Range Hoods: The ULTIMATE Kitchen Upgrade

Picture this: You just finished a kitchen renovation. Cabinets look incredible, countertops are perfect, appliances gleam. Friends come over for a dinner you can’t wait to make. Then you sear a steak and smoke fills the room for twenty minutes. 

It’s winter. But your friends stop, drop, and roll on their way to the backyard patio for air. 

Your beautiful new cabinets are getting their first grease coating.

Meanwhile, you bottle up the panic and rage. Why didn’t your cabinet maker tell you about this?

Range hoods solve this when designed correctly. It’s not just about looks (though a custom wood hood absolutely transforms a kitchen). It's about protecting everything else you just paid for (and your guest’s ability to breathe). 

Most homeowners treat range hoods like afterthoughts, then regret it six months in when they're wiping grease off cabinet doors weekly.

At Stofanak Custom Cabinetry in Bethlehem, PA, we take great pride in building customized features that add beauty and function to your project (and our design team will even tell you about this option at the start)!

What Range Hoods Do (And Why You Can't Skip This)

Range hoods in kitchens remove four things: grease, smoke, steam, and cooking odors.

Grease is the silent killer. It settles on cabinet faces, requiring professional cleaning or refinishing within a few years. Steam damages drywall and paint around your cooking area and in some extreme cases, can contribute to mold. Smoke triggers detectors and lingers in upholstery. Heat makes summer cooking miserable. Your amazing new white cabinets mysteriously change colors.

Clients have come to us shortly after installing custom kitchens with frustrations mounting around the fact that their previous cabinet shop skipped proper ventilation. 

Believe me, we are on a mission to make ourselves discoverable to all PA homeowners and it pains us when for whatever reason, they didn’t call us first. 

The cost to refinish affected doors isn't cheap.

The cost to undo, then redo what was just done isn’t cheap either.

The thing is, when you work with us, we’re all in on design. Over the last 75 years, we’ve learned how beauty meets function and transforms into form! 

In fact, range hoods offer another bonus most homeowners dont consider: custom lighting opportunities. Good range hoods include task lighting directly over your cooktop. Finally, you get to see what you're cooking instead of working in your own shadow.

Another cool feature? Some range hoods can even do double-duty as stealth storage.

Bottom line: Think of them as the ultimate helper you never knew existed so make sure to ask about integration!

Range Hood Exhast Duct Options: Ducted vs. Ductless

The fundamental choice that affects everything else:

Ducted (Vented Outside)

Pulls air through filters and sends it completely out of your home. Grease gets trapped in baffle filters, air then exits through ductwork to the exterior.

When it works best: Heavy cooking, gas ranges, kitchens with wall or roof access for ductwork.

Performance advantage: Actually removes contaminated air instead of filtering and recirculating it.

Ductless (Recirculating)

Charcoal filters capture grease and odors, then the air goes back into your kitchen. You typically see something like this in microwaves installed over ovens in new home builds when a range hood isn’t specified.

When it works: Apartments without exterior venting options, island locations where duct runs would cost thousands, light cooking only.

The honest limitation: Doesn't remove heat or moisture. Filters need replacing every few months. Not as effective as ducted systems.

The Reality Check

Ducted is better and if you can go for it, that’s what we’d always recommend. 

We've installed both types in hundreds of Pennsylvania kitchens. Homeowners with ducted systems never complain about performance. Homeowners with ductless systems always wish they'd gone ducted.

Decision tree: If you can physically duct it and afford the installation, do it. If you're in a condo with no exterior access (or HOA restrictions), ductless is your reality and at least some filtration is better than nothing. 

The Exhaust Duct Mistakes That Kill Performance

Where DIY and budget installations fail:

Size Matters

Too small chokes airflow creating a bottleneck that might actually backup right into the kitchen! Too large reduces air velocity and grease settles inside the ductwork instead of getting pulled through. Another issue with “going big” means you have to consider what can get in. You know… like… flying squirrels. It’s a thing. And nothing is more frustrating than an entry point for unwanted houseguests. 

Match manufacturer specifications. Typically 6" diameter for hoods under 600 CFM, 8" for higher capacities.

Path Problems

Every 90-degree elbow reduces efficiency significantly. A range hood exhaust duct with multiple turns and twenty feet of flexible duct performs terribly compared to what's rated on the box.

Rigid direct duct beats long and flexible every time. The shortest, straightest path wins.

Out Is Better Than In

If you can, you’ll want to make sure the exhaust leaves your home ASAP - ideally through the wall where the range hood is mounted. Venting into your attic creates moisture nightmares and violates building code. Wrong wall cap design allows backdrafts and your expensive hood pulls cooking exhaust back inside. Uninsulated ductwork in attics means condensation dripping back into your kitchen. 

We've measured hoods rated at 600 CFM delivering less than half that at the cooking surface because of poor duct installation. You paid for power you're not getting, and your kitchen still gets greasy.

Why this matters for range hoods installation: Professional cabinet installers know duct calculations and proper routing. Your handyman doesn't. The difference shows up in performance.

Choosing the Right Specs With Custom Range Hoods

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At Stofanak Custom Cabinetry, we know that most of our clients just want the right design and we’re happy to handle the tech and the specs. That said, we want you to know what we know so here’s a few of the details needed to understand the perfect application for your kitchen.

CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute)

This is the measure of airflow capacity. General guideline: 100 CFM per linear foot of cooking surface. A 30-inch range needs at least 300 CFM. Gas ranges or heavy cooking? Go higher.

Don't go crazy with oversized units as you'll pay more, deal with excess noise, and waste energy.

Physical Size

Hood should match or exceed your range width. A 36-inch range needs a 36-inch hood minimum. Depth matters more than people think because too shallow means grease escapes around the edges, defeating the purpose.

Noise Level

Measured in sones. Lower numbers mean quieter operation. Under 3 sones allows comfortable conversation while cooking. Higher CFM ratings usually mean louder fans, but quality construction includes sound dampening.

Mounting Types

Under-cabinet: Most common option, works with upper cabinets above your range.

Wall-mounted: Statement piece for kitchens without upper cabinets.

Island-mounted: Ceiling-vented for cooktops on kitchen islands.

Insert/liner: Goes inside custom cabinetry for fully integrated appearance.

Custom Wood Range Hoods: Where Function Meets Craftsmanship

This is where range hoods transform from appliances into architecture.

Your kitchen has custom cabinets—cherry, maple, oak, whatever species you chose. Countertops are beautiful. Then there's a metal box hanging above your range that looks like it belongs in a rental apartment.

Custom Wood Changes This

Matches your cabinet species and finish exactly. Coordinates with your door style—Shaker, raised panel, contemporary, whatever. No visible gaps or misalignment because it's precision-built to exact dimensions. Becomes the focal point instead of the eyesore.

After 75 years of cabinet making, we build custom wood range hoods the same way we build cabinets. Cabinet Vision software ensures millimeter accuracy. Same materials as your cabinets. Same sealed finish that lasts decades. Perfect integration with surrounding cabinetry because we're building the entire system together.

Style Options

Traditional raised panel designs that complement Shaker and classic styles. Transitional clean-lined hoods that bridge modern and traditional aesthetics. Farmhouse chimney styles (popular in Lehigh Valley renovations right now). Contemporary flat-panel designs for modern kitchens.

Wood species include cherry, maple, oak, and walnut. Finishes coordinate with your existing cabinetry or create intentional contrast if that's your design direction.

Installation Realities

Professional range hood installation isn't optional if you want it done right.

Electrical work: Dedicated circuit for the hood, proper junction box placement, control wiring. Code requirement for most hoods.

Ductwork (if applicable): Proper sizing calculations, routing through walls or ceiling, penetration with correct flashing, exterior termination cap, sealed connections throughout.

Mounting: Wall studs or ceiling joists must support the weight. Custom wood hoods are heavier than basic metal units. Level installation is critical for both appearance and proper function. Proper height above cooktop—typically 24 to 30 inches—for safety and efficiency.

Professional installation typically runs several hundred dollars depending on complexity. Most manufacturers void warranties if installation isn't done professionally. Your buddy saving you money upfront could cost you the entire hood later.

We've seen enough botched DIY installations to know this isn't where you save money.

Making the Smart Choice

Range hoods aren't optional extras—they're essential protection for your kitchen investment.

Choose ducted systems when possible. Size appropriately for your actual cooking habits and range size. Don't cheap out on ductwork installation because poor duct work kills performance regardless of how good your hood is.

Consider custom wood range hoods as the finishing touch that makes your kitchen feel cohesive instead of cobbled together. The difference between a stock metal hood and custom wood isn't just aesthetic—it's about building something meant to last as long as your cabinets.

Located in Bethlehem, Allentown, Emmaus, or the Lehigh Valley? Visit our showroom at 176 Nazareth Pike. Seventy-five years building custom cabinets and millwork means we've built range hoods for every kitchen style imaginable.