It is a product that integrates a range hood, a gas stove and kitchen appliances (one of the kitchen appliances such as a sterilizer, dishwasher, steam oven, etc.). Its biggest selling point is reflected in two aspects: excellent exhaust smoke and ultra-high space utilization. However, despite these advantages, it has always been accompanied by controversy and criticism from users. So, is the integrated stove the best choice to replace the traditional smoke stove in the future, or a sickle specially used to cut leeks? Let's analyze it together.
First, let's look at some of the bad reviews. A user @之meGe pointed out: The cost of buying a set of integrated stoves is enough to buy three sets of traditional smoke stoves! A set of the most basic entry-level integrated stove costs more than 7,000 yuan. The flagship model often costs about 15,000 yuan, and the high-end model costs more than 20,000 yuan. In contrast, a traditional smoke stove only costs three or four thousand yuan to buy a good set of products. Even if you add a set of steam ovens (the most valuable integrated kitchen appliances), the cost will not exceed 6,000 yuan.
@快乐的师太666分享了她的经验: My family bought an integrated stove and then returned it! The reason is that the installation has become the biggest obstacle for non-decorating users. Unlike traditional smoke stoves, the installation of integrated stoves is quite cumbersome. The flue needs to be modified – the top exhaust vent is plugged and the bottom is re-opened. If the cabinets are already installed, the situation is even more complicated. The seam between the integrated stove and the cabinet is difficult to "fit perfectly", especially if the cabinet size is customized according to the individual's height (the height of the integrated stove is usually uniform at 80 cm).
@时光太漫提到了集成灶的 the problem that "multifunctional" is not practical. Another big selling point of the integrated stove is its versatility, in addition to the integration of kitchen appliances, it also provides functions such as smoke stove linkage, digital display of gas stove temperature, and timed fire off. However, these features seem to be abundant, but in reality they have few practical uses and are often idle. Although most of today's integrated stoves are modular in design, they are still not as convenient as traditional smoke stoves in terms of maintenance.
However, the space utilization rate of the integrated stove is a bright spot that cannot be ignored. Traditional range hoods, gas stoves, and built-in kitchen appliances all need to occupy space in wall or base cabinets. The integrated cooker cleverly combines all three into one, freeing up space for a wall cabinet and a base cabinet. In addition, the top of the integrated stove can also be used as a shelf, and the design of both sides does not affect the storage, which is particularly convenient when the temperature on both sides of the traditional gas stove is high and it is not suitable for placing sundries.
The integrated stove has revolutionized the range hood technology. The oil suction method of the traditional range hood has always been bottom-up, whether it is top suction, side suction, top side double suction, or the Chinese style in the past, and the current 7 figure, there is a common problem: the oil smoke is sucked from the bottom to the top. However, the range hood of the integrated stove adopts the lower smoke exhaust method, although its parameters are not high, but the smoke exhaust effect has been significantly improved. Specifically, the common air volume of a conventional range hood is about 25 m³/min, while the air volume of an integrated stove is about 20 m³/min. High parameters mean more suction, but it is also accompanied by more noise. In contrast, the integrated hob is less noisy and compensates for the lack of suction power because the smoking port is closer to the cooking zone and the smoke exhaust port is below.
In terms of safety, integrated cookers are more convenient and safer because of their versatility. For example, the range hood with integrated hob is equipped with overheat protection, which has never been seen on conventional range hoods. Of course, one might mention the problem of integrated stove explosions in the past. The old-fashioned integrated stove uses a "suction-down-drain" method, with the smoking port under the stove, which makes it easy to suck the flame into it. The current integrated stove has been changed to "side-suction lower exhaust", using an air inlet similar to a side-draft range hood to avoid the potential danger of explosion.
So, should you buy an integrated stove? Obuchi believes that at least three conditions need to be met before you can consider starting: (1) The cabinet has not been installed at home, or the height of the cabinet is 80cm. (2) There is an actual demand for kitchen appliances, preferably if you have used some kind of kitchen appliances. (3) The requirements for oil smoke are high, especially in open kitchens or when they are more sensitive to oil smoke. For open kitchens, an integrated hob is the most suitable choice.
If there are conditions that cannot be met, then the integrated stove may not be cost-effective for you. The more conditions that are met, the more cost-effective it is. Of course, whether to buy a less cost-effective product in the end needs to be measured in combination with the individual's economic strength. If you are a local tyrant who doesn't care about cost performance, then you can start with an integrated stove without hesitation!