Here is what I would add. Baffles seem easy to clean but I found some very hard to remove given the strong spring pressure behind them and the sharp edges. The one that was a breeze to move, pun intended :), was the Viking. You just pushed them up and pulled them. Very nice design.

As to VAH, I have removed the box from a number of them in showrooms and it always takes a bit of effort to take off, and put back on. Nothing complicated or super hard, but not the more user friendly design. The local distributor claimed that you can put them in the dishwasher to clean them. I asked if they would rust and peel. She said probably if the paint chips off. I like her honesty :). I also wondered if the rest of the hood gets oily and need cleaning since it is so open. Didn't get as good an answer on this.

We currently have a mesh filter on our Gaggenau hood. We will be going with VAH or baffles. Would be interested to hear other people's comments.

Hi there,

Well, Vent-A-Hood (in my opinion) is an excellent brand of hood. The magic-lung system is very easy to maintain & clean, and they have about the best CFM ratings on the market. Meaning, when they say that a hood is 600 CFM....IT IS! Even WITH the baffles or filters in place.

The answer to this question depends on who you ask...different people will have different opinions. Your best bet is to go to a store and take out the baffles, squirrel cages etc so you can find the hood that is easiest for YOU to clean.

When we did that, my DH (who does most of the kitchen cleaning) found that the VAH was easiest for him to disassemble, clean and wipe out. However, ask around and I'm sure you'll find someone who will say the VAH was difficult to clean.

As Alku said - stick around and you will get opposite opinions. For me, I woouldn't have a vent-a-hood if you paid me :) Far too difficult to clean from my standpoint - not just from taking things out but the concept of how it works (VAH throws grease agaist the sides of the hood which to me is a real pain to clean). I stuck with a system with baffles and I tried several and liked the Independent Hood for ease of taking the baffles in / out.

Take a look at the Independant hood, seamless construction and the baffle system is really easy to use and clean.

At the appliance store I tried out the KA one and it seemed pretty easy to take out and clean. Anyone have that one?

On Independent, how do you remove the baffles? Are they spring loaded and you have to counter that pressure to remove them? Or are they like Viking where they are just sitting on the shelf using gravity and can simply be pushed up and removed?

Disclosure: I work for Arspura, a range hood company. When people say “easy to clean,” it usually comes down to three things: whether there are filters to pull and wash, how smooth and seam-free the front is, and whether the hood tells you when maintenance is due. Filter-free centrifugal hoods (how ours are built) remove the filter step but still need an oil cup emptied and the panel wiped. Glass fronts wipe down quickly with a soft cloth; avoid abrasive pads on any finish.