A microwave range hood is a great way to alleviate two common problems at the same time. The first is the placement of the microwave. This can be a real space saver in a smaller kitchen; or a way to keep the microwave off of the countertop. The second is the hood venting, most microwave venting combos are a ductless type but there are some on the market that will vent to the exterior of your home.
When choosing a microwave range hood some things need to be considered. Such as the wattage of the microwave and the CFM's (cubic feet per minute) of the hood.
The wattage of the microwave should have a minimum rating of 1,000 watts but 1,500 is my recommendation. Having a higher wattage gives you more cooking power to cut down on the required time to cook or reheat foods. Is also more common in the higher wattage microwaves to get more cooking options. Like popcorn settings, beverage heating, timed defrost on a weight basis, and so on.
Some range hood microwaves even have the option of convection cooking to further decrease the cooking times. And some go as far having a browning feature to brown the meats after they have been microwaved, this is a big evolution in microwave technology.
The CFM's of the hood is an important feature because an underpowered hood is not going to exhaust the smoke very efficiently, or in some cases, at all. The hoods are also used to exhaust heat to the outside, and an underpowered hood will not do this effectively either.
My recommendation for the range hood is 150 CFM's per burner for the exterior ducted type. This is a bit higher than the usual recommendations but having too many CFM's is better than not having enough. Also most, if not all, range hoods have the option of selecting a fan speed, normally three selections. So if you don't need the extra exhausting power you can select a lower speed. But if you need the extra ventilation, it's available.
If you decide to have a ductless type microwave range hood, the CFM's can be lower because all the hood is doing is recirculating the air back into the room. The carbon filter on most hoods needs regular replacement and can get quite greasy over time. Ductless type hoods do not remove smoke very efficiently, and are really only good to remove some grease and pollutants but do not do this very well either.
You may even want to consider a ductless range hood without the microwave. If you don't want to take up the area required to install the microwave hood combo type.
Installing a microwave hood combo is very easy. With the ductless type being the easiest, and the exterior vented being more involved. Also note that most of the range hoods require a dedicated electrical circuit which may require a certified electrician to run a sperate wire to meet the current electrical code requirements.
Another thing to consider is the Sone Rating of the hood. The Sone Rating is the measurement of the noise released by the hood when in operation; the lower the rating the lower the noise produced.
Overall if you decide on a range hood microwave combo it will be good decision if you go with the exterior vented types if you cook a lot. But if you cook only occasionally then the ductless type can also be a good decision; but be sure to check your local codes to determine which type you can install in your home.
