Everyone has one, yet many people still do not necessarily think much about it — or fully understand how it actually works. Yes, we are talking about the kitchen hood.
For many years, the kitchen hood has often been given the role of the kitchen’s “eyesore.” Something you simply need to have, but not something you make many active choices about. It is noisy, takes up a lot of space, and is often a source of frustration when you repeatedly bump your head on the corner or front of the hood while cooking.
The evolution of the hood
For a long time, the most common model among wall-mounted kitchen hoods has been the well-known T-shape model — a kitchen hood that can also conveniently serve as a spice shelf and remain timeless for many years. But then we at RørosHetta decided to change the rules.
Ever since the first RørosHetta customer arrived at our factory in Røros in 1981 and asked whether we could custom-design a hammered copper cooker hood, the Augensen family and the rest of our employees at Røros Metall have tried to think differently. A kitchen hood no longer needs to be “just” a kitchen hood — as trends, preferences, and production methods have evolved, a kitchen hood today can be a prominent design feature or an almost invisible integrated part of the kitchen.
Custom-made kitchen hoods account for more than half of all products delivered from the factory in Røros. With the possibility of designing the kitchen hood in any color, metal, wood finish, or even Dekton panels, the Sense kitchen hoods allow homeowners to create a unique centerpiece for the home.
The modern kitchen continues to evolve, and downdraft ventilation systems have taken the Nordic market by storm. We see that today’s families increasingly want a cohesive kitchen with as few unnecessary details and components as possible. Wall-mounted kitchen hoods are a more natural choice if you want to ensure extraction follows the direction in which cooking fumes and steam naturally travel, but with an efficient and powerful downdraft ventilator, you gain flexibility in placement — whether you want to cook in a small corner or on a large kitchen island. With ventilation and cooktop combined in one unit, there is no need to think about a separate ventilation solution — after all, it is built directly into the cooktop itself.
All-in-One solutions are preferred
The smart all-in-one solutions now available across most categories of kitchen appliances and accessories are becoming increasingly common, including kitchen ventilation. RørosHetta kitchen hoods with integrated Sense technology come with app control. With Sense Pro and the integrated Sense stove guard, users gain insight into important measurements of the kitchen’s indoor climate, as well as perhaps the kitchen’s best fire prevention feature, discreetly integrated into the kitchen hood.
Although downdraft ventilators cannot currently be delivered with an integrated stove guard, this is a product we see more and more people choosing when renovating their kitchens. This solution allows families to eliminate overhead cabinets and wall- or ceiling-mounted kitchen hoods, opening up the room for new movement zones and fewer uncomfortable “head bumps” — exactly how modern kitchens designed for peace and comfort in the home should be.
The dynamics of the home are changing
Families’ evolving use of the kitchen as a social space continues to challenge suppliers to think differently. The kitchen is no longer only for cooking, with a separate dining area in the next room — triangular work zones, improved flow of movement, and space for a varied everyday life now need room around kitchen islands and ventilation solutions.
The kitchen has become the new heart of the home. This is where tired breakfasts are quickly eaten before a long day at school or work, dinners are enjoyed at the kitchen counter, and homework help takes place alongside cooking. The need for kitchens with less noise and more open surfaces seems here to stay.
That is why, when designing a dream kitchen intended to last anywhere from 20 years to a lifetime, it is important to also think about the kitchen hood — the hidden treasure of the kitchen.
Low noise levels and efficient extraction are essential to ensure that cooking fumes, particles, and steam are removed before, during, and after cooking. The preferred ventilation solution is direct extraction to the outside air (standard ventilation), but if you live in a home where this is not possible, you can rest assured that our Sense kitchen hoods are available for all ventilation solutions, with quiet and automatic extraction, while downdraft ventilators are also available for recirculation.
You can view our ventilation guide here.
At RørosHetta, in other words, you will find products for every home and every ventilation solution, regardless of how you want your kitchen to feel, function, and look.
