Range hoods do a great job of removing smoke, odors, and oil residue in the kitchen. Problem is, those things are huge, all while requiring ductwork and electrical work often best handled by professionals. Suffice to say, putting one in isn’t convenient. That’s why we’re stoked any time we see portable range hood solutions like the Airhood from last year. The Oilvent takes the portable range hood one step further by turning it into a functional guard against oil splatter on top of its standard exhaust functions.
Like other portable range hoods, you can put it right next to your stovetop while you’re cooking, allowing it to remove grease and all sorts of cooking fumes straight out of the air. Unlike them, you can also put it on top of your pots and pans, serving as a handy splash guard while removing smoke and fumes straight out of the cookware.
The Oilvent consists of a mesh splashguard with a large handle on top that houses the fan and filtration system that allows it to siphon fumes and clean it before recirculating it back to the surrounding air. The handle can also serve as a stand, allowing you to set the whole thing down on the countertop while you fry, stew, and whip up dinner on the kitchen stove. What makes it special, though, is the ability to serve as a splashguard that you can put on top of the pan when you fry, sear, or saute, allowing it to keep out oil splatters while drawing in all the smoke and fumes at the same time.
When used as a splashguard, it can fit any cooking vessel between 7.9 and 15 inches, allowing you to use it for all the but the biggest woks and pans. The built-in fan, by the way, comes with three speed settings, so you can set it to lower levels when placing the device directly on top of cookware, then turn it up when you use it as a countertop range hood. The fan produces very low noise levels, too, reaching just 42dB, so it won’t create ruckus in the kitchen.
The Oilvent’s filtration system consists of a PP cotton layer that traps large oil, smoke, and dust particles, as well as an activated carbon filter for absorbing odors, harmful gasses, and volatile organic compounds. That way, everything is clean by the time it releases air back into the surroundings, allowing you to cook without covering your kitchen in smoke, odors, and a whole lot of grease. Other features include a 0.5mm mesh size for the splash guard, 52000RPM maximum fan speed, and a light weight of just two pounds.
Do note, the device uses two 18650 batteries, a fresh pair of which can keep it running for over two hours. If you don’t have easy access to 18650 cells (they’re not exactly as ubiquitous as AAs or AAAs), the outfit offers four rechargeable batteries and a charger as an add-on.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the Oilvent. You can reserve a unit for pledges starting at $69, with the battery and charger set going for an extra $19.