From smoky mishaps to everyday cooking, here's why modern extraction and well-maintained filters make all the difference.
Picture this. It's pizza night. Dinner is almost ready when, just as the pizza comes out of the oven, it tilts. A blanket of bubbling mozzarella slides onto the oven floor, and within seconds, the kitchen fills with smoke. Windows fly open, the hood is switched to full power, and someone starts waving a dish towel through the air in a heroic (but mostly futile) attempt to clear the room.
Sound familiar? Every family has their own version of this story. Whether it's burnt toast, an overflowing pie, or a smoky steak, cooking mishaps are simply part of life.
Your Hood Is Working Harder Than You Think
Most of us think about the hood only when something goes wrong. In reality, it's working every time we cook.
Steam, grease particles, cooking vapours and odours are released into the air long before anything starts burning. Modern extraction systems are designed to capture these by-products as close to the cooking surface as possible, helping keep the kitchen cleaner, fresher, and more comfortable—especially in today's open-plan homes.
Whether you have a traditional hood or an extractor built into the hob, innovations such as high-efficiency filters and brushless motors help deliver powerful extraction while operating quietly in the background.
Faber's advice is simple: timing matters as much as power. Switching the hood on a minute before you start cooking creates an airflow that guides smoke and vapours straight toward the extraction surface, rather than letting them spread through the room. Lower speeds are usually enough for gentler cooking like pasta or sauces, while higher speeds are ideal for frying, grilling, or when several dishes are cooking at once. If the kitchen still feels a little steamy after the last plate has been served, leave the hood running until the air has fully cleared.
The Part That Deserves More Attention
If the hood does the visible work, the filters are doing much of the invisible work.
Metal grease filters trap airborne grease before it settles around the kitchen and, depending on the model, can often be cleaned by hand or in the dishwasher. Charcoal filters, used in recirculating systems, absorb cooking odours and need to be replaced periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
Quick tip: The easiest way to find the right replacement filter is by searching with your hood's model number, usually found inside the hood or in the user manual.
A little regular maintenance goes a long way. Washing the metal grease filters roughly every two months and replacing synthetic grease or odour filters on a similar schedule helps keep your hood performing at its best. It also reduces the build-up of grease, which can become a fire hazard over time. To keep the hood looking as good as it performs, simply wipe the surface with a damp sponge and mild soap, avoiding acid-based cleaners.
If smoke seems to linger longer than it used to, cooking smells hang around after meals, or the airflow feels weaker, your hood may simply need a little maintenance rather than replacing altogether.
Cooking will never be perfectly predictable. Pizza will occasionally tip over, and toast will sometimes become charcoal. But with effective extraction and well-maintained filters, getting everyone back around the table becomes a whole lot quicker.