If you have ever seen a copper range hood you will be aware of what a stunning kitchen appliance these are. They are often handmade and are works of art. They are not just plain pieces of copper suspended from the ceiling. They can have intricate scenes hammered into them. I remember once coming across a hood with an amazing forest scene with deer and wolves engraved into it. Having said that it did come in at an amazing price as well! However, they can be a superb investment and it has not been unknown for one of these to be passed down through the family as an heirloom.

A copper range hood can be either placed over an island range, suspended from the ceiling or fixed to a wall. They are extremely heavy and so need good support and fixings. A copper hood looks superb in a country cottage or log cabin where you have a more traditional look. This complements any traditional engravings you may wish to have on the hood. A lovely forest scene or hunting scene are particularly common. Online is a very good place to buy a copper hood and you can often pick up some good bargains. Be sure to check out many sites before making your purchase.

One of the important factors to consider in terms of positioning is whether you are going for a vented or ventless range hood. The vented range hoods normally needed to be fixed to a wall to allow easy access of the venting pipe to the outside wall. It is still quite feasible to have a vented hood with the island option. You would just need ceiling or roof space to run the vent pipe to an outside wall.

Copper range hoods are now becoming increasingly popular in the kitchen and can often make a very stylish statement. Copper is very attractive and quite easily molded to your own desires according to the style, design and shape of your kitchen. These features make copper a popular choice of material for range hoods. They can either come as ready made, off the shelf appliances or handcrafted, custom made. Hand made or custom models are a lot more expensive than their ready made counterparts. However, they are, in my opinion worth it.

Window shopping is a good way to find the different designs on offer in order to get the best designs and required finish to your kitchen. However, there are many avenues to explore the kind of features that you want in your copper hood. The following is a list of tips on helping you make your purchase:

Taking a look online:

Online research can bring up links to a huge variety suppliers of copper range hoods. You will find many companies during your research with large ranges of styles and designs on offer. Online searching is, by far, one of the quickest ways of searching. For a handcrafted hood, however, as each hood is handmade, the design you require may not be shown online.

Window shopping:

You can get a good idea of the sort of range hoods on offer by going physically to stores and seeing what they have in their stock. This is particularly helpful if you are going for the more modern look hough you may find less of a choice if you are going for the traditional look. For a custom made hood, the best approach is often to visit the manufacturer in person.

Visiting home equipments expos:

This is a good approach if you want the latest in modern designs and styles or the latest features. Take care though as this option can often work out quite expensive. It is often better to get brochures or pictures of the styles you like and then take them to a custom hood maker to get one manufactured in a similar style.

Seek recommendations from your friends and interior designers:

This is a very good idea as other peoples experiences are invaluable and often the best. This is a very good way of being assured of a hood's quality and the level of after sales service offered by the company.

After taking on board these ideas you are ready to go and make your purchase. Going along to the suppliers and manufacturers to get some quotes is a good idea. Make sure you know whether your kitchen has any venting available or whether this will need to be installed. Haggling on price is also a good idea. You will be amazed at what you can get doing this. Also negotiating for some additional accessories can often bag you a good deal. Make sure you are aware of the warranty period and type of warranty. Also remember that cheapest is sometimes not the best especially when you are buying a piece of safety equipment.

Most copper range hoods are hand crafted but they can be hand made from any material. Also wooden hoods are often hand made. They may be more expensive but you do get something very unique and distinctive. In my opinion a very worthwhile investment and makes a huge statement. This video shows some good examples of handcrafted range hoods.