Induction hob with extractor fan, unguided recirculation, experiences?

Edit / Update. My husband just went to check, and there really is a small gap in the baseboard of the new kitchen. :D In the old house, we didn’t have one as far as I know.

Since there have already been some opinions here, here are a few facts:

It has looked like this with us for many years:



There is no mold, swollen cabinets, or anything like that – and I admit that I didn’t believe it either until we were invited to a cooking event at the kitchen store. I was less than two meters in a straight line from the cook (around the corner) and still didn’t smell anything, while he had happily made 100 meatballs in an open pan (which I never do)...

Because: when I turn on the extractor, it’s an alarm signal (NEFF).

However, a clear statement: we have a ducted system.



and with us, two drawers are lost. Experience has shown anyway: the more space, the more nonsense gets stored... realistically, everything we REALLY need would easily fit into the cupboard area visible in picture 1... and I probably don’t need to say that there is more than that...

Last point: exhaust air:



Especially when I cook in the summer, I quite like standing there... it’s wonderfully cooling in the galoshes...

Summary: sure, ducted is better – but the extractors themselves are great and trouble-free. No matter where and how implemented.

In the instructions of various manufacturers, you see a picture with unguided recirculated air, also with AEG. The air escapes BEHIND the back wall of your cooktop cabinet, blows into the narrow gap (minimum 60 cm from the front edge of the front to the house wall) and spreads in the base.

The base is planned to be shortened a bit so that the air can escape between the carcass and the base. Without the gap, your cabinets will eventually mold because the moisture cannot escape anywhere.

If this was a DIY job, you probably did not connect the device correctly and the warm air blows into your drawers.
You should have such an opening in the cabinet back wall

into which such a part is inserted

which came with the cooktop. With this part, the air blows all the way into the base



Personally, I would take guided recirculated air with a odor filter in the base. The moisture always stays in the room.
The distance to wall cabinets should be no less than 60 cm. That is all okay if the downdraft extractor is turned on every time you cook.

If I operate a downdraft extractor with recirculation mode in an island, I wouldn’t even turn on the fan if I’m just cooking pasta. The steam stays inside the house anyway.

Just a quick question, what is under the floor beneath the kitchen unit? We also use a downdraft extractor in our island but planned and installed a direct exhaust duct in the floor slab/floor to the outside. In our old kitchen, we also had a downdraft extractor installed, but there we had to operate it with recirculation. However, the air outlet was installed with a filter in the toe kick. That worked quite well. The exhaust with direct ventilation in the current kitchen works even much better.

Thank you for your answers. I have looked at the situation again. The approximate air is blown against the wall and the baseboards consistently have a 1-2cm gap. A bend or similar that directs the air "downwards" was not installed and was also not included with the AEG device.

Attached are 3 pictures of the installation situation. The base cabinet has about 8cm of space behind the back panel. I hope the installer cut a hole in the back panel and the air is not being forced against the back panel :o