Down and out!

Interior design trends over the past decade have transformed kitchens from a purely utilitarian workspace into the hub of the home where family and friends congregate. This trend towards open plan kitchens, often linking to dining and living spaces has placed increasing importance on the question of kitchen fume extraction.

Not only does the extraction unit have to work efficiently, it also has to be aesthetically pleasing. A key part to the cooking/entertaining scenario is to have the hob situated in an island unit, often incorporating space for casual eating, and a large steel extractor coming down from the ceiling can sometimes detract from the overall look of the space.

The theory of integrated downdraft extraction is that by positioning the air intake as close as possible to the pans, cooking fumes are taken downwards at source before they get a chance to enter the air space of the room. They are then either ducted outside or recirculated through a series of grease and activated carbon filters. The system works because unlike all other extraction systems which are based on volume of air extracted, downdraft places the emphasis on the speed of the air flow. This simple application of physics results in the superbly efficient removal of kitchen fumes whilst being completely unobtrusive.

We have referred to the excellent systems from Bora in previous articles, but since they perfected the downdraft extraction solution a few years ago, like all good ideas others have followed suit. As a result several other manufacturers have brought their own versions to the market.

As well as being main agents for Bora, we can now offer systems from Miele, NEFF, Westin and AirUno all of who have developed their own particular versions of this technology. Available hobs include all cooking options, including inuction, gas, ceramic and Teppan hot plates. We have a couple of working units in our showroom and look forward to showing prospective clients just how efficient the downdraft concept is.