Exhaust fan and cooking time/temp

My wife and I are having a disagreement. She says having the exhaust fan on reduces cooking temp. I disagree, I’ve searched and can’t find any reference to it. Because we cook with gas, it releases carbon monoxide, which should be vented, along with gases and oils from cooking. Anyone have any data on affecting time/temp? Thanks.

Cox219
  • Posted by: Cox219
  • September 9, 2022
  • 2177 views
  • 5 Comments

5 Comments

Lori T. September 9, 2022
I don't think you are going to luck into any data on kitchen exhaust fans reducing cooking time. The closest I could come would be these sites-
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/presspacs/2012/acs-presspac-may-30-2012/kitchen-exhaust-fans-vary-in-effectiveness-in-reducing-indoor-air-pollution.html#:~:text=The%20scientists%20found%20that%20none,speeds%20that%20hurt%20their%20efficiencies.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132318301112
https://phys.org/news/2012-05-kitchen-exhaust-fans-vary-effectiveness.html

These studies just looked at how well the fans do the task of removing or reducing pollutants though- not if they change cooking temperatures. I would hazard to guess they don't, because the heat is being applied below the pad at a constant rate determined by your knob selection. In an electric stove, that's controlled by a thermostat, and the gas stove is just a constant valve control flame. It's not as if the fan is blowing cool air down on the pan, heck it's not even that good at pulling heat away. Especially not in summer, when the air outside is likely hotter than inside your home. If I needed to cool my kitchen, I would not rely on the hood vent fan to do the job. From past experience, when it's hot in the kitchen and outside, turning the stove on -even with the hood fan - is not a pleasant experience.
 
Cox219 September 9, 2022
Thanks for the links, I agree with you, unfortunately my wife is resistant to logic. Just trying to find something she could believe since I can’t get her to believe me.
 
702551 September 9, 2022
Her premise makes zero sense.

If the hood fan made a significant difference, its usage would be mentioned in recipe instructions.

Worse, it would take forever to cook one egg sunny side up in a restaurant kitchen with a big commercial range hood versus a home kitchen with the fan turned off. Unsurprisingly, there's little difference in how long an egg cooks.

Same with pretty much anything. Boiling pasta is another fine example.
 
702551 September 9, 2022
Heck, even the time to boil water let alone cooking in it. Next time the two of you find yourselves in a kitchen with an electric range, tell her to run the experiment herself, once with the hood fan on, once with it off.

Up to you how to break it to her. I don't envy you right now.

Best of luck.
 
Cox219 September 10, 2022
Eh, nothing I haven’t dealt with…many times. . Thanks.
 
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