A venting hob puts the extraction into the hob itself, so there is nothing hanging above the cooking area. On an island or in an open-plan kitchen with a nice ceiling, the appeal is obvious.
The cost is not on the worktop. It is underneath it, and it is bigger than most people expect.
The depth difference, in numbers
A conventional induction hob is a shallow slab. The Electrolux EIV63343 is 44 mm tall. Most Bosch induction hobs, including the PUE611BB5J and PUC611BB5E, are 51 mm. Fujioh's FH-ID5230 is 62 mm. All of that sits inside the worktop thickness and the top few centimetres of the cabinet, which is why a drawer directly beneath a normal hob is usually fine.
Now the venting models:
- Electrolux KCC84450CK, 85 cm: 830 x 217 x 515 mm, into a 780 mm cutout width
- Teka AAF 87601 MST, 80 cm with integrated downdraft: 800 x 219 x 510 mm, cutout 770 x 215 x 490 mm
- Bosch PXX895D66E, 80 cm: 816 x 223 x 527 mm, 750 mm cutout width
- Bosch PVS601B16E, 60 cm flush mount: 572 x 227 x 512 mm, 560 mm cutout width
So 217 to 227 mm instead of 44 to 62 mm. Four times the depth, and that is before the ducting or the recirculating filter box that has to sit somewhere below it.
What the base cabinet loses
The practical effect is that the cabinet directly under the hob stops being a drawer bank. The hob body occupies the top of it, and the air path needs a clear route down and then out, either through the plinth to a duct or into a filter housing.
Some manufacturers offer cabinet solutions with a shallow top drawer and the mechanism behind it. Most people end up with a cabinet that holds one usable drawer instead of three, or none at all.
In a small kitchen, losing an entire 800 mm base unit to extraction is a real cost. In an island with plenty of storage on the other side, it barely registers. Which of those you are in is the decision.
Power is at the top of the range
Venting hobs run the cooking zones and the extraction motor off the same supply, and it shows. The Bosch PVS601B16E and PXX895D66E are both rated 7400 W and listed at 220-240 or 380-415 V. Neither goes near a 13 A socket. Both need a dedicated circuit installed by a licensed electrician, with the connection configuration taken from the installation manual.
Plan that in at the same time as the cabinetry, since both are pre-delivery work.
Extraction performance
Published rates on the venting hobs we carry: the Bosch PXX895D66E and PVS601B16E are both 500 m3/h, and the Teka AAF 87601 MST is 627 m3/h.
That is respectable, though not at the top of what a good chimney hood does. The Teka DDI 90 downdraft is rated 1000 m3/h and the Teka CC 485 island hood 1200 m3/h. Downdraft extraction also has physics working against it, since it pulls steam and smoke downwards against the direction they naturally rise. It works, and it works better on a hob where the pans sit close to the intake, but a good overhead hood at the same rating will generally capture more.
If your priority is a clear ceiling, a venting hob is a good answer. If your priority is capturing wok smoke, an overhead hood at 600 m3/h or more from our 90 cm cooker hoods is the stronger choice.
Separate downdraft units
A downdraft extractor that is not built into a hob is the other option. The Teka DDI 90 rises out of the worktop behind the hob and the FIH 16760 TOS is a modular version. These need their own worktop slot and their own space below, and they let you keep a hob you have already chosen.
The tradeoff is the same one: cabinet volume below the worktop, in exchange for nothing above it.
One measurement people miss
Check the worktop thickness and the cabinet carcass height together. A 227 mm hob body plus a 40 mm worktop is 267 mm from the finished surface downwards, before the duct connection. On a standard base cabinet that leaves less usable height than the drawing suggests, particularly if the plinth is being used as the duct route.
Get the installation drawing for the specific model and hand it to the carpenter. Every model in this category ships with one, and the cabinet gets built to it rather than the other way round.
Where to look
Venting models sit in both induction hobs and cooker hoods, since they are genuinely both. The full hobs and cooktops range lets you compare a venting hob against a conventional hob plus a separate hood, which is the comparison that actually matters on cost.
Common questions
Can I put a drawer under a venting hob?
Usually only a shallow one, and sometimes none. The hob body is 217 to 227 mm deep in our range and the extraction path needs a clear route below that. Some manufacturers offer purpose-made cabinet solutions; check the installation drawing for the specific model.
Is a venting hob as good as an overhead hood?
At the same extraction rating it generally captures a bit less, because it works against the direction steam wants to travel. The venting hobs we carry are rated 500 to 627 m3/h, while our stronger overhead hoods reach 730 to 1200 m3/h. For heavy wok cooking, overhead still has the edge.
Do venting hobs need ducting?
They can be ducted or recirculating, the same as a conventional hood. Ducted performs better and removes heat and steam; recirculating needs a carbon filter housed below the hob and replaced periodically. Which options a model supports is in its documentation.
What power supply does a venting hob need?
The Bosch venting hobs in our range are rated 7400 W and listed at 220-240 or 380-415 V. That means a dedicated circuit and a licensed electrician, arranged before delivery.
Is it cheaper than buying a hob and a hood separately?
Rarely, once you add the cabinetry work and the electrical supply. Venting hobs are usually chosen for the look and the sightlines rather than the budget. Compare the total installed cost, not the appliance price.