Comparison Sweet Air Tornado 60 Glass Lux BK black vs Elica Hidden IX/A/60 stainless steel

— Dome. Hood with a round or rectangular air duct; in the lower part turning into a conical or trapezoidal body. Usually, it has a discreet design with a minimum number of decorative elements. Exceptions to this rule apply to country style, shown separately.

— T-shaped. Outwardly, it resembles a dome hood, but instead of a conical or trapezoidal body, the air duct ends with a flat rectangular air intake. In cross-section, the system resembles the letter "T" for which it got its name.

— Angled. In such hoods, the air intake panel is installed at an angle to the duct. This design is purely aesthetic and does not affect functionality.

— Vertical panel. A special type of wall-mounted hood that is as close as possible to angled models, except that when not in use, the front panel is parallel to the wall and not at an angle.

— Cylindrical. Classic cylindrical hoods.

— Rectangular. Hoods of an even geometric shape of a solid design and do not have a division into a duct and a body (as is done in T-shaped models).

— With glass. The main distinguishing feature of all such hoods is the presence of a glass plate in the design as an additional decorative...element. The very appearance of the hood can be anything: dome with glass, T-shaped with glass, angled with glass, cylindrical with glass.

— Visor. Extractor hood designed for installation under a kitchen cabinet. At the same time, the air duct is hidden inside, and outside there is only a flat air intake resembling a visor (hence the name). Glass is often used in the design of the visor.

— Sliding panel. As the name implies, these hoods are equipped with a retractable air intake panel. During operation, the panel opens — thus increasing the effective suction area. The hood itself is usually built into a cabinet or table (see "Product type"). But this type can be implemented in two ways. Sliding hoods with open panel when closed have a front panel that stands out and is visible under the cabinet. Sliding hoods with hidden panel are not visible when closed, and the opening mechanism is designed in such a way that the panel extends slightly at an angle.

— Fully built-in. Hoods that are built-in in the full sense of the word: the device is almost entirely hidden in a hanging cabinet or ceiling; only the air intake panel is outside. Such an installation is known by a minimum of visible details and allows you not to worry about how the hood will fit into the kitchen interior.

— Modern (unusual design). Hoods with a hi-tech look — using polished metal, glass and a minimum of decorative elements. Most modern style hoods have a specific design that does not fit into any of the options described above; Therefore, they are separated into a separate category. However, the design of such devices may vary; there are both absolutely minimalistic and rather pretentious, original design.

— Country. Country-style hoods usually have light, soft body colours (white, beige, light grey) and structural elements decorated in wood, bronze and other similar materials. By design, such devices are usually similar to domed ones. Note that with similar performance, country hoods are noticeably more expensive than conventional style models. In addition, they are quite demanding on the environment: the whole kitchen must be made in a similar style. otherwise, it is likely that the device simply does not fit into the interior.

The power of the hood at maximum speed.

The more powerful the device, the more performant it is, usually. However, there is no rigid dependence here, and hoods of the same power may differ in actual performance. So it is worth evaluating power consumption in terms of power first of all: the lower this indicator, the more economical the device. And when evaluating performance, you need to look not so much at power as at the directly claimed flow of the air (see below).

The maximum flow of air or motor flow of air indicates the theoretical capability of the device. This parameter of the hood (motor) is measured during idle operation. By connecting the duct and working in the appropriate mode of extraction, the flow of air will be lower. However, high-performance motors will also give a high flow of air in extraction mode.

The volume at which the device operates in the quietest mode. Usually (but not necessarily) it is the minimum power mode.

The decibels in which the noise level is measured are non-linear units, so it is easiest to use comparison tables to estimate a specific value. Here is the simplest table for minimum noise in modern hoods:

— 20 dB. Almost inaudible. The volume of a whisper at a distance of 1 m, the sound background in an open field on a calm day.
— 30 dB. The whisper, the ticking of the clock. The maximum noise level allowed for residential premises at night.
— 40 dB. The volume of normal human speech. The maximum permissible sound background (permanent) for living quarters during the day.
— 50 dB. Conversation of several people in medium tones.
— 60 dB. Loud talk.
— 65 – 68 dB — background noise on a city street, a vacuum cleaner engine at a distance of 2 – 3 m. The highest noise level among modern hoods is typical for powerful performant models.

When choosing according to this indicator, note that, other things being equal, a quieter device will, accordingly, cost more.

The level of noise produced by the hood in the loudest mode of operation. Usually (but not necessarily) it is the maximum power mode. It affects the comfort during operation of the device, so quiet hoods will be more preferable, but also more expensive.

The decibels in which the noise level is measured are non-linear units, so it is easiest to use comparison tables to estimate a specific value. Here is the simplest table for the values relevant in this case:

— 35 dB. The volume of a conversation in an undertone (but not a whisper). The lowest maximum noise value in modern hoods. Devices with such characteristics are almost guaranteed not to cause inconvenience: such noise is often blocked by other sounds, for example, the background noise of the street in an open window.
— 40 dB. The volume of a normal conversation. The maximum noise level allowed in a residential area during the day. If the hood is bought for home use, and it is supposed to be turned on often and for a long time, the noise level in the selected device shouldn't exceed this indicator.
— 50 dB. Conversation volume at medium tones.
— 60 dB. Raised conversation.
— 70 dB. Sound background on a busy street, in a crowd of people talking loudly, the sound of a vacuum cleaner motor at a distance of 2 – 3 m.
— 75 dB. Scream or loud laughter at a distance of about a metre.
— 78 – 79 dB. Loud mechanical alarm clock, motorcycle o...r truck engine. The highest level in modern consumer-grade hoods.

Note that the actual comfort of using the device depends not only on the volume but also on the timbre (tonality) of the noise: for example, a low, even rumble is generally perceived easier than high frequencies with clanging notes. If the hood installation is unsuccessful, the actual noise level may be higher than stated in the specifications. For example, additional noise can be caused by the hum of air in the ducts or rattling from the contact of the vibrating body with the wall. However, when choosing, it is worth focusing on the noise level claimed in the specifications.

The control method provided in the hood.

— Push-buttons. The most popular control method in modern hoods can be provided in devices of any functionality and price category — from low-cost models, where buttons directly control the motor, to high-end solutions with advanced electronic circuits.

— Rotary knobs. Control with rotary knobs, sometimes supplemented by buttons or touch sensors. A rather specific option found mainly in high-end hoods, where rotary knobs are part of the design.

— Slider. Control using the lever moved on the special panel. Usually, only power is regulated in this way: the farther the slider is from the neutral position, the more air the hood draws. A fairly universal control method, found in hoods of all price categories.

— Touch controls. Control using touch panels is considered a sign of expensive high-end hoods. It is because it makes sense to use such panels mainly with advanced control electronics and they are poorly suited for low-cost devices. From a practical point of view, the touch controls are remarkable for their ease of use and ease of cleaning: a light touch is enough to give a command, and the panel itself has no slots or protrusions, making it easy to clean dirt.

A suction system that draws air into the hood through a series of holes around the perimeter of the air intake. This design provides high suction efficiency and, at the same time, allows you to apply advanced design solutions to the device. However, due to the high cost, it is typical mainly for premium hoods.

This indicator characterizes how economically the hood consumes electricity. Initially, classes were marked in Latin letters from A (highest) and further down as they went down; later, improved classes A+ and A++ appeared. (the more pluses, the better). More energy-efficient models are more expensive but can pay for themselves in the process of use, especially if you have to cook often and in large quantities.

The height of the entire hood structure is from the lower edge to the upper part of the body (the point of connection of the external air duct). For hoods with an adjustable design that allows you to change the height of the case, the maximum height is the size of the device in the unfolded state; in the case of non-adjustable hoods, this means a correspondingly constant overall height. When choosing a hood in height, it is worth proceeding from two points:

1. The optimal height of the air intake above the hob is 60-80 cm. This height allows the hood to capture kitchen fumes effectively and, at the same time, gives enough space to work with the hob.

2. Between the hood body and the ceiling, a clearance is required for connecting an external air duct.