Fewer things are as uncomfortable as living in a space that reeks of years and years worth of kitchen fumes. What you had for dinner last night is not the first thing you want your guests to smell once they enter your house. Granted, there are even fewer things that smell better than baking cookies, your chili-garlic shrimp supper will never hold the same appeal.

Rangehoods were made specifically to avoid clogging your kitchen --- and your home ---- with fumes. Even a little propeller fan on your kitchen wall (if and when installed properly) can help clear your atmosphere tremendously. However, extreme discretion must be exercised prior to choosing a rangehood.

Consider the following:

1. The size of your kitchen and home

The most basic of rangehoods will exhaust only a little over one hundred cubic feet per minute. The most inexpensive range hoods are priced well under USD150.00, will exhaust from a little over one hundred cubic feet to two hundred cubic feet of air per minute. This will take care of your average kitchen needs made to fit a family of four to six people. If you have a large kitchen made to feed an army of at least ten to twelve people a day, you may want to invest in industrial rangehoods that are found in most restaurants.

2. The price

Most rangehoods cost anywhere from SGD 150 to SGD 300.  Be extremely wary of products that cost far less, as they tend to do away with noise filters. These also typically don't last long. Most newly-bought homes have such inexpensive models. You may want to have them changed as soon as possible.

3. The noise level and filters

A worthy rangehood unit should be easy to clean, and should also filter grease and grime properly. A unit that doesn't filter grease properly is bound to be a problem in the long run. Your rangehood should also run smoothly, and not sound like a plane taking off from your kitchen. Try this: if you can't hold a proper conversation with your hood on, change it immediately. Long term use of this can mean higher electrical expenditure, as well as loss of hearing.

Remember that products that draw air out of your home also draw cold air out of your home. Choose a hood that will not wreak havoc on your air conditioning.

4. The style

While a rangehood is not as eye-catching as your cupboards or other kitchen appliances, it shouldn't be an eyesore. A great rangehood should look seamless in your kitchen.

You can choose from the sleeker steel units to those painted in different colors, depending on what you're gunning for. Remember that the style should not dictate your purpose. Your rangehood is not your kitchen's visual focal point. Prioritize its function over its look.

5. The Energy Consumption level

Recent models trumpet the virtues of doing away with as much as 1000 cubic feet of air per minute. In most homes, this is not needed. An average size kitchen has less than 200 cubic feet of exhaust per meal. An appliance as powerful as the ones previously mentioned needs more energy to run---- and you don't need to spend that much.

Before installing your rangehood, seek the help of your electrician or handyman. Wiring these hoods can be a problem as they are close to points of open fire. You need to be extremely careful about the electrical wiring needed for your new hood. If a fan is already installed in your home, counter check with your builder before uninstalling. Fans and heat-generating appliances pose the most danger to your home when left unattended or poorly set-up.

Also, be wary of the space on your wall or ceiling that it will occupy. As previously mentioned, your rangehood should blend effortlessly into your kitchen's design. A behemoth of a rangehood is not a good purchase if it appears to overpower everything else in your kitchen. Remember: you need it to do away with the fumes, not to fill your home with unnecessary hoopla.