Test method

How we test kitchen chimneys

The uses we score and the tests we run on every kitchen chimney: mustard-oil tadka smoke, noise at each speed, power draw, auto-clean and oil collected.

Kitchen Chimneys reviews

Every chimney we review is installed over a real hob in a home kitchen and used for daily cooking for four to five weeks, including regular frying. Each review states the hob size, the duct length and the number of bends, since a long or winding duct can cut suction more than the difference between two models.

Each test result in a review links back to the matching test on this page. Compare smoke-clearance times between hoods tested on similar hobs and ducts; a 90 cm hood over a four-burner hob and a 60 cm hood over a two-burner hob are doing different jobs.

What we score

Daily tadka and mustard oil
How quickly it clears the sharp smoke of dry red chillies in hot mustard oil, including from the burner farthest from the hood.
Deep frying and fish fry
How well it clears smoke from a batch of pakoras, puris or fish fry, and how long the smell lingers in the kitchen and the corridor.
Small kitchens and two-burner hobs
How well a 60 cm hood suits a compact kitchen with a short duct, a narrow wall and a two-burner hob.
Quiet running in open kitchens
Whether you can talk or watch TV over it at the speed you actually need for tadka, not only at its lowest speed.
Cleaning and upkeep
How often the auto-clean cycle or the baffle filters need attention with daily frying, how long that takes and how much grease it leaves behind.

The tests

  1. Mustard-oil tadka smoke clearance

    Measured in s Lower is better

    We add dry red chillies to hot mustard oil with the chimney at top speed and time how long the haze takes to clear from the kitchen. Hob size, burner, duct length and bends are stated in each review, because they change the result.

  2. Noise at top speed

    Measured in dB Lower is better

    We measure the sound level one metre from the hood at its top speed, the one you need for tadka and frying, and compare it with the listed figure.

  3. Noise at lowest speed

    Measured in dB Lower is better

    We measure the sound level one metre from the hood at speed 1, the setting for everyday cooking such as rotis, dal and a pressure cooker.

  4. Power draw at top speed

    Measured in W Lower is better

    We meter the power the chimney draws at top speed with a plug-in meter. It decides the running cost and whether the hood can run on a home inverter alongside lights and a fan during a cut.

  5. Oil collected in four weeks

    Measured in ml

    We measure the oil drained into the collector, held in the baffle filters or cleaned out by hand after four weeks of daily frying. It shows how much grease the hood is catching rather than leaving on the walls; the review notes how it was collected.

  6. Days until the first auto-clean

    Measured in days Higher is better

    With daily frying, we count the days until oil build-up on the inner panel means the first auto-clean cycle is needed. Applies only to hoods with an auto-clean cycle.

  7. Auto-clean cycle time

    Measured in min Lower is better

    We time one auto-clean cycle from start to finish and check what is left on the inner panel and corners afterwards. The hood cannot be used for cooking while the cycle runs.

  8. Runs on a low-voltage supply

    We run the hood once on a supply held around 185 to 190 V, the kind of dip many Indian homes see on summer evenings. Pass means it kept running at every speed without stalling; the review notes any loss of suction.