An outdoor BBQ rangehood not only eliminates smells, grease and smoke from your alfresco area, it compliments the outdoor space with style and sophistication.
With the increase in outdoor dining and the kitchen moving outside, finding the right rangehood can be quite a task. Here at Appliances Online, we look at the different styles of hoods, what you will need to flue properly and everything in between.
What is an Outdoor BBQ Rangehood & do I require one?
What is an Outdoor BBQ rangehood?
Similar to an indoor rangehood, a BBQ rangehood is an extra powerful exhaust system that lives above your BBQ area or Outdoor Kitchen. These systems capture grease, steam, smoke, heat, and odours by using an internal fan to pull air up into a special filter. It then exhausts all the unwanted fumes and smoke through its ducting.
However, what sets an outdoor rangehood apart from an indoor one is the power of the exhaust. As an outdoor rangehood is designed purely for outdoor use, the differences are not only in the amount of air moved, but also safety around the flue kit and increased level of heat protection from the grill below. In simple terms, it's heavy duty.
Do I require an outdoor BBQ rangehood?
BBQ rangehoods are highly recommended if your outdoor entertaining area is enclosed. Outdoor rangehoods will protect nearby ceilings and walls from grease buildup - which means less to clean at the end - and minimize the intensity of cooking smells and smoke drifting into the house (and the neighbour's backyard).
If for instance you have a pure outdoor space, live on acreage or with no close proximity neighbours, you may not need an outdoor hood, but it is handy for minimising grease, grime and cooking odours.
If you're looking at creating your dream outdoor kitchen, you may like to take a read of our Outdoor Kitchen Buying Guide.
Types of outdoor BBQ rangehoods
Canopy rangehood
Canopy style rangehoods are the most popular design of outdoor BBQ rangehoods. They include island rangehoods (which is installed above an island module in the centre of the room) as well as wall canopies which are installed against a backing wall.
Pros
Perform the best and most consistently due to their size
Cons
Due to their size, are generally one of the more expensive styles of hood
Things to consider
When purchasing a range hood for an alfresco area, there are some important factors to consider, to make sure you get the right appliance for your home and that it will do the job intended.
- Size
Most BBQ rangehoods are 650mm to 800mm in depth. The rangehood you purchase should be the same size as your BBQ or larger. If you have any additional hotplate or grills, the rangehood should be big enough to also cover these. - Air-flow
As BBQ cooking emits more heat, fumes, and smoke than standard cooktop cooking, it’s essential to have a rangehood that moves about 2000 plus cubic metres of air per hour. Anything sufficiently less than this, will not be able to handle any fumes or smoke your BBQ gives off. - Installation height
If your BBQ has an open grill, your rangehood should be at a minimum height of 1200mm above your BBQ. If your BBQ doesn’t have an open grill, a minimum height of 1000mm will be sufficient. This is due to flare-ups caused by oils and fats dripping down over the exposed gas fire. - Ducting
BBQ rangehoods should be ducted where possible as this moves all smoke and smell to the outside. Most BBQ rangehoods will require ducting; this is not supplied with your rangehood. Most BBQ rangehoods will require 200mm piping. - Lights
BBQs often have larger cooking surface areas so need more powerful lighting. Halogen lamps are recommended for this purpose as they burn brighter and have a higher lifespan, requiring less frequent replacing than other types of lighting such as LED and incandescent bulbs. - Noise
Noise levels vary from model to model. If this is a major concern for you, look for the measured decibels (dB). BBQ Rangehoods are generally made with a lot of insulation material to reduce the overall noise level due to the high volume of air movement.
We're here to help
If you have any questions around rangehoods, ducting or designing the perfect outdoor space, feel free to get in contact with the team here at Appliances Online 24/7 on 1300 000 500.
Happy grilling!