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Recommend a bright ceiling fan?

11 years ago

The kitchen ceiling fan we have in our small kitchen is quite helpful especially when we are done cooking. It has a ridiculously dim light though. Can anyone recommend a bright one, preferably one which would suit the style of a white kitchen with stainless steel appliances? The one we have now is dark wood in the shape of leaves.

Comments (25)

  • 11 years ago

    This is my favorite celing fan, we have a couple. Also comes in brushed nickel. I believe it uses a 100w light.

    User thanked Melissa Johnson
  • 11 years ago

    I don't understand the need for a ceiling fan in a kitchen. I think it's best to invest in a good exhaust hood. Ceiling fans collect dust and grime and blow it around; not the best for a food prep area.

    If you still think this is a good idea... We have minka aires from lamps plus in our bedrooms and love them.

    User thanked sheloveslayouts
  • 11 years ago

    I can't agree--in my part of Texas, we put ceiling fans in almost every room of the house. Really cuts down on how low you have to set your thermostat in the summer. Generally, if I'm cooking anything on the top of the stove, especially at high temperatures, I turn the fan off. I have gas burners, and the fan blows the flames around. I also turn it off if I'm producing smoke. We have a pathetic exhaust hood that will be replaced when our renovation is done.

    You spent a lot of time in your kitchen doing things other than cooking, and having that air flow is awesome. Yes, the fan gets dirty and gross. Then you clean it. I tried to get a fan with as few nooks, crannies, and cracks as possible so it would be easy to wipe down.

    That Minka fan is lovely and seems to fit your requirements!

    User thanked elunday
  • 11 years ago

    I had the above Minka fan and swapped it out for a simple 3 light fan, because there was not enough light for me to read by with just one light bulb. I have a fan in most rooms since I don't have AC, couldn't live without the fans.

    User thanked pamghatten
  • 11 years ago

    I'm interested in this as well. What about LED? Several ceiling fans now offer integrated 17watt LED lights, how does that compare to the other lights discussed above?

    User thanked omelet
  • 11 years ago

    Thanks for all the feedback! Elunday, excellent idea regarding getting a fan with as few nooks, crannies, and cracks as possible so it would be easy to wipe down. I like the Minka fan but, as hvtech42 noted, the 4 arm light kit is brighter and may suit our needs better. This has helped a lot. Thanks again.

  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Another Gardener,

    Is your ceiling fan the only source of light in the kitchen?

  • 11 years ago

    No, there's a weak light above the sink and a strong light from the hood. The hood light provides a great amount of nice light. So, under the stove is easy to see and next to it but that's about it.

  • 11 years ago

    Do you have space for a wall mount fan and a separate more effective light for the kitchen? On very high speeds, most fan lights move and have a wobbling light effect. I suffer from migraines so I notice things like that. Depending on the style, there are a few wall mount options from Matthews fan. A little more expensive but this may be a better fit for the lighting needs

    Good luck!

    User thanked homepro01
  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    as hvtech42 noted, the 4 arm light kit is brighter and may suit our needs better

    Actually I think the Midway Eco fan I linked would suit your needs best, if it's in the budget. It's the only fan I know of that has a decently bright integrated light kit. Don't forget about the fan part either - there are HUGE differences in motor quality and performance between ceiling fans, and the Midway Eco does great in that area. However, if you'd like something a bit less expensive, but still high quality, that would take a 4 arm light kit, let me know and I can recommend some.

    Many people think a slight humming and wobbling is normal with ceiling fans, but it really doesn't have to be. People also get used to the airflow from the fans they have, even if it's mediocre. They just don't know what they're missing and once you have a good fan, you can't go back. The best ones run completely silently at all speeds, don't wobble, and move 6000+ CFM of air on high (assuming standard 52" size). Unfortunately, paying a lot for a ceiling fan doesn't in itself mean you will get a good performer - there are a lot of models out there where you're mainly paying for the name or the look.

    What about LED? Several ceiling fans now offer integrated 17watt LED lights, how does that compare to the other lights discussed above?

    I'm not sure which fans you're talking about, but if they only have a single 17W LED - that's not very good as it's about equivalent to a 100W halogen. However, something with multiple 17W LEDs could do a good job.

    User thanked User
  • 11 years ago

    The Midway Eco is a bit pricey for us. I don't mind a hum sound in the kitchen at all but I do mind the one we have in the bedroom. We need to replace that one too. By the way, are there fans with different settings for the lights too?

  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Yes there are fans with dimmable lights. What is the max. you'd be willing to spend?

  • 11 years ago

    As little as possible without being ridiculous lol. It's hard to say. For instance, I saw a white four way light at Lowe's on sale for $40 but I'm not sure how to judge. When I think "dimmer" I think of the awful buzzing sound we have in our living room ceiling lights though. I think that may be because the wrong lights are in there. I'm not sure. We have also have a fan over the dining table which has two pulls, one for turning the light off and on and the other to change fan speeds. Maybe there's a fan wherein you can pull it to change number of lightbulbs on?

  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    If that's all you want to spend, then go ahead. However, Home Depot and Lowe's ceiling fans are not the best quality, especially the sub-$100 ones. Thus, I can't personally recommend them.

    For lamp sing (the issue you're experiencing in your living room), check the quality of the dimmer, the quality of the bulbs, and the wattage of the bulbs in relation to dimmer rating. The fans with dimmable lights come with remotes or wall controls. I've never experienced lamp sing with ceiling fan lights. Alternatively, if you have separate wall switches for the fan and the light, you can install a standard wall dimmer for your fan light.

    User thanked User
  • 11 years ago

    Alternatively, you can buy a non-dimmable fan and buy dimmable LED light bulbs! That's what I did and I love it.

    User thanked ainelane
  • 11 years ago

    ainelane, what kind of light system do you use and recommend?

  • 11 years ago

    Alternatively, you can buy a non-dimmable fan and buy dimmable LED light bulbs! That's what I did and I love it.

    Unfortunately, this only works if you have separate wall switches for the fan and light. Many setups only have one switch for both the light and fan, which means you have to use the pullchains to control the light and fan separately. Or, get a remote controlled fan that has dimming built-in.

  • 11 years ago

    An example of the LED ceiling fan is this one. Yes it is from Home Depot and is inexpensive, but has high ratings. There is lots of discussion of how bright it is - the LED is dimmable and apparently if you use the remote to put the light at the highest setting it is plenty bright, but when it comes from the factory it is set dim, and if you do not follow the directions you will think it is too dim.

    Have you considered adding more undercabinet lighting as part of your remodel? If you are able to add good undercabinet lighting (task lighting) as part of your remodel the brightness of the ceiling fan light might not be as critical.

  • 11 years ago

    Casablanca fans with the LED light have the "lamp sing" problem hvtech42 mentioned, just FYI. I've spoken to their customer service and they're apparently working on a fix. It's disappointing for a fan in that price range, though they did offer to swap it for a halogen version for free. There's no sing when the dimmer is not used, though.

  • 10 years ago

    Any suggestion What kind of ceiling fan that have very bright light over kitchen (NO REMOTE). I prefer to have pull the chains. My kitchen/dinner in one big room. There are remote and very dislike and light bulb are halogen 75 watts which is not enough bright even 2 fans, See pic


  • 10 years ago

    Look for any traditional style pullchain fan that has a 3 or 4 arm light kit. Avoid the more contemporary style fans, most of them have remotes and their integrated light kits usually just don't measure up in terms of pure light output.

  • PRO
    10 years ago

    ainelane PLEASE tell me the set up you have for your ceiling light. It sounds great! I noticed thata Another Gardener wanted to know too. ( :

  • 9 years ago

    I too am having dim light fan problems. I like the look of the midway eco fan, but it is a bit spendy. I wonderd, hvtech, if you could recommend something similar, but less expensive? For our purposes, the lighting is more important than the fan. We move the air with the fan some, but we really rely on the light.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    blgamett I recommend you take a look at Hansen Wholesale. Their website is by far the best I've used if you're trying to find a fan that meets a specific set of requirements. You can filter fans by type of light kit, and then sort the results by price and/or light output. Hopefully you can find something that provides adequate light that still like the look of. They have pretty much all the major showroom brands in their catalog. Look for a fan with a large motor (188mm or above) or a DC motor for the best airflow. As for noise levels, Casablanca's non-DC fans tend to be quieter than other manufacturers' non-DC fans, although a DC fan from any manufacturer will be extremely quiet.