less. With a 60 cm hob, a 60 cm hood is just enough and a 70-80 cm one captures better. For 90 cm hobs or islands, go for 90.
How often should the filters be cleaned or replaced?
Grease filters (aluminium) are washed every 3-4 weeks, and many can go in the dishwasher. The carbon filter, only if you use recirculation, is replaced every 3-6 months because it cannot be washed: it saturates.
Do you install the hood and do you ship?
Yes to shipping: hoods travel by courier to the whole of mainland Spain, with free shipping from €49.99, and in the Valle del Almanzora, the Levante Almeriense and Los Vélez we bring it with our van. We do not do the installation ourselves: in the local area we put you in touch with the installer we work with. Accessories, such as the carbon filter, are also shipped.
Can I finance the purchase?
Yes: at checkout you can choose Klarna, which shows you the instalment options available for your purchase before you confirm. Ideal if you are renovating the whole kitchen at once.
