Kitchen Island Extractor Fan Ideas: Our Recommendations

Whether you’re adding an island to your kitchen for the first time or simply refitting your kitchen and maintaining its current layout, an extractor fan will most likely be on your shopping list. In recent years, these handy devices have rapidly become a must-have, adding a stylish and practical touch to any kitchen.

If you’re planning on installing a hob directly into your kitchen island, you’ll be pleased to know that you can still fit an extractor fan to go with it. Although island extractor setups are less common than regular wall or ceiling-mounted ones, there are still plenty of solutions out there that work extremely well. And the best bit? They’re every bit as affordable as a traditional cooker hood, too.

Below, we’ll take a look at the different types of extractor fan that can be installed into or above a kitchen island, explaining the benefits of each.

Why are extractor fans important?

Before we dive into the specific extractor fan solutions available for kitchen islands, let’s first recap the benefits of installing an extractor in the first place: are they worth the cost? In a word, yes. Here’s why…

• They look the part! There’s no denying that a cooker hood can add a certain something to a kitchen – a little extra visual flair. If you choose a hood that pairs well with your other appliances and ties the look of your kitchen together, you’ll give the space a high-end feel that’s sure to impress guests.
• They serve a practical purpose. Not only do they extract odours and fumes from your kitchen while you cook, they help prevent grease and grime from building up on your worktops too.
• They’re cheap to run. Light on electricity and requiring minimal maintenance, cooker hoods won’t set you back much at all once they’re installed. A nice bonus in today’s world of high energy prices.

What to consider when choosing an island extractor fan

Before you get out there and begin shopping for a cooker hood or extractor fan, there are a few things you need to bear in mind. Here’s a list of key considerations to take into account.

• Price: An obvious one, but an important one nonetheless. As with anything kitchen-related, the price of an extractor fan setup can vary significantly. So, before you start shopping, it’s worth thinking about how much you’re prepared to spend.
• Brand: You don’t want an unreliable extractor that becomes little more than an ornament in a year’s time – you want an appliance you can depend on. So, before you buy, make sure the brand you’re considering has a solid reputation.
• Design: Does the extractor pair well with your existing appliances? Does the design of it suit the look you’re trying to achieve with your kitchen? There are plenty of different options out there, from cylindrical designs to square ones and even hidden extractors, so you can afford to be picky.
• Filter type: If you’re installing an extractor fan in or above an island, you won’t be able to divert fumes to the outdoors – so you’ll need to choose a model with a charcoal filter and a recirculating mode.

Our top three kitchen island extractor fan ideas

Now we’ve covered the benefits of extractors and what to look for when buying, it’s time to turn our attention to kitchen Island extractors specifically. If you can’t install a traditional cooker hood onto an outside wall, what should you choose instead? Here are three ideas.

Overhead cooker hoods

Just like regular wall-mounted cooker hoods, but attached to the ceiling instead. Overhead ceiling cooker hoods are a popular choice for kitchen islands, and there are so many different options available to choose from. Powerful, efficient and stylish, a ceiling cooker hood makes a statement: it can act as the centrepiece of your kitchen, giving it an undeniably high-end look.

Downdraft extractors

Prefer a more clean, minimalist look? Ceiling-mounted cooker hoods can look quite imposing, particularly in a smaller kitchen. It doesn’t matter which type of overhead hood you go for, it’ll have a strong presence in your kitchen – and that isn’t to everyone’s taste.

Meet downdraft extractors, which solve this problem once and for all. If you want to enjoy the benefits of a cooker hood but don’t like the look of them, downdraft extractors are ideal. Installed directly into your worktop, they’re hidden away when not in use. A simple button press sees the extractor rise up from the work surface, ready for action.

When powered up, a downdraft extractor does exactly what its name suggests: draws fumes from your hob downwards and through a filter, rather than upwards. Despite their compact size, downdraft extractors can be every bit as effective as their overhead counterparts.

All-in-one downdraft hobs

Need a new hob for your island too? Why not go for one that has an extractor built in? That’s right – induction downdraft hobs blend the functionality and safety of an induction hob with the minimalist look of a downdraft extractor, combining two appliances into one.

An induction downdraft hob is perfect for an island, packing plenty of cooking power into an efficient, easy to use package. Plus, thanks to the genius of induction technology, the hob is cool to the touch mere seconds after a pan or pot has been removed – handy if you have young children.

Discover our range of kitchen extractor fans today

Ready to start shopping and discover the perfect island extractor fan for your kitchen? Discover our complete range of extractors online and order yours today, with free nominated day delivery and a 12-month warranty included.