Restaurants and QSR outlets
A single line of range, fryers and griddle needs one properly sized wall canopy. Getting the length right avoids oversizing the fan, which saves running cost for years.
Kitchen hood manufacturers · SUS304
Commercial Kitchen Hood Manufacturers in Dubai
A commercial kitchen hood is a stainless steel canopy over your cooking line that captures heat, smoke and grease and passes them to the exhaust duct. FIAMMA is a Dubai manufacturer and supplier of custom SUS304 extraction hoods, cut to the length of your line, with baffle grease filters and an optional built-in water mist line.
Most hood problems start before anything is fabricated. The hood gets drawn while the cooking line is still changing, the length is rounded to a standard size, and the airflow is guessed from the room instead of the equipment underneath it. Six months after opening, the kitchen is hot, the filters are dripping and the exhaust fan is either screaming or too weak to do its job.
This page walks through how a hood works, which type suits which kitchen, and how to size one properly, so that the drawing you send us (or your MEP contractor) is right the first time. If you already have your equipment schedule, you can skip straight to the quote request. If you are still deciding between a standard hood and one with built-in fire suppression, read our guide to water mist hoods as well.
What a commercial kitchen hood actually does
A hood is not just a cover. It is the first part of a system that has to move air in a controlled way, and it does five jobs at once:
- Captures the hot, greasy air that rises off fryers, ranges, griddles and ovens before it spreads into the kitchen.
- Separates grease from the airflow through baffle filters, so the duct behind it stays cleaner for longer.
- Keeps the cooking line cooler, which matters in a Dubai summer when every extra degree of kitchen temperature costs you in staff comfort and refrigeration load.
- Protects the duct by limiting how much grease reaches it, which is the main fuel path in a kitchen fire.
- Balances the room: what the hood extracts has to be replaced by make-up air, and the hood design sets how much that is.
Types of kitchen hood and which one fits
There are four types you will meet on most commercial projects in the UAE. The right one depends on what is under it and where the cooking line sits in the room.
| Hood type | Typical position | Suits | Things to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall-mounted canopy | Against a wall, over a cooking line | Ranges, fryers, griddles, ovens in restaurant and hotel kitchens | The most common type. Wall acts as a back panel, so it captures well with less airflow per metre. |
| Island canopy | Free-standing, open on all sides | Central cooking islands, open-kitchen concepts, food-court layouts | Needs more airflow per metre than a wall canopy because air can be pulled in from every side. |
| Condensate (Type II) hood | Over dishwashers, steamers, some ovens | Steam and heat with no grease load | No grease filters needed in most designs; the aim is to remove steam and moisture. |
| Water mist hood | Same positions as wall or island canopies | Kitchens that want suppression built into the hood | Adds a water mist line and nozzles inside the canopy. See our water mist hood page. |
How to size a kitchen hood: length, overhang and airflow
Sizing comes down to three numbers: how long the hood is, how far it overhangs the cooking surface, and how many cubic metres of air per hour it needs to move.
Length and overhang. The hood should be at least as long as the cooking line underneath it, plus an overhang on every open side. A minimum of around 150 mm beyond the cooking surface is commonly used, and many designers go to 300 mm for fryers and charbroilers because they throw more heat and vapour sideways. The lower edge of the hood is normally set so that it sits roughly 1.9 to 2.1 m above the floor, and not much more than about 1.2 m above the cooking surface.
Airflow. Airflow depends on how hard the equipment works, not on the size of the room. Designers group appliances into duty classes. The figures below are rounded, indicative values for a wall-mounted canopy, drawn from widely used ventilation design tables. They are a starting point for a conversation with your consultant, not a substitute for the calculation.
| Duty class | Typical appliances | Indicative airflow (m³/h per metre) |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Ovens, steamers, bain-marie, kettles | about 1,100 |
| Medium | Gas ranges, griddles, fryers, bratt pans | about 1,700 |
| Heavy | Charbroilers, woks, upright broilers | about 2,200 |
| Extra heavy | Solid-fuel cooking (charcoal, wood-fired) | about 3,000 |
What to check on the hood itself: material, welds and filters
Two hoods of the same length can be very different products. When you compare quotations, these are the points that decide how the hood behaves after two years of daily use:
- Material and gauge. Our hood is built from SUS304 stainless steel at 1.2 mm. Thinner sheet drums and warps near the heat; thicker sheet adds weight without much benefit for a standard canopy.
- Welded seams. A fully welded body with a welded drip channel does not leak grease at the joints. Riveted or sealed seams tend to weep over time.
- Baffle grease filters. Baffle filters make the air change direction so grease drops out; they are removable, washable and last far longer than mesh. Ask how many filters sit in the hood and how they are lifted out.
- Drip channel and grease cup. Grease has to go somewhere. A sloped channel into a catch cup is easy to empty and keeps it off your cooking line.
- Lighting and access. Sealed light fittings and an access panel at the collar make cleaning and inspection quicker, which is what keeps a hood compliant.
- Collar position. The duct collar has to sit where your duct actually comes down. It is far cheaper to draw this correctly than to adapt it on site.
Fire safety, Civil Defence and approvals
Commercial cooking hoods and their ducts are a fire-safety item. In the UAE they are reviewed as part of the fit-out approval, and designs commonly follow the principles of NFPA 96 (the standard for ventilation control of commercial cooking). Requirements differ between emirates, free zones and building types, so the approval route for your project is something to confirm with your fire consultant and Civil Defence rather than assume.
What we can say for certain is how the hood is built: removable baffle filters, a welded drip channel, and, if you want it, a water mist line planned into the hood during fabrication so that the nozzles sit over the filter bank and the duct collar. Final approval of any suppression system rests with the authority, not with the fabricator.
From equipment list to installed hood: how an order runs
- Send the equipment schedule and the kitchen layout. A PDF or CAD drawing is ideal. A hand sketch with dimensions also works for small kitchens.
- We confirm the duty class and hood length for each cooking line, and flag any appliance that changes the picture (for example a charcoal grill or a wok station).
- You receive a quotation and a hood drawing with collar size, filter count and cut-outs for any services.
- Your MEP contractor checks the airflow against the duct and fan design. Changes are cheap at this stage.
- The hood is fabricated and delivered to site. Installation and ducting are coordinated with your MEP and fit-out teams.
- Handover. Filters are fitted and the cleaning routine is explained to the kitchen team.
Hood, duct and drainage: the other parts of the system
A hood sits at the start of a chain. Once grease leaves the cooking line, three other things decide how well the kitchen runs:
The duct and fan need to carry the airflow you sized for, with access doors for cleaning. The grease trap under your pot-wash and pre-rinse sinks stops fats and oils reaching the drain, see our stainless steel grease traps. And the cooking equipment itself, from a commercial cooking range to fryers, decides which duty class the hood has to be designed for.
If you are building a complete line, our custom stainless steel fabrication service covers work tables, counters and wall shelving in the same SUS304, so the whole kitchen matches.
Where it is used
Hotel main and banquet kitchens
Hotels run several cooking lines at once, often with different duty classes. Each line gets its own hood length and airflow so one heavy station does not starve the rest.
Cloud and dark kitchens
Tight floor plans and continuous frying make capture efficiency matter. A hood cut to the exact equipment width avoids wasted space.
Central and production kitchens
Long cooking lines and heavy output call for island or extended canopies, with easy-clean filters to keep downtime short.
Food courts and open kitchens
Island canopies and neat stainless finishes suit kitchens that are on show to customers.
Staff canteens and camps
Robust, simple hoods with removable filters that a small maintenance team can look after.
Benefits
Cut to your line, not a catalogue size
Length, depth and collar position follow your drawing, so there are no gaps at the ends and no oversized hood eating fan capacity.
A cleaner, cooler kitchen
Proper capture keeps heat and grease at the cooking line instead of in the room.
Easier cleaning, easier inspection
Removable baffle filters, a welded drip channel and a grease cup keep daily cleaning to minutes.
Built to coordinate with the rest of the kitchen
Same SUS304 finish as your work tables, shelving and counters, and dimensions agreed with your MEP team.
Suppression can be planned in, not bolted on
If you want a water mist line, it is designed into the canopy during fabrication.
Related products
Equipment from the FIAMMA range that goes with this page.
Stainless Steel Kitchen Extraction Hood with Water Mist Suppression
Heavy-duty SUS304 stainless steel extraction canopy engineered for high-heat commercial cooking lines. Integrated baffle grease filters, welded drip channels, and an optional built-in water mist fire suppression manifold contain grease-laden vapor and suppress flare-ups at the source, keeping kitchens compliant with UAE Civil Defence fire-safety codes.
Custom Fabricated EquipmentView details →
Stainless Steel Grease Trap Interceptor
Under-sink or in-line stainless steel grease trap engineered to intercept fats, oils, and grease before wastewater reaches municipal drainage. Baffled internal chambers slow flow to separate FOG from water, helping commercial kitchens meet UAE municipality drainage compliance and avoid blocked lines.
Washing Equipment and Sink UnitView details →
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a kitchen hood and an exhaust fan?
The hood is the canopy that captures heat, smoke and grease at the cooking line. The exhaust fan is what pulls the air through the duct. A hood without enough fan power will not capture properly, and a fan without a well-sized hood wastes energy. They are designed as a pair.
How long should a commercial kitchen hood be?
At least as long as the cooking line, plus an overhang on each open side. About 150 mm is a commonly used minimum, and 300 mm is common over fryers and charbroilers. Your drawing and equipment list let us confirm the exact length.
How much airflow does my hood need?
It depends on the equipment under it. As an indicative guide, a wall canopy over medium-duty equipment such as ranges and fryers needs roughly 1,700 m³/h per metre. Heavy-duty equipment such as charbroilers needs more. Your MEP consultant confirms the final figure.
Do I need a hood over a dishwasher or an oven?
Often yes, but not always a grease hood. Steam from dishwashers and heat from ovens is usually handled by a condensate (Type II) hood or by a dedicated exhaust arrangement. Confirm with your consultant for your layout.
Can a kitchen hood manufacturer make a hood to a non-standard size?
Yes. Our extraction hood is custom-fabricated: lengths from a single 1.2 m station up to lines of 6 m or more, with the duct collar placed where your duct comes down.
What material and thickness are the hoods made from?
SUS304 stainless steel at 1.2 mm, fully welded, with removable baffle grease filters and a welded drip channel. The product page lists the full specification.
How often should hood filters and ducts be cleaned?
Baffle filters are normally cleaned weekly, or more often on heavy lines. Ducts are inspected and cleaned on a schedule that depends on how much grease the cooking produces, which can range from monthly for very heavy cooking to every few months for lighter use.
Do I need a water mist hood?
Not every kitchen does. It depends on the cooking equipment, your fire consultant's design and the authority's requirements. Our page on water mist hoods explains what it adds so you can decide with your consultant.
Do you supply the exhaust fan and ducting too?
On most projects the fan and ductwork are specified and installed by the MEP contractor. We provide the hood, the airflow requirement and the collar position so that the two fit together.
What do I need to send to get a quotation?
Your equipment schedule, the kitchen layout (PDF or CAD if you have it) and any comments from Civil Defence or your fire consultant. You can send them through the contact page or on WhatsApp.
Do you supply kitchen hoods outside Dubai?
Yes. We supply hoods across the UAE, including Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain.
Related guides and solutions
Need a hood drawn for your kitchen?
Send your equipment list and layout. We will confirm the hood length and duty class and come back with a drawing and quotation.
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