While it is the function of a commercial kitchen to whip out delicious food, safety should not be ignored. One of the best ways to ensure kitchen safety is to install a restaurant vent hood. There are different kinds to consider.

Type I Hoods

A Type I restaurant vent hood is designed for the removal of condensation, heat, smoke, and other greasy by-products of cooking. Taking that into account, this kind of hood is commonly referred to as a “grease hood.”

Grease and associated by-products are produced when cooking animal protein. The job of a Type I hood is to capture the “greasy air”. As such, this kind of hood is put above cooktops, deep fryers, charbroilers, and open-flame stoves, among others. Pizza ovens also count as requiring this type of hood above it, but certain municipalities allow a type 2 hood for pizza deck oven, so it’s still best to check before purchasing a particular kind.

Since accumulated grease can result in fires, this kind of hood requires regular cleaning to prevent said trouble.

Type 2 Hoods

A kitchen isn’t just comprised of cooking equipment. Appliances like dishwashers don’t produce grease or smoke. Other appliances that fit the category include ovens and pasta cookers. Since this equipment produces heat or moisture, installing a Type 2 restaurant vent hood over allows excess heat to be removed from the air, making for a more comfortable working environment.

Also referred to as a “condensate hood,” a type 2 hood can be installed over a pizza deck oven since it can deal with small non-grease producing appliances to exhaust heat, odor, and vapors.

Range Hood Options

Restaurant vent hoods come in different options, and it’s important to pick one that fits the layout of your kitchen. Each kind of hood has a different capture area, and they are mounted at varying heights and positions relative to the cooking equipment. These are the common options available:

• wall-mounted canopy hoods
• single or double island canopy hoods
• proximity hoods (back shelf, pass-over, or eyebrow)

A single-island canopy hood usually needs more exhaust than the wall-mounted variety. On the other hand, a wall-mounted option needs more exhaust than a proximity hood.

In terms of performance, a double-island canopy performs just as well as to two back-to-back wall-canopy hoods.

A wall-mounted option is a common configuration for type 1 hoods and it is best used in kitchens where the cooking equipment is against a wall. The backshelf hood, on the other hand, is shorter and is ideal for small kitchen spaces like those in concession trailers, food trucks, and mobile kitchens.

The installation of restaurant vent hoods should be a priority for commercial kitchens. These spaces require the operation of more than one appliance in the cooking of food, and such an undertaking can spell danger. However, such spaces can be made safer for everyone with the installation of proper restaurant vent hoods.

Exhaust Hood Depot is proud to offer its services Nationwide and to the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland and their major cities and surrounding areas: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Erie, Baltimore, Frederick, Annapolis, and Rockville</p