We are cooking with portable appliances in the basement right now because we are in the middle of a kitchen remodel. We are only using a singe burner countertop hot plate and a microwave, but there is still a lot of cooking smell from some foods.

We found that we need to open the back door and a basement window to ensure there is airflow up the stairs and out of the house while cooking. The cooking works okay if we don't do that, but then the entire basement holds cooking smell for many hours afterwards.

Bruce

We are only using a single burner countertop unit and a microwave, so

For five weeks I shouldn't think it would be a big worry. I have never had a stove hood but the PO cooked heavily and the cheapo fiberboard and wallpapered ceiling was stained and ugly when I moved in 34yrs.ago. Only a couple years ago was I finally able to remodel and still no hood, but a painted beadboard ceiling. My Mom chides me about potential splatter and stains on the ceiling but so far I have not noticed any. I use the splatter guards, the fine mesh covers over my skillets and such. You could do that for a month or so.

As for smells, yes it is a problem.

Splatter guard/screen:

A kitchen exhaust is a convenience; no serious or permanent harm will be done by not using one. The splatter guards will probably reduce grease on adjacent surfaces far better than you would have to open a window when food burns even if you were running a hood since the hood is normally struggling to draw in fresh air through cracks.

I used a Vulcan-Hart 6 burner restaurant range with a ceramic broiler/griddle in a townhouse for 10 years without a hood. It just required a bit more cleaning and odors permeated the house but opening a window was amazingly effective and it was usually necessary in order to cool the kitchen. I miss it, but not the spinning gas meter.

I have heard appliance sales people tell buyers that an exhaust hood was required by code but they could never tell me what code they were talking about. One is required for a restaurant but so is a hot water grease extractor and a fire suppression system.

If you love that ancient cooked cabbage smell permeating every older apartment building I've ever been in, no problem at all.

It's fine for a while, and I've been hoodless for over 2 years. Many people never turn on the hoods they do have, ya know! MANY!!

It's not a big deal. There are things I don't cook on the stove any more though. No lamb, no fish, no exciting curries....and you do have to watch frying.

But learn to use the grill one weekend. It's silly to have the only grill user be the same person who is too late to cook dinner. That's neither here nor there. It's just sense! :)

Well, I'm one that never uses the hood I have, but I'm also one that never cooks fried food. The only drawback I have from not using the hood is I have to wipe down the surface of the hood, and the lights that hang above the island, a little more often.
Can't believe I've been cooking all these years and never realized hoods played a role in removing odors. Guess it's the type of cooking I do but I don't find the cooking odors offensive.

I would say to go ahead and cook anything you want, but try to control any frying splatters and wipe the area around the stove afterward.

This post was edited by annz on Tue, Nov 19, 13 at 12:13

re: odors - lol annz. Me too. I now see where a hood might help with cooking smells but it really never occurred to me before either. I do fry foods and one of my favorites is fried pot/onions(!). One time when I friend came over unexpectedly I apologized for the smell. She said, "Oh, that is a GOOD smell!".But it will linger awhile and even waft into other rooms. It's just not one of those things that I consider horrible.

Would a hood actually stop grease from hopping out of the skillet? There is still going to be splatter, like others say you just have to be diligent. As for boiling foods, I don't see any problem with steam? I also wondered if everyone is going hungry because Dad can't be home in time to cook.

No hood here.

This discussion is going on now in the kitchen forum, lots of interesting and differing responses...

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1114000229621.html?18

This post was edited by ctycdm on Sat, Nov 23, 13 at 19:27

Ha, I posted the same advice about the discussion here yesterday on the Kitchen forum. LOL

Never had a hood and I cook a lot. I live in my house, it is not a museum...