From the best ductless range hood to ducted range hoods, all kinds of range hoods have one job only; removing the smoke and heat from the kitchen. But, have you ever wondered how the range hood came into existence! If so, then keep your eyes glued to this article.
Recently, range hoods have become a lifesaver for the ones who spend hours in the kitchen. Hence, from professional chefs to home cooks, everyone thinks a range hood is a must-have kitchen appliance. Hence, I think everyone should know the history and evolution of range hoods as it has been a piece of very useful equipment in traditional to modern kitchens.
What is a Range Hood?
You might already know a range hood is installed in the kitchen to evacuate heat, moist and odor that comes out of cooking. Though there are versatile range hoods in the market, they can be classified into two types. One is a ducted range hood, and the other type is ductless.
The ducted range hood is usually installed in a traditional kitchen which requires a duct system. It’s very efficient in removing cooking steam, odor, and airborne pollutants from the kitchen. At the same time, a ductless range hood requires no duct to install.
Hence, it’s easy to install in any modern kitchen. It has charcoal filters that capture the odor, moisture, and smoke from the kitchen and recirculate fresh air. Ductless range hoods are very common in residential kitchens considering their efficiency.
History of Range Hoods
Spending hours preparing meals has been in practice since the ancient period. Thus, it was a very exhausting job to deal with the moist and cooking smell. Then, to make the cooking experience less exhausting, the range hood was invented. Below you will get to know the revolutionary history of the range hood.
The invention of the range hood
During the 1890s, the range hood was first used in Europe. Back then, the mechanism was to ensure a ventilation system for cooking. This is because, at that time, a large number of people were living together. Hence, they had to cook a huge amount of meals which was certainly a daunting job.
Since the food preparation produced a lot of heat and smoke for using a wooden stove, they installed the range hood in the food preparation place. It was a great relief for the cooks and was embraced by people who were financially rich. Because installing a ducted range, the hood was expensive.
The patent of the Range hood
Though range hoods have been in use for a very long time, there were some flaws. Laters, solving the existing issues, the range hood was officially invented by Theodore R.N in 1926. Before his invention, there was no fan included in the hood that could remove cooking fumes.
Thus, he applied for the patent of “ventilating hood for ranges”. You will be amazed to know that the patent of range hood itself has a long history. After Theodore, there were many upgraded versions of the range hood. Two years after his patent, Lloyd W. Ray applied for a patent for designing a range hood connecting with the stove.
It could directly capture the grease from vapor and remove it from the kitchen. Then, in 1932, Henry Broan initiated the business of manufacturing ventilation fans. Since that time, Broan-NuTone LLC has been known as the leader of ventilation fans for range hoods. The ventilation fans also had several versions over time.
In 1933, a unique ventilation fan and range hood were introduced for home cooking by Vent-A-Hood. Eventually, they manufactured the first range hood that could remove smoke and smell during 1937 in texas. Though there are many manufacturers designing range hoods today’s date, the concept, and design introduced by Vent a Hood range was trending for years.
Modern days range hood
Looking at today’s versatile range hoods, it’s easy to realize that the progress of kitchen hoods has come a long way. Though there are mainly two types of range hoods, ducted and ductless, there are so many options to choose from. Now, according to the kitchen dimension, set up, and interior, there are island range hoods, under-cabinet range hoods, wall-mounted range hoods, professional-grade range hood inserts, and so on.
The good news is; you don’t need to limit yourself to a high budget or traditional kitchen set up to install a range hood. Whether it’s a modern kitchen or you have a minimal budget, you can find a suitable range hood in any situation.
Finer verdict
At the end of this brief history of range hood, it won’t be wrong to say that range hoods do make our cooking experience comfortable. Not only that, but it also adds value to the kitchen and the property itself. So, for upgrading the kitchen interior and keeping the house cooking pollutants free, there is no other alternative than installing a suitable range hood.
