Professional ductless hoods are often considered the only solution when a traditional hood with an external exhaust cannot be installed. But is this accurate? When is a fume hood mandatory, and what compromises does this entail? Are there any better performing alternatives for catering? Find out in this article!
When a professional ventless hood is the only option
In some situations, installing a hood with a vent is technically impossible or not permitted. Some examples are:
- Premises located in historic centres or buildings subject to restrictions, where creating new external vents is not allowed
- Kitchens located far from perimeter walls: if the kitchen is in the centre of a building, designing a vent may be impossible or too costly.
- Situations where major masonry work cannot be carried out: for example, when the owner won't authorise structural changes.
- Temporary kitchens, catering and events that require rapid, removable solutions
In all these cases, a professional ductless hood often becomes the only viable option. However, this solution has many significant limitations in the catering industry, which is why alternatives are being sought to overcome the problems associated with professional ventless extractor hoods which, by their very nature, are more suited to domestic kitchens.
Be aware of the limitations of a professional ductless hood!
Although it may be a necessary solution, a ductless hood is not designed to offer the same performance as a traditional professional hood with a vent for large-scale catering.
How does a ventless hood even work? By recirculation, meaning that the air never leaves the kitchen. Unlike traditional hoods, fume hoods suck in air, pass it through metal filters and activated carbon filters, and return it to the same room.
The operating modes of professional ventless extractor hoods coincide with their limitations, which are too often underestimated:
They do not remove steam and moisture
Steam cannot be filtered. This generates condensation, increased temperatures, possible mould formation and reduced comfort for operators.
Insufficient performance for high-intensity kitchens
Intensive professional use produces smoke, odours and grease that exceed the capacity of even high-end fume hoods. Frying, grilling, stir-frying and prolonged cooking produce volumes of smoke that even professional fume hoods cannot handle.
Expensive filters requiring frequent replacement
Their effectiveness depends on the filters, which must be replaced frequently, are expensive, and require specialised disposal. A system with an external vent tackles the problem at its root, thereby enabling significant savings.
They are not always compliant with regulations
Many people wonder whether ventless hoods comply with regulations. The answer is: not always. The health and hygiene regulations of many local health authorities require an external vent for numerous types of cooking. In these cases, a fume hood cannot fulfil this requirement.
Air quality not comparable to a hood with a vent
Recirculation cannot guarantee the same effectiveness as external expulsion. Odours may return, especially during peak hours.
To learn more about the differences between extractor hoods for restaurants and professional ventless hoods, see also: Professional extractor hoods: better with a motor or ventless?
Ductless hoods: opinions and alternatives
When considering professional ductless extractor hoods, there are at least three common aspects: they are a fallback solution, useful only when there is no alternative; they only work well with light cooking and constant maintenance; their performance, comfort and air quality are not comparable to those of a ducted range hood.
In short, those seeking truly professional performance continue to prefer hoods with external vents because they are the only solution that guarantees air exchange, effective elimination of odours and steam and total regulatory compliance.
But what if a vent cannot be installed due to structural or regulatory reasons? Today, there is a more effective solution than a simple internal fume hood: a hybrid configuration consisting of a traditional professional hood connected via a duct to an external high-capacity activated carbon filtering unit.
How does it work? The hood extracts air like a normal professional hood, which is then conveyed through a duct to the external filtering unit (a box that looks like an air conditioning motor), where the filters treat the air much more effectively than the integrated filters, and the clean air is expelled outside.
This system performs better, guarantees higher hygiene standards, is easier to maintain, and is more compliant with professional industry regulations. Is it more expensive than a professional ductless extractor hood? Yes, but this is followed by savings in terms of maintenance and gains in quality and service efficiency.
Would you like to learn more about the alternative to professional ductless hoods and the best solutions in terms of extractor hoods for restaurants? Write to lotus@lotuscookers.it or fill out the contact form.