The Secret to Frying Fish in a Tiny Kitchen? An AirHood | The Strategist

Oct 22, 2024

A series where we methodologically and obsessively try new products to tell you if they’re worth it so you don’t have to do all that work yourself. Read more reviews here.

A series where we methodologically and obsessively try new products to tell you if they’re worth it so you don’t have to do all that work yourself. Read more reviews here.

In my narrow Philadelphia row-home kitchen, I have a very sensitive smoke alarm — and a Chihuahua whose nemesis is said sensitive smoke alarm. The alarm goes off at a mere hint of smoke, despite the fact that my stove has an over-the-range hood. Instead of actually venting smoke outside, the hood just captures grease (sort of) and recirculates air, often leaving my white cabinets with a smear of leftover oil after, say, a marathon falafel-frying session. Not to mention that frying fish or smoking meats would leave a lingering smell on my curtains and rug for days after.

So I was intrigued when I heard about the AirHood, a portable exhaust hood you can move around your kitchen, whether you place it next to your stove or beside a cutting board of fragrant garlic. It’s billed as “The World’s First Portable Kitchen Air Cleaner” and works by using replaceable charcoal filters to clean the air it sucks up and flows back out. At $159.99, it seemed a remarkably cheap fix for simultaneously capturing smoke, protecting my cupboards from oil slicks, and putting my Chihuahua out of her misery. I wondered: Could this be the solution to my conundrum? And so I set out to test the AirHood.

When it arrived, I was charmed by its Cadmium Orange color and how surprisingly small it was — it looked like a tiny Martian on my counter. It weighs just a hair over five pounds, and the fan part is eight inches in diameter while the entire unit is 14 inches tall. The 70-inch cord gave ample length to plug it in on my kitchen cart or counter — which is where I decided to place it for the first test run: frying potato croquettes and sautéing tomatoes.

When I turned on the AirHood, it was no louder than my over-the-range hood. As I fried the croquettes — which in the past have set off my smoke alarm and left my apartment smelling like oil — I noticed that the AirHood’s suction, working together with my stove’s hood, removed any presence of smoke in my kitchen. It also whisked away the steam that was produced as the tomatoes sautéed. After the meal, there was no leftover scent in my kitchen or my apartment, and cleanup was easy: I just cleaned the AirHood’s metal filter with a sponge and dish soap (although it’s dishwasher safe, too).

Okay, so it passed the dinner-for-two test, but I wanted to know how it would work for a larger group. One weekend, I invited 45 people over for a big dinner of croquettes, seared salmon, and baked pasta made with a funky cheese, and I aimed the AirHood at my four-burner stove. I was careful to place it about 18 inches away from my gas stove (the company’s website cautions against placing it too close to flames), turned each burner on, and set the AirHood to its highest (and loudest) setting, and I got to cooking.

Two hours of intermittent frying, searing, and baking later, the AirHood was still humming and my smoke alarm remained quiet. My white cabinets were devoid of grease smears, and my kitchen — and house — smelled like delicious cooked food and not oil. There were no lingering fishy or funky cheese smells. My guests didn’t even notice the AirHood on my countertop, nor did they remark upon any extra noise it made.

So what’s the verdict? I think I love the AirHood. It’s part of my kitchen now and whenever I’m frying fish or am cooking something that produces above average smoke, I turn both it and my range hood on. I can even see myself packing it along with my knife kit to my next private-chef gig to avoid setting off someone else’s smoke alarm. And yes, my Chihuahua loves it, too.

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