Friday, December 17, 2010

The Velvet glass and stainless hood - courtesy of QTK Kitchens











QTK kitchens, our friends to the north in the Toronto area (Vaughan, ON) have featured the stunning glass and stainless Velvet rangehood by Faber in a beautiful designer kitchen. The kitchen features very sleek dark counter tops with clean lines and traditional light cabinets.

The Velvet hood by Faber features a curved glass slide out front with dual level halogen lighting and a sleek LED electronic control panel. With perimetric suction technology and a powerful 600 cfm pro motor, the Velvet is a stunning hood for today's modern designs.

QTK offers fine cabinetry and countertops for today's modern kitchens. Visit their website, blog and follow them on Twitter or Facebook.

See more photos and find out more information about the Faber Velvet at faberonline.com. Faber is also on Twitter and Facebook as well.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Inca Pro Plus by Faber - a whole new pro style insert hood












As the new year is approaching Faber is introducing a whole new line of insert rangehoods to fit your custom wood hood designs. The Inca Pro Plus is a professional insert hood and liner all in one. The product has 3 different widths available and 2 different depths (36,42 and 48" wide) and (19" and 22" deep). Also different than the other insert products currently offered by Faber, you now have a choice with the Inca Pro Plus of motor options including a 600 or 1200 cfm internal motor and also a 900 or 1200 cfm remote blower. In the new year in-line blowers will also become available as well as a low cfm motor with 300 cfm.

The Inca Pro Plus features stainless steel construction with restaurant style, high quality baffle grease filters, a variable speed control dial and dual level halogen lighting. This new insert hood can be put over any style of residential high end gas range or electric / ceran cooking.

Now Faber offers a complete line of insert ventilation for every need from a 12" deep, 24" wide value insert with 250 cfm, up to a 48" wide, 22" deep professional insert with 1200 cfm of air movement. Visit Faber's built in collection for more information.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Perimetric Suction - what is it?














(Faber Cylindra hood with perimetric suction)

Faber has an advanced technology available on several high end hoods called perimetric suction. Some people will look at the technology on the surface and call it a gimmick, but it is far from a marketing hook, that I can guarantee.



By taking a look (see left) at the under-side of the Glass and Stainless steel slide out hood Velvet, the perimetric suction panel is comprised of a SS ventilation panel with narrow slots in the center and more slots around the perimeter. As air is drawn into the hood, the air has to speed up to enter the narrow slots on the hood. Just like when the windows in your car are almost closed, you hear a "woosh" of air as the air is coming in at a high rate of speed.

Additionally, as air is being drawn at a high rate of speed, a low pressure zone is created under the hood which acts as additional capture area since the air moves slower in the low pressure zone until it gets caught up in the faster high pressure zone above. This all creates energy savings by better efficiency since the motor doesn't have to work as hard as normal hoods to capture the same amount of contaminants.



In normal hoods (see photo left), the highest level of suction is concentrated in the center of the hood below the motor and fan blades / impellers. With a perimetric hood (see the next diagram on the left, bottom) , the suction power is spread out to the whole bottom of the hood even to the edges of the hood. The advantage of this system is the front far left and right burners would normally have lost fumes,steam, odors that would go around the hood. But instead these fumes will be caught into the hood since the suction power is no longer concentrated just under the motor.



As you can see in the diagram below, the fumes coming from the front left burner are almost 100% captured by the hood. This wouldn't normally happen with a traditional hood since you are drawing the front left burner contaminants to the center of the hood.













Finally, all the perimetric hoods from Faber contain a sound dampening panel behind the stainless steel panel. This reduces the air noise levels by at 25%.

To summarize the advantages of perimetric suction:

1) Improve efficiency and save energy by getting higher suction levels with lower speeds
2) Expand the suction area to the perimeter of the hood
3) Reduce air noise by 25% with sound dampening material
4) Since the panel is made of attractive stainless steel, looks more upscale than grease filters alone. The grease filters are hidden behind the perimetric panel.

The following products use perimetric suction: Matrix, Orrizonte, Cylindra, Cylindra Isola, Velvet

For more information on the hoods with perimetric suction visit our website, faberonline.com.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Cylindra hood by Faber - sleek, modern and functional



The new Cylindra wall hood by Faber shown in a modern kitchen to the left (with two hoods side by side), is a great addition to the Faber US family of designer hoods and will add flair and artistry to any kitchen. This new hood features a LED push button control panel with 4 speeds, an auto shut off timer, 2 level lighting and an intensive speed control which turns the hood on for 10 minutes at the maximum 600 cfm to clear out the kitchen of left over odors after you have finished cooking.

The Cylindra features a 36" tall, 15" wide stainless steel cylinder and perimetric suction. Perimetric suction is a ventilation technology available on several Faber hoods. With narrow slots on the bottom of the hood, air is forced thru the slots at a high rate of speed, improving efficiency and reducing air noise because of the insulated panels. Perimetric suction will save on energy costs since the hood requires lower speeds to extract the same amount of air versus other standard hoods. Also, an available accessory for the Cylindra is the glass canopy kit (hood shown with kit below) which features a flat 36" x 20" glass "canopy" that attaches to the bottom of the hood, adding capture area and flair.



For more information please visit our website- www.faberonline.com

The Cylindra is also available in an island version as well, the Cylindra Isola.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Mirror rangehood by Faber - coming soon!








The Mirror by Faber will be coming soon to a kitchen showroom near you! The Adex design award winner formally only available in Europe is making its way to North America. In August the 36" Mirror with Black glass and LED electronic touch controls will be released.



















The Mirror features an integrated "behind the glass" touch controls, which with the push of a button the hinges open the top portion of the hood to reveal the grease filters and operate the hood. With 5 level halogen lights, 4 speeds, a 10 and 30 minute auto shut off timer, and a 24 anti-pollution mode, the Mirror has all the modern functions available to complete your designer kitchen.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

The Magnum hood meets a modern BBAUER design























The Magnum hood by Faber is showcased in this fabulous designer kitchen in New York by Bren Bauer Ferdinand of BBAUER Ventures. You can get the designers perspective on the materials and the other appliances used by visiting her blog FORTUNATA Live Beautifully.

Here is a quote from the designer about the Faber Magnum in her kitchen setting, "I chose this hood essentially because it worked with the modern, organic elements of this kitchen and liked that it was not overly modern, was a great hood for a home chef, and worked well with the Miele cooktop and base oven. The price was right too." - Bren Bauer Ferdinand

We can't thank Bren Bauer Ferdinand enough for her comments, and praise for Faber! We would completely agree that the modern style of the kitchen and all the style elements in the designer kitchen lend to the use of this particular hood. Even the shape of the rectangular back splash tiles matches the shape of the Magnum with a rectangular front. The 3 halogen lights of the hood call attention to the glossy Heath Ceramics, Olive tiles.

The Pro style cooktop and oven match up very well with the hoods modern pro styling. Not to mention the potential BTU output of the cooktop will be handled well by the 600 cfm Pro motor in this model. As the designer states, the hood is not "overly modern". Given the pro hood heritage of this Magnum hood, it is a hybrid between the traditional big box pro rangehood and a curvy euro-styled hood. The size of the Magnum is also perfect for this kitchen. At 10 inches tall, the proportions are just right between the cabinets and amount of tile showing. A shorter hood would seem squeezed and a taller hood would be massive. Finally, in all the years of recirculating applications we've seen, this is a very clever way to put air back in the kitchen. The attractive metal return grate above the hood fits in with the modern feel of the kitchen and works functionally to bring filtered air into the kitchen.

For more information on Faber please visit our website faberonline.com
For more information on the designer please visit their website bbauerny.com

Friday, March 12, 2010

Dama Classic Canopy Rangehood by Faber

The Dama range hood from Faber is a classic designer canopy hood with simple and elegant style. The two pictures shown in this posting, demonstrates how a classic designer hood can add so much to this traditional large scale open kitchen.

The clean, light colored traditional cabinets, the light tiles on the floor and the brick work behind the range hood, all match up well with the stainless appliances in this kitchen. The stainless appliances stand out and complement the cabinetry, flooring, island and walls.

The front nose of the Dama hood also perfectly matches the nose of the cooking appliance which is squared off with sharp edges. The arch way above the cooking and range hood also draw your attention towards the hood and stove. Finally the work surfaces and work flow in this kitchen appear very fluid and efficient. Despite the distance between the sink and stove, the center island is big enough that all prep work can be done there. For more information visit our website, faberonline.com

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Over the Range Microwaves vs. Rangehoods


OTR Microwave Versus Canopy Rangehood

So you are faced with a dilemma in your kitchen design of a smaller kitchen: find a spot for microwave and a rangehood or save space and money and use an OTR (Over the Range Microwave) with ventilation and microwave together above the cooking surface. This posting is meant to show reasons why a dedicated rangehood over the cooking surface would be much better than buying a OTR combination.

Safety - This is the number one, top of the list item, the safety of putting an OTR microwave over the cooking surface. The number one user of microwaves in most homes is children. The little one wants to heat up their mac and cheese in the microwave for example. The problem with an OTR microwave, how does a child get to the microwave? Perhaps they prop a chair against the stove and climb on top of the chair to get to the microwave door. This is truly a recipe for disaster. Not to mention the safety of an adult is compromised when trying to lift a hot casserole dish out of their OTR microwave over a hot cooking surface. The potential for hazards involved with the microwave so high off the ground is quite possible.

Ergonomics - Let's say a 5 foot tall person is trying to lift a heavy dish out of the OTR microwave which is about 56-60" from the ground (36" high counter + 20-24" from the stove). This could be quite challenging & awkward to lift a dish from the microwave with arms out stretched and above his or her head. A simple yet important consideration to think about is how tall are the household users of the microwave? Also think about trying to cook with a large, tall stock pot on the back burner and maneuvering a spoon while trying not to hit the OTR which is not very high off the cooking surface.

Design - A rangehood in a kitchen can instantly add flair and make a dramatic statement about the kitchen (see canopy hood photo below). An OTR microwave doesn't really make a statement. The microwaves look a lot nicer these days due to Stainless steel accents, but does anyone ever hear a customer say, "Wow that OTR microwave looks so awesome over the cooktop!" A designer rangehood can add so much more to a kitchen design by becoming a focal point in the kitchen and a real conversation piece.












Effectiveness - The OTR (rangehood / microwave combination) is really making compromises and concessions on both appliances. You could always find a more powerful, larger, more functional stand alone microwave that could fit on a counter, under a counter, under a side cabinet, integrated, or microwave drawer, etc. As for the ventilation portion of the OTR, there is a definite compromise. The coverage over the stove front to back in terms of the OTR depth will be lacking versus a rangehood. A typical canopy hood will be about 19" deep, an OTR will be about 12" deep. This 12" depth will cover the back burners basically as opposed to having better coverage with the rangehood. A dedicated rangehood will cover the back burners and at least half of the front burners.

Most OTR microwaves use a 300 cfm fan (cubic feet per minute of air movement) for venting over the stove. A typical canopy rangehood would be at least 500 or 600 cfm instead, almost double the fan strength. The quality of the grease filters, motor and fan blades / impellers in the OTR would be a major difference also. The motor spins the impellers which draws the air and contaminants off the stove, pulled through the grease filters and then pushed outside. A rangehood will have better, high quality fan blades, more powerful motors (see the motor & impeller photo below) and higher quality grease filters (see photo) that will absorb more grease. All of this equals a cleaner kitchen at the end of a day since the rangehood ventilation is much more effective.



A final point on the effectiveness of OTR's, the charcoal filters used in combo microwave/ventilation units are fairly ineffective. When you cannot vent to the outside of the house because you live in an apartment or condo, or it would take 100 feet of ducting to get outside, then recircualting the hood back into the kitchen is the only option. Typically an OTR will have grease filters for absorbing grease, and a small, thin carbon / charcoal filter to absorb odor before reintroducing air into the kitchen. These charcoal filters are perhaps 1/4" - 1/2" thick, and not very effective at absorbing odors.



Conversely, Here are 2 photos above of two types of rangehood charcoal filters which are and have a much wider area of coverage. Recirculating your hood may not be the best option, but if left with no other choice, the rangehood will reintroduce cleaner air back into the kitchen better than an OTR.

Just some points to remember when you design your next kitchen: safety, ergonomics, design and effectiveness will all be enhanced when using a dedicated rangehood versus a combination microwave / hood.

For more information on ventilation topics, please visit our website faberonline.com

Friday, January 15, 2010

2010 Trends in Kitchens - How Rangehoods can help.

As the new year and new decade begins and the trends for the new year in kitchen design are discussed, it is a good time to talk rangehood design. I will be referencing the NKBA trends article and Susan Serra's article specifically and how rangehoods are applied to their 2010 design trends.

The NKBA mentions white cabinets and traditional styling as a continuing trend. With so many traditional rangehood styles and the ability to build in / integrate a rangehood, there are a lot of ventilation options that can easily accommodate this style trend.


(The Agio rangehood by Faber in a white traditional kitchen)

While discussing so many ventilation options to match up with traditional styling, you can also integrate your own personal style into the kitchen while still being "traditional" in style. Susan Serra mentions the trend of "tapping into one’s inner creativity, finding one’s personal expression." With so many rangehood styles: your personal tastes, style & interpretations can all be embraced. By using a built-in / insert rangehood, you can create a custom wood hood in your kitchen design that shows your own style and yet can still be functional because of the high quality rangehood inside. All while being traditional...


(A traditional custom wood hood with personal style - a Faber Inca Pro hood inside)

Susan Serra mentions chef's kitchens as a 2010 kitchen trend. A chef's kitchen with typically high end / higher heat cooking and usually wider appliances (36", 48" +) all requires higher cfm's (cubic feet per minute of air movement) to match the kind of BTU, grease, odor, steam, smoke output that is possible with these professional appliances. Additionally, a higher BTU output range also would benefit from a rangehood with plenty of capture area under the hood. Meaning the more semi-enclosed area below the grease filters, the more space that contaminants can "hang out" in before being sent thru the rangehood grease filters.


(There is at least 6 inches of material below the filters in this hood to capture contaminants)

For more information on Faber and our complete line of rangehoods you can visit our website.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Tratto rangehood - a stunning glass and stainless steel hood


The Tratto Rangehood by Faber can be seen in this beautiful Boston area stainless steel kitchen. With a curved glass canopy and stainless steel construction, the Tratto can blend into many kitchen designs. In the case of this kitchen, the stainless refrigerator, oven and dishwasher all are complimented by the hood. There is also a true focal point created by the Tratto hood in this kitchen.

Minimalism is certainly being implemented in the overall kitchen design with basic cement tiles, simple dark wood cabinets with slim line drawer hardware. The stainless steel appliances are definitely the main attraction in this kitchen, and the glass canopy of the Tratto adds to the simple elegance of the kitchen. And finally, the ceran / smooth top, cooktop matches up perfectly with the Faber hood. Both products have clean lines and create more openness in the kitchen.

For more information visit us at www.faberonline.com