If the sound of a kitchen exhaust fan annoys you at the end of a long day, you're not alone.
On social media, videos describing the "absolute sensory nightmare" of kitchen fans rack up thousands of views and comments.
If you are in a kitchen that's not equipped with a range hood or exhaust fan, unpleasant odours and smoke could be damaging your wellbeing, with research showing kitchen fans serve an important purpose for both your home and health.
Do you really need an exhaust fan while cooking?
It's a good idea to use your kitchen's exhaust fan if you have one.
"Cooking results in emissions of all kinds of products which are not necessarily good for our health, so using the exhaust removes them from the air," says Lidia Morawska, director of the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health at Queensland University of Technology.
Exhaust fans capture and filter steam, odours, smoke, grease and other potential pollutants emitted while cooking.
Professor Morawska says high-temperature frying in particular has been linked to higher emissions.
Standing over the stove and breathing in pollutants could have serious health effects over time.
"We are talking about respiratory system, cardiovascular system, systemic problems," she says.
"Basically, every system in our body is affected."
Even if the exhaust fan doesn't remove all the dangerous particles lingering in the air, any working kitchen fan will significantly reduce the exposure to them, she explains.
What can you use instead of a kitchen exhaust fan?
For those without a kitchen rangehood, opening a window or doors is the best alternative, Professor Morawska says.
"If there's no other option, then increasing ventilation by whatever means are available for the space," she says.
Portable air purifiers are another option, but they can be costly and only provide a partial solution, Professor Morawska says.
"The size of the air purifier has to be relevant to the space. If that's the case, yes, it works."
But air purifiers only remove the particles in the air, not the gaseous products also released while cooking, she explains.
The electric vs gas question
Something else to consider is whether your home has an electric or gas stove.
"Electric stoves are much safer from the health point of view than gas stoves," Professor Morawska says.
While electric stoves themselves don't emit any harmful pollutants, only the particles from cooking, gas stoves also emit gas combustion products, she explains.
Gas cooktops are the most common type in Australia, according to a report released by Asthma Australia in 2023.
Their use has been linked to asthma flare-ups and the development of asthma in childhood, the organisation says.
Do kitchen extractor fans need to vent outside?
Kitchens rangehoods come in many different styles. The most common options include freestanding wall canopies, undermount models that are built into the kitchen cabinets, fixed rangehoods and retractable rangehoods that can be pulled out when needed.
Additionally, there are downdraft vents, which are hidden behind the stovetop and rise up while cooking, but US research group Consumer Reports found them to be the least efficient.
Testing by Australian consumer group Choice found wall canopies and fixed rangehoods to be the most efficient, as they cover a larger area over the cooktop.
Another difference has to do with where the air goes after it is sucked into the filter.
Ducted rangehoods suck in the air and vent it outside, whereas recirculation hoods put air back to the room after it has been through the filter. Choice says its testing shows ducted rangehoods are the preferred option.
Rangehood filters need some maintenance to keep them working well.
Aluminium mesh filters can be cleaned at home according to manufacturer instructions, whereas other types of filters will need replacing, Choice says on its website.
Recirculation rangehoods have carbon filters which also need regular replacing, but how often depends on the type of cooking and how often it's used.
Every three to six months is the most common manufacturer recommendation, according to Choice.
