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CDA ECN61SS
by bilbobaginz
CDA cookers and hoods are an obvious pair waiting to be combined - though they are most often sold separately, perhaps due to the companies tendency to try and make as much money as possible from the under-dog consumer. Though this is something exercised by most businesses (often as a legal requirement by investors), it still annoys me ... slightly - you get the feeling you're being ripped off a tad.
As with the cooker I reviewed earlier, this CDA hood is made from an identical stainless-steel compound, and the width and depth of the extractor fan surround at the bottom of the product is a constant 60cm.
The chimney breast of the hood raises roughly 100cm above the fan and the whole contraption has to be set 65cm above the electric hob of the CDA cooker - if the cooker is a gas model, this must be 75cm.
All these measurements ensure the set up of an ideal cooking environment the majority of UK citizens are used to and tend to enjoy.
The CDA chimney hood utilises two 40W halogen lights directed down over the cooker hobs which add additional artificial light to an already usually well lit area. Because there is often sufficient lighting available in the kitchen, the lights of the hood can be switched off via the flick of a button in the centre-middle of the device. Accompanying this button are four others: maximum fan power, middle fan power, minimum fan power, and the disable fan button. This cluster of controls makes up all the hoods capabilities. I like the system used to control the hood, however just as with the CDA cooker I reviewed previously, the buttons do collect grub and muck easily from greasy fingers.
The extractor fan seems to collect smell, smoke and steam from the room excellently. When on full power this action is carried out best (and the technical spec of this and other bits is typed below), but the noise from the device when performing in this region is high. It will sound over the usual volume of the TV and disrupt conversation, and the sound seems to become greater and greater as the machine ages and its hours of use increase. Overall the fan is a good example of extraction, but the filter does need replacing every now and then, another hassle (shared by all models).
The device is easy to clean and maintain on the outside and can be wiped down with the help of cleaning products to give a professional shine. The glass sheeting on the under-side of the hood can be cleaned easily, though this does collect a substantial amount of grub and muck over time which becomes stuck, more difficult to remove.
Technical Specification (http://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk):
- Required height over gas hob: 750mm
- Required height over electric hob: 650mm
- Outlet diameter: 120 mm
- Noise level: 55 dBA
- Extraction rate: 358 m³/hr
- Rated electrical power: 240 W
- Power supply required: 3 amps
Overall, this hood performs well against other extractor fan appliances I've had the pleasure of using. It removes smell and steam/smoke well and helps to keep the kitchen free of stale air, circulating it back outside. The thing is expensive for what it is: £145 from www.appliancedirect.co.uk, but these appliances do carry a price, just as they do when installing - ducting and pipe-work must take air outside the building, a system which doesn't work in all buildings depending on the location of the kitchen and type of external wall about it. All in all a 4/5 product well recommended.
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Hotpoint-Ariston HTV10
by 2night
Hotpoint is a very good name when it comes to kitchen appliances so you would be surprised to hear how little this cost to buy. It only cost me £68
This HTV10 23" Kitchen Hood is a good size at 60cm it cover the hole top of my cooking hob which is of course what you want from one of these. It's stainless steel and has ... three speed or power settings these are Leo medium and strong. Low is really only suitable if your cooking something small like boiling a single egg. While the middle setting is suitable for shallow frying. The highest setting must be used if boiling pasta or meat in a pot, anything that gives off a lot of steam. If you use any of the other setting it won't suck in the steam so what's the point.
The third setting is the noisiest. They are all quite loud but the full setting is a little too loud. You won't be able to hear the TV with this on for example. The built in light works well at lighting up the cooking surface. The buttons are right at the front and will be at eye level when installed. One last thing, when you are cooking be careful you don't smack your head off of it, I have done this more times than I care to remember.
This works well at the highest setting but it's a little too loud for me.
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Hotpoint-Ariston HTC6T
by alyson29
Several weeks before Christmas 2009 saw us forking out for a brand new kitchen and I was determined to purchase appliances that would not only be of a high quality, but would also provide our kitchen with a real wow factor. Considerable research was carried out for a new oven, hob and cooker hood, as I wanted the appliances to be modern ... and stylish as well as being within our budget. My husband left the choice to me and as a result I opted for Hotpoint's Stainless Steel HTC6T Chimney Cooker Hood and this review discusses my experience with owning it. I am not intending to discuss the fitting of the appliance as it is not something that was undertaken by either my husband or myself and was carried out by a specialist.
~~ APPEARANCE OF THE COOKER HOOD ~~
I must have researched dozens upon dozens of cooker hoods and the majority I found appeared somewhat boxy, which I felt would create the wrong type of focal point for our kitchen. Consequently, the deciding factor for my purchase of this particular model was due to the unique design of its' sleek and contemporary curved front section, which is manufactured from toughened glass and blends in perfectly with the shiny stainless steel.
The dimensions of the hood are 113 cm in height, 60 cm in width and 45 cm in depth and ours was fitted to an external wall to enable the appliance to be vented. However, the hood can also be fitted to an internal wall where the air is re-circulated with the aid of charcoal filters, which will absorb grease particles and cooking odours and subsequently, distribute fresh air into your kitchen. The appliance was more than likely accompanied by an instruction leaflet, but this seems to have been mislaid. However, the hood is extremely easy to use without the aid of step by step guidelines.
Situated below the curved section of glass are five easy to operate good sized buttons, which simply need to be pressed inwards until they click. The far left being the off switch, the next three being different fan speeds and the far right being for the two halogen lights, which are located on the underside of the two front corners.
~~ USING THE COOKER HOOD ~~
As our previous extractor fan was absolutely lousy this new appliance was welcomed in our kitchen, particularly as it effectively eliminates the majority of steam to prevent our kitchen from resembling that of a sauna. I can vividly remember cooking a Sunday lunch when we had our previous extractor fan where I would be using all four hob rings and the kitchen window would become steamy as well as the glass bowls and jugs located in my closed wall cupboards. The three fan speeds are extremely powerful with an extraction rate of 420 cubic metres per hour and I find when I'm using one or two of the hob rings that I only require the lowest level. Noise is fairly minimal at this speed with it reaching 61 decibels on the highest, but the power is definitely evident, as nothing in our kitchen becomes wet or steamy.
The two halogen lights offer sufficient light to enable me to see what I'm doing and I find myself using these lights even when I'm not cooking, as it is more ambient when popping out to the kitchen on a cold winter's evening to make a cup of tea. We have owned the cooker hood for almost two years and despite regularly using the halogen lights we have never needed to replace the bulbs.
~~ CLEANING THE COOKER HOOD ~~
This is extremely easy, particularly as we rarely fry foods, so there is not much grease sucked into the filter or splashed onto the underside of the hood. The metal filter section is easily removed by gently pulling on a toughened plastic hooked area and I simply place it in hot soapy water to soak away any food and grease particles, dry with a tea towel and replace. The filter can be replaced, but as of yet this is not a task we have needed to undertake.
The worst part of the hood, which gathers a considerable amount of dust particles is the glass curve, which I will regularly wipe over with a damp cloth and dry with a tea towel. The stainless steel sections of the hood show up every finger mark and although this is not a task I carry out regularly, particularly as I need to pull a chair into the kitchen, I will wipe with a damp cloth and again dry with a tea towel.
~~ OTHER INFORMATION ~~
The cooker hood comes with a one year guarantee, but our experience has been simply first class, as it is operating as effectively now as when first purchased and still looks brand new.
~~ PRICE AND AVAILABILITY ~~
Although this model is a couple of years old it is still widely available and I have checked online for the best price and at the time of writing the cheapest retailer is Boots.com where you can purchase it for £161 plus £19.99 delivery costs. If you own a Boots Advantage Card you will be able to obtain £7.34's worth of points.
Both my husband I are extremely pleased with our Hotpoint Stainless Steel HTC6T Chimney Cooker Hood and as a result, it receives 5 stars from me together with a huge recommendation.
I hope you found my review useful and would thank you for reading.
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