Kitchen Extractor Hoods & Ventilation Cyprus: A Buyer's Guide
Quick Answer: Cyprus cooking is high-temperature, high-aroma cooking. Choosing the right extractor hood — and ducting it properly — is the difference between a kitchen that smells fresh and a house that smells of last night's dinner for a week.
Why Extraction Matters More in Cyprus
Cypriot and broader Mediterranean cooking is intense: high-temperature searing, charcoal-grilled meat, fried halloumi, garlicky stews, and aromatic spices. The cooking aromas — beautiful in the moment — are exactly the aromas you do not want lingering in soft furnishings, curtains, and clothing for the next 48 hours.
In Northern European kitchens (boiled vegetables, light pan-frying), a recirculating filter hood is sometimes acceptable. In a Cyprus kitchen, it is not. Real ducted extraction to outside is essential.
Ducted vs Recirculating
**Ducted (recommended):** The extractor pulls cooking steam, smoke, and odour out of the kitchen and ducts it through the wall or roof to outside. Highly effective. Requires ducting infrastructure — ideally planned at construction stage.
**Recirculating:** Air passes through a charcoal filter that removes some odour, then returns to the kitchen. Captures grease but does not remove steam, heat, or moisture. Filters need replacement every 6 months. Acceptable only when ducted extraction is impossible (apartment block restrictions).
If you have any choice in the matter, choose ducted. The performance difference is dramatic.
Extractor Types & When to Use Each
**Wall-mounted chimney hood:** The traditional configuration. High capacity, simple ducting (straight up the wall and out). Best for L-shape and U-shape kitchens with the hob against a wall.
**Island hood:** Suspended from the ceiling above an island hob. Visually striking; ducting must run through the ceiling void. Choose a powerful unit (800 m³/h+) — island hoods need extra capacity because they capture less laterally.
**Downdraft extractor:** Rises out of the worktop behind the hob when in use. Ideal for kitchens where ceiling-mounted hoods would visually intrude (open-plan with low ceilings, kitchens with feature lighting). Bora and BORA-style integrated extractor hobs combine the hob and extractor into one unit — popular in luxury Cyprus kitchens.
**Ceiling extractor:** Flush-mounted in the ceiling above the hob. Almost invisible. Effective only with significant ducting power and a ceiling void to route ducts.
Capacity, Noise & Specification
**Capacity:** Calculate the kitchen volume (length × width × height in metres). Multiply by 10 for the recommended extraction rate in m³/h. A 4×4×2.7m kitchen = 43m³ × 10 = 430 m³/h minimum at peak. For Cyprus cooking, add 30%.
**Noise:** Look at the dB rating at extraction level 2 (normal cooking). Aim for ≤55 dB. Above 60 dB and you cannot have a conversation across the island.
**Filters:** Stainless steel mesh grease filters that go in the dishwasher. Avoid disposable filter pads.
**Ducting:** Use rigid metal ducting where possible (smooth internal surface, low resistance). Avoid long flexible runs and 90° bends — each 90° bend reduces extraction by 10–15%.
KITWOOD specifies extractor hoods as part of every kitchen design. Visit our [Larnaca showroom](/about) to see live extractor demonstrations.