Many kitchens are planned around three appliances. Ventilation is often treated as optional, even in homes that cook every day.
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The hob
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The fridge
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The water purifier
Ventilation is often treated as optional. Some people see the chimney as a luxury add on, or a finishing touch for a modular kitchen. In real homes, a kitchen chimney is far more practical than that. It is one of the few appliances that directly affects how the kitchen feels while you cook, and how much cleaning you do after you cook.
At Kaff, we build chimneys for Indian cooking. This guide explains, in plain language, why the chimney matters, what it actually does, and how to choose one without falling for vague claims.
1. What a Kitchen Chimney Does, in Simple Terms
A kitchen chimney is an extractor placed above the cooktop. Its job is to capture what rises while you cook, such as:
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Smoke
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Steam
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Smells
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Airborne grease
Capture is the key word. It is much easier to remove smoke near the pan than it is to clear it after it spreads across the room.
2. Why Indian Kitchens Benefit More From Good Ventilation
Indian cooking often produces a mix of steam and oily vapour. A pot of boiling dal creates steam. A deep fry creates smoke and oily mist. A quick tempering of spices can create a burst of smoke that spreads fast.
These are normal parts of cooking. The question is what happens next.
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Without good capture, smoke spreads into the kitchen.
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Oily vapour settles on cabinets and walls.
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Smells travel into the rest of the home.
A kitchen chimney helps by pulling that air upwards and handling it through its ducting or internal design, depending on the model. In day to day use, it can reduce how much smoke spreads and how much grease lands on surfaces.
3. The Cleaning Angle: Grease Is the Real Problem
Most people buy a chimney because they are tired of cleaning. They want less scrubbing, fewer sticky surfaces, and a kitchen that feels easier to live with.
Airborne grease settles on the places you rarely wipe. Once it dries, it holds smell and attracts dust.
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Cabinet doors
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Tiles
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Light fittings
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Shelves
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The top surfaces you rarely wipe
Over time, it becomes a sticky film that attracts dust. A kitchen chimney reduces how much grease lands on these surfaces because it captures more of the oily vapour near the hob.
This does not mean you never clean. It means the kitchen stays manageable.
4. Comfort While Cooking
A kitchen can feel uncomfortable during heavy cooking. Heat builds up, steam fogs up surfaces, and smoke makes the space feel cramped. A kitchen chimney can make cooking more comfortable because it helps move hot, smoky air away from the cooking area. If your kitchen is small, or if it opens into the living area, this comfort difference is often noticeable.
5. Open Kitchens: The New Reality
Many homes now have open kitchens. That looks good, but it changes the problem.
Smoke and smell do not stay in one room. They drift into sofas, curtains, and nearby surfaces. A kitchen chimney makes open kitchens easier to live with, because it helps control smoke closer to the source.
6. Chimney vs Exhaust Fan: What Is the Difference?
Some people try to replace a chimney with a wall mounted exhaust fan. An exhaust fan can help with basic ventilation. A chimney is built for one specific job.
Position
A chimney sits directly above the hob, closer to where smoke rises. An exhaust fan is often placed on a wall, away from the pan. By the time smoke reaches it, the smoke has already spread.
Grease handling
Many exhaust fans do not have grease handling features like oil collectors or chimney style filters. That is why exhaust fans can get greasy quickly. A kitchen chimney is designed to deal with greasy vapour as part of its normal function.
Daily use
Most people want a solution that works without forcing them to change how they cook. A chimney is usually the more direct tool for Indian cooking, especially if frying is frequent.
7. What to Look for When You Buy
A kitchen chimney is easiest to buy well when you compare real specifications and practical design choices. Features matter, but the basics decide whether the chimney will feel good in daily use.
Width coverage
Choose a chimney that covers the cooktop well. If it is narrower than the hob, smoke from the outer burners can escape.
Airflow rating
Kaff lists airflow figures on many chimney product pages. Use those figures to compare models.
If you cook lightly, you may not need the highest airflow model. If you fry often or use multiple burners regularly, choose a model designed for heavier use.
Cleaning system
Kaff’s range includes different approaches across models, such as the ones below. The right choice is the one you will actually maintain.
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Filterless technology on select models
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Auto clean features on select models, described by Kaff as dry heat auto clean or smart auto clean
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Oil collectors on select models
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Baffle filters on select models
Before you buy, check whether you can remove and clean parts without scraping cabinets. If access is awkward, cleaning gets delayed and performance drops.
Controls
Controls affect habits. If controls are easy, people switch the chimney on early and adjust speed properly.
Kaff offers control types such as touch panels, gesture control on select models, and push button controls on select models. Confirm the control type on the exact model page.
Warranty and maintenance guidance
Warranty matters, but so does what the warranty excludes. Kaff publishes warranty information and maintenance guidance on its product warranty page. It also lists which parts are treated as consumables.
8. Installation: The Part People Underestimate
A good chimney can underperform if installation fights it. Focus on the basics.
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Plan a direct duct route, where possible.
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Match the duct size to the outlet size for the model.
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Avoid a duct route that forces many bends.
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Keep access for cleaning parts like the oil collector.
If you are renovating, do not leave this to the end. Plan the chimney and duct route while cabinets are still being designed.
9. Maintenance: Keep Performance Stable
A kitchen chimney keeps working well when it is cleaned on time. Grease build up restricts airflow. When airflow drops, people run higher speeds, which increases noise and power use.
Kaff publishes suggested maintenance guidance on its product warranty page. It includes cleaning intervals for items such as metal filters and oil cups, and also guidance for items like blowers and charcoal filters where relevant. The practical rule is simple.
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Clean often enough that grease does not build up and restrict airflow.
10. Common Mistakes to Avoid
A kitchen chimney is simple to buy well if you avoid a few predictable mistakes. Most regrets come from treating ducting and maintenance as afterthoughts.
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Buying by looks only. A beautiful chimney that is too small for the hob will still let smoke escape.
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Ignoring duct planning. Ducting is not a small detail. A long route with many bends can reduce capture and push you to run higher speeds.
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Choosing a model that is hard to clean. If the oil collector or filters are awkward to remove, cleaning gets delayed and performance drops.
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Assuming auto clean means zero cleaning. Auto clean features can make grease handling easier, yet surfaces and collectors still need routine care.
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Focusing only on a single headline figure. Airflow matters, but daily comfort also depends on noise, controls, and how well the chimney fits your kitchen.
If you are renovating a modular kitchen, there is one extra point. Modular cabinets make late changes harder and more expensive.
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Choose the chimney early, so cabinet design and duct cover design can be planned around it.
11. A Simple Running Cost Estimate
If you want to estimate the electricity use of a kitchen chimney, use the model’s wattage and your own habits. It keeps the maths honest.
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Find the power figure (watts) for the model on the product page or rating label.
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Multiply by how many hours you run the chimney each day.
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Convert to units (kWh) and multiply by your local electricity rate.
This gives you an estimate that fits your home, not a generic claim. It also makes it easier to compare two models on the same basis.
Conclusion
A kitchen chimney is not only about looks. It is a practical appliance that reduces smoke spread, keeps grease off surfaces, and makes cooking more comfortable. If you cook regularly, especially if frying is common, a chimney quickly stops feeling optional. Buy it like you would buy any essential appliance.
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Get the size right.
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Compare airflow on the model page.
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Choose a cleaning system you will maintain.
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Plan the duct route early.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is a chimney necessary in a small kitchen?
Small kitchens often benefit even more because smoke has less space to disperse. The key is choosing the right size and planning installation well.
2. Is an exhaust fan enough?
An exhaust fan can help with general ventilation, but a kitchen chimney is designed to capture smoke and grease close to the hob. For frequent Indian cooking, a chimney is usually the more direct option.
3. Do chimneys consume a lot of electricity?
Running cost depends on the model and the speed you use. If you want an estimate, use the wattage listed for the model and multiply by your daily usage hours.
4. How often do I need to clean the chimney?
It depends on how much you cook. The more you fry, the more often you should clean. Kaff also publishes suggested maintenance intervals on its product warranty page.
5. What features should I prioritise?
Start with size coverage and airflow. Then choose a cleaning system and controls that suit your routine.
