No Hood Required

You Need To Vent (Or Do you)?

Like so many hoodlums wearing hoodies in the ‘hood, many commercial cooking devices masquerade as ventless appliances.

In breathless whispers, their marketers try to hoodwink us into believing that all are altruistic Robin Hoods – removing effluent from the bad air and giving forth good air (“just follow the blue arrows on the diagrams”).

An exhaustive search of the available technologies would yield relatively few that truly could be classified as a ventless cooking apparatus in the first place.  Many perform the heating function, rethermalizing pre-cooked foods with conducted energy, microwaves, steam and the like.  Others can finish par-cooked products – melting, toasting, and/or caramelizing.

Typically only electric-powered equipment with their lack of attendant products of combustion can respire comfortably in this space.  Grease-laden vapors, effluent, odors, particulate and condensate all must be mitigated through mechanical means.  Mandatory too, fire suppression must be addressed.  Catalytic converters, charcoal and specialty filters, precipitators, ionizers, et al provide the mojo “under the hood” of many of these modern marvels.

Now, take a deep breath: duct-season is over.

Certain mini combi ovens use a blend of the above technologies to provide bona-fide ventless primary cooking, allowing operators to prepare a varied menu including whole muscle proteins (from raw to finish)!

Deep fryers with mechanisms that automatically dispense product are self-contained, with fire suppression and extensive filtration on-board .

Slow cookers such as cook and hold ovens and water circulators for sous vide (due primarily to the low temperatures involved) require little attention to ventilation issues.

OK, now exhale a sigh of relief, from Hood Brook ME to Mt. Hood OR, you can find opportunities for ventless commercial kitchens.  Now I’m exhausted.