Kobe Range Hoods - Baffles Vs Oil catchers, which one is better?

14 years ago

I've had my eye out on the CH-122 Oil catcher model, I see that Kobe has just annonced that they will now have the same model available using Baffles.

I noticed the baffle model is slightly louder, really just slightly and also slightly less powerful.

Which one is better and why? BTW, this wil be going over a Wolf 30" DF.

Here are the specs for the Oil Catcher model

380 cfm (1.0 sone)

560 cfm (3.0 sones)

720 cfm (4.5 sones)

800 cfm (4.8 sones)

And these are for the soon to come Baffle model.

300 cfm (1.2 sone)

450 cfm (3.0 sones)

600 cfm (4.5 sones)

720 cfm (4.8 sones)

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Comments (10)

weissman
14 years ago
I believe that baffles will be a lot easier to clean - I suspect that the fact that the air passes through the baffles is what lowers the CFMs a litte. Personally, I'd get the model with the baffles.
tommmy2007
14 years ago
I am using the 42 inch Kobe with a Bluestar 36 inch with the shelf back . I love the baffles. Trivia fact of the day: With a burner on the top shelf runs 125 to 150 degrees. The shelf is like a separate appliance itself. All the baffles are the same so I removed all the spacers and ordered/installed one extra baffle .There is a little gap (which would require a odd size spacer) I filled the gap using a chopping block standing on end .We have always stored the wood chopping block on the back of our range (we wash it and put it there to dry and never gets put up so its actually its home) .
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We are trying to decide between 2 Kobe hoods and would appreciate some feedback from you awesome forum members. CH-191 http://koberangehoods.com/product/CH-191.html Baffle filters approx. $1,000 280 CFM - 800 CFM 22" deep CH-179 http://koberangehoods.com/product/CH-179.html Oil catchers approx. $850 380 CFM - 800 CFM 22" deep The 36" hood will be going above a 30" gas range. Said range has an 18K BTU burner in the front right corner and 15K BTU burner in the back left corner. Husband loves to do high heat wok cooking 3 times a week, and prefers the front burner. Questions: 1. In a posting by Kaseki I noticed it mentioned that baffle filters only work when placed at an angle. Is there a minimum angle? Are the CH-191 baffles placed to do their job of grease collection? 2. I had originally thrown out the oil catcher models since it appears that grease would accumulate on the large expanse of stainless steel under the hood. However it seems like they move air better. Are there any high heat grease experts who can comment on cleaning this type of hood? Not the fan, but that large expanse to stainless steel under the hood. Just wanted to thank you all in advance. I couldn't find anywhere near Portland, OR to see a Kobe and have spent hours reading all the posts about range hoods. It is somewhat unsettling to buy it online, sight unseen (actually the noise is more our concern), but it looks like what we need.
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mls99
14 years ago
I have an oil catcher and it has been pretty easy to clean: you just empty the oil cup every 6 months and wash it. Once every year I take down the bottom sheets (not sure what they're called) and run them through the dishwasher.
markbr
Original Author
14 years ago
yeah I didn't have an issue with my old Kobe Oil catchers either, but that was a different setup in a different house, to be honest I hadn't put too much thought in it, I didn't even realize there was a different way to vent.

I hope someone can chime in here, really want to know the difference in performance with baffles vs oil catchers.

Is one safer than the other given that I'll only have aprox 24-25" between the Wolf DF and the hood?

Does one capture smoke/smell better?

And what's really puzzling is the fact the the same model has different performance specs, only differnce being one is an oil catcher and the other baffles.

Seriosuly..I'm baffled...haha
sfjeff
14 years ago
Baffles generally capture grease better than "oil cup" systems. In general, you need to disturb the airflow in some way to get the grease out, so apples-to-apples a baffle system will have a tiny bit less airflow than a system that takes out less oil; but often it isn't apples-to-apples.

For odors, the "scent molecules" that are in the grease will come out as the grease comes out, but a lot are in free floating, so airflow is what you want. I don't think the difference between the two hoods is going to be noticeable without a flow meter.

Personally, I'd get the baffles for the better grease extraction and ease of cleaning (pop them into the dishwasher).
sfjeff
14 years ago
I won't chime in again on likely not meeting installation requirements or Code for either the hood or the range, but with

Is one safer than the other given that I'll only have aprox 24-25" between the Wolf DF and the hood?

I absolutely would go with the baffles and a weekly trip into the dishwasher. Combustible grease buildups that close to the cooktop is just asking for trouble.
markbr
Original Author
14 years ago
sfjeff, I'm going to take your adivce, we will make the necessary adjustments to the above cabinet so that it can be at the required height which is at minimum 27".

Now that we are willing to modify that cabinet, I'm looking at the CH-27 (7" baffle) model as compared to the CH-122 (5" oil catcher). I was told the 7" is designed to capture the fumes better.

Now for some reason the baffle model doesn't operate as powerful, it only goes to 720CFM, is that sufficent for the Wolf DF 30" Propane?

And on the hight of the hood, is 27" good for people that are 5"10?

Thanks!
weissman
14 years ago
As long as you don't have a grill, 720 CFM will be more than sufficient. As far as the height, you need to experiment for yourself to see what works for you.
willis13
14 years ago
Are you still watching this thread? What did you decide, and are you happy with it? After months of trying to find a liner hood that met my "needs", I'm now flipping and looking at these two hoods. And I need to decide quickly!
texaskitchentoo
14 years ago
The CH-27 with the baffles actually has the oil catchers minus the little cups behind the baffles. If you can get the cups from Kobe you could convert this hood to either method. The oil catcher grill actually has a rubber frame which may help with air flow or keeping noise down. I like the look of the baffle, cleaner and a little "professional" the minor extra noise is not a factor really, it is more quiet than the one it will replace.

Kobe Range Hoods - Baffles Vs Oil catchers, which one is better?

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Kobe Range Hoods - Baffles Vs Oil catchers, which one is better?

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