Hotpoint HTC6T

Several weeks before Christmas 2009 saw us forking out for a brand new kitchen and I was determined to purchase appliances that would not only be of a high quality, but would also provide our kitchen with a real wow factor. Considerable research was carried out for a new oven, hob and cooker hood, as I wanted the appliances to be modern and stylish as well as being within our budget. My husband left the choice to me and as a result I opted for Hotpoint's Stainless Steel HTC6T Chimney Cooker Hood and this review discusses my experience with owning it. I am not intending to discuss the fitting of the appliance as it is not something that was undertaken by either my husband or myself and was carried out by a specialist.

~~ APPEARANCE OF THE COOKER HOOD ~~

I must have researched dozens upon dozens of cooker hoods and the majority I found appeared somewhat boxy, which I felt would create the wrong type of focal point for our kitchen. Consequently, the deciding factor for my purchase of this particular model was due to the unique design of its' sleek and contemporary curved front section, which is manufactured from toughened glass and blends in perfectly with the shiny stainless steel. The dimensions of the hood are 113 cm in height, 60 cm in width and 45 cm in depth and ours was fitted to an external wall to enable the appliance to be vented. However, the hood can also be fitted to an internal wall where the air is re-circulated with the aid of charcoal filters, which will absorb grease particles and cooking odours and subsequently, distribute fresh air into your kitchen.

The appliance was more than likely accompanied by an instruction leaflet, but this seems to have been mislaid. However, the hood is extremely easy to use without the aid of step by step guidelines. Situated below the curved section of glass are five easy to operate good sized buttons, which simply need to be pressed inwards until they click. The far left being the off switch, the next three being different fan speeds and the far right being for the two halogen lights, which are located on the underside of the two front corners.

~~ USING THE COOKER HOOD ~~

As our previous extractor fan was absolutely lousy this new appliance was welcomed in our kitchen, particularly as it effectively eliminates the majority of steam to prevent our kitchen from resembling that of a sauna. I can vividly remember cooking a Sunday lunch when we had our previous extractor fan where I would be using all four hob rings and the kitchen window would become steamy as well as the glass bowls and jugs located in my closed wall cupboards. The three fan speeds are extremely powerful with an extraction rate of 420 cubic metres per hour and I find when I'm using one or two of the hob rings that I only require the lowest level. Noise is fairly minimal at this speed with it reaching 61 decibels on the highest, but the power is definitely evident, as nothing in our kitchen becomes wet or steamy.

The two halogen lights offer sufficient light to enable me to see what I'm doing and I find myself using these lights even when I'm not cooking, as it is more ambient when popping out to the kitchen on a cold winter's evening to make a cup of tea. We have owned the cooker hood for almost two years and despite regularly using the halogen lights we have never needed to replace the bulbs.

~~ CLEANING THE COOKER HOOD ~~

This is extremely easy, particularly as we rarely fry foods, so there is not much grease sucked into the filter or splashed onto the underside of the hood. The metal filter section is easily removed by gently pulling on a toughened plastic hooked area and I simply place it in hot soapy water to soak away any food and grease particles, dry with a tea towel and replace. The filter can be replaced, but as of yet this is not a task we have needed to undertake.

The worst part of the hood, which gathers a considerable amount of dust particles is the glass curve, which I will regularly wipe over with a damp cloth and dry with a tea towel. The stainless steel sections of the hood show up every finger mark and although this is not a task I carry out regularly, particularly as I need to pull a chair into the kitchen, I will wipe with a damp cloth and again dry with a tea towel.

~~ OTHER INFORMATION ~~

The cooker hood comes with a one year guarantee, but our experience has been simply first class, as it is operating as effectively now as when first purchased and still looks brand new.

~~ PRICE AND AVAILABILITY ~~

Although this model is a couple of years old it is still widely available and I have checked online for the best price and at the time of writing the cheapest retailer is Boots.com where you can purchase it for £161 plus £19.99 delivery costs. If you own a Boots Advantage Card you will be able to obtain £7.34's worth of points.

Both my husband I are extremely pleased with our Hotpoint Stainless Steel HTC6T Chimney Cooker Hood and as a result, it receives 5 stars from me together with a huge recommendation.

I hope you found my review useful and would thank you for reading.

This review also appears on Dooyoo under the same user name.