Last updated: March 22, 2023 at 14:18 pm
Quiet cooker hoods may not be the most luxurious thing to be searching for, but when trying to make your home quieter, it’s an unsung hero and something often overlooked.
Kitchens are usually the hub of the home (mine certainly is), so being able to talk while cooking is essential when trying to catch up at the end of day.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Features of a Good Quiet Cooker Hood
Decibel level – Most standard hoods operate around 60-70 decibels (dB). This is around the same amount of noise made by a quiet hair dryer or a hoover. Not ideal for holding a conversation. For a quiet hood, you should be aiming for 40-65dB at most. 40dB is about as loud as a whisper.
Type of hood – An extraction hood draws the air from your cooker through ducting outside the building. Because this requires a high-powered fan to be effective these types can be noisier.
The other type is a recirculation hood. As the name implies the recirculation hood does not remove the cooking vapours from your home. Instead, it runs through filters to clean out contaminants and smells before blowing it back into the room. The benefit of this type of hood is that it’s cheaper and generally runs quieter. The downside is they’re generally not as effective at removing all smells and contaminants as an extraction hood is.
Does the job – Once you’ve got a shortlist with the required decibel level check out their extraction rates. The next part will require a calculator and a tape measure! Measure your kitchen to calculate the volume. To do this you need to multiple it’s height, width and depth in metres. A suitable hood should be able to replace the air in the kitchen ten times per hour.
5 Best Quiet Cooker Hoods – Summary
| Rank | Brand & Model | Quiet Score |
| 1 | Ciarra – CBCS9201 Stainless Steal Cooker Hood – Best Chimney | 5/5 |
| 2 | Kolbe – EASY909S Angled Quiet Cooker Hood – Best Angled | 5/5 |
| 3 | Bosch – DWB68JQ50B Quiet ecoSilence Cooker Hood | 4/5 |
| 4 | NEFF – N90 D96BMV5N5B | 4/5 |
| 5 | GIONIEN – GCG60DC Curved Glass Hood | 3/5 |
5 Quiet Cooker Hoods for a Quieter Kitchen (Full Reviews)
1. Ciarra CBCS9201 Chimney Cooker Hood
✔ Best Chimney Choice
- A stainless steel chimney hood which is quieter than most
- Energy Efficiency: A
- Style: Chimney
- Dimensions: H90 x W94 x D48 (cm)
At #1 we have the Ciarra CBCS9201 quiet cooker hood, and coming in at under £100 we really like the price. The Ciarra comes in at around 63 dB which is slightly louder than a whisper, but lower than the range we recommend of 40-65 dB.
Coming in a stainless steel finish in either silver or black (we prefer the silver) and the simple style means it should fit nicely with most kitchens. Depending on what you’re cooking, there are settings for frying, simmering, stewing etc. to determine the speed of the fan in order to absorb as much smell and/or steam as possible.
Cooker hoods tend to comes with relatively dim lights, but this comes with 2 x LED which are bright so a big plus from us.
The Ciarra is a great choice if you’re not concerned about brand names like Bosch or Hotpoint, and the price is a massive advantage over others. There might be a little more installing like changing the flexy-hose diameter depending if you have a 4″, 5″ or 6″ outlet… but most tradesmen will do this without a problem.
The reason we chose the Ciarra as the best chimney choice was the low dB level of 63, couple with the very affordable price range. This model consistently outclasses some comparable models which are 5x the price.
2. Kolbe EASY909S Angled Cooker Hood
✔ Best Angled Choice
- An angled design in a modern sleek black finish
- Energy Efficiency: A+
- Style: Angled
- Dimensions: H38.5 x W89.5 x D37 (cm)
A slightly different design from what you’d normally see the Kolbe EASY909S is an angled cooker hood which offers something different if you’re looking for an eye catching design.
An A+ energy will keep electricity costs down an an automatic shutoff feature (timed) will stop it running if you every forgot. Anything great feature to keep those bills low.
Nine different fan speeds is more than enough to deal with the smelliest of foods, and exceptionally quiet running is the reason it’s on our list. The lowest fan speed reports a noise rating of 45 dB and the highest of 62 dB.
Due to the modern design, sleek finish and low dB level, the Kolbe is a strong contender and comfortably slots on our list for the best angled cooker hood choice
3. Bosch DWB68JQ50B ecoSilence Quiet Cooker Hood
- Great energy efficiency and ecoSilence drive for noise reduction
- Energy Efficiency: A
- Style: Chimney
- Dimensions: H62.8 x W59.8 x D50 (cm)
The Bosch DWB68JQ50B is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for a quiet cooker hood with great features and minimum fuss. The ecoSilence drive allows this cooker hood to be exceptionally quiet, and great if you have an open plan kitchen.
At just under 60cm wide it will fit in most kitchens, and a simple design means it’ll look the part as well.
Our favourite feature of the Bosch is called “PerfectAir” which senses how strong odours are in the room and changes the speed automatically – perfect when cooking and looking after the kids!
The DWB68JQ50B offers not only great (and usable features) but a sleek contemporary design to suit a wide range of kitchen designs.
4. NEFF N90 D96BMV5N5B Quiet Operation Chimney Hood
- A higher end and more expensive choice with modern features
- Energy Efficiency: A+
- Style: Chimney
- Dimensions: H92.8 x W89.8 x D50 (cm)
Coming from a respected brand, we’d expect some fancy features, and we certainly get that from the NEFF N90.
WIFI assisted allows this cooker hood can be operated from the hob, and climateControl will adjust the fan speed depending on the odours the hood detects.
With a maximum dB level of 55 it falls easily without our quiet range, and an energy rating of A+ keeps running costs low.
This model isn’t the cheapest, but it’s rammed full of features which would suit any modern kitchen. The maximum noise level is low, so if you’re looking for a top of the range quiet cooker hood… look no further!
5. GIONIEN GCG60DC Curved Hood with Glass Finish
- A curved glass finish from a respected brand
- Energy Efficiency: A+
- Style: Chimney
- Dimensions: H47 x W52.7 x D59.8 (cm)
The GIONIEN rounds off our list and offers a sleek glass design which suits all kitchen styles. The integrated fans are extremely quiet, and the bright LED lights makes standing over the hob extremely easy.
One of the more simple hoods we’ve looked at, the controls allow you to adjust fan speed, LED lights and the automatic shutoff option.
How To Make Your Existing Hood Quieter
If you don’t want to replace your hood at the moment then what can you do to make a noisy hood quieter? There are a few things you can try and all will involve you getting inside your hood so make sure it is switched off at the power socket before you begin.
Check For Blockages
You’ll need to unscrew the cooker hood cover for this. Using a torch inspect the inside carefully for any objects that are loose and/or shouldn’t be there. If they shouldn’t be there remove them and if they should fit them securely back in place. If they are broken you may need to replace the part of the hood itself depending on what it is.
The Fan
As one of the main moving parts, the fan is a good place to start. It is worth removing the fan and wiping it down thoroughly with a damp cloth and a little washing-up liquid. Ensure it is completely dry before re-attaching it. When re-attaching it make sure it is securely held in place to prevent any rattles. You can also fit rubber washers where the fan attaches to the wall to reduce possible vibrations.
You could look into fitting sound-reducing material into the housing where your fan is. It must be heatproof though and you need to check that opening the case won’t affect your warranty if you still have one.
The Filters
The filters are unlikely to cause noise but because dirt build-up on your fan can it’s worth replacing them while doing this other maintenance. Paper and carbon filters can be found online and are usually cheap.
The Ducting
The ducting can be a big culprit in extraction type fans. To minimise noise it needs to be as straight and with as few bends as possible as it leaves your house. It’s also best that it’s not too narrow. If you have the option to modify your dieting this is definitely worthwhile.
The Motor
If your hood is old, it may be that the motor is wearing out. You could get this replaced but you may want to get a professional to do this.
What Size Do I Need?
The two most important measurements for a hood are its width and its height. Your hood needs to be wide enough to cover your hob. If it doesn’t then it won’t be able to extract all the vapours when you cook. Measure the width of your hob and ensure the hood you buy is at least the same width. If you have room, you could even make it a little wider.
The height is important because the recommended minimum distance between the hob and hood is 650mm for an electric hob and 750mm for a gas one. You’ll need to measure the distance between your hob and the ceiling to ensure there is room. If not then you should consider a shorter type of hob.
Conclusion
A quiet cooker hood can make a massive difference when looking to lower noise in your kitchen, the same goes for a quiet kettle or washing machine. It’s important to pay attention to the type of hood, the features and of course the cost.
Taking those points into account, Kolbe EASY909S and Ciarra CBCS9201 come at #1 and #2 (best angled and chimney) on our list, but the others shouldn’t be overlooked as well.
Remember:
Always check the dimensions and make sure the cooker hood will fit before purchasing anything!
