You’ve accidentally burnt something on the stove, and now the whole house stinks. Sounds familiar?
If you’ve been in a similar situation, an air purifier can be the best thing you buy for your kitchen. Not only will it keep the odors and smoke particles at bay, but also ensure there aren’t any bacteria and harmful gases creeping around in your kitchen.
Below, we’ll help you find the best air purifier for cooking odors by reviewing the top five options. We’ve also included a buying guide and some other helpful tips, so keep reading!
List of the Best Air Purifiers for Kitchen that Remove Cooking Smells
1. Winix 5500-2 – Best Overall Kitchen Air Purifier
The top performer in this list is the Winix 5500-2, and it’s not hard to wonder why. This bad boy is an all-rounder with its powerful performance, easy to use controls, and smart sensors.
The unit can clean the air in up to 360 square feet, which is perfect for a medium-sized kitchen. It cleans it in three steps, which include a washable carbon, true HEPA, and Plasmawave filter.
Plasmawave involves releasing hydroxyls into the air that neutralizes viruses and other germs, and this particular feature sets this device apart from others.
Moreover, the auto-mode in this air purifier is super quick to detect smells and adjusts fan speeds accordingly. The LED indicator, which shows whether there’s a contaminant in the air, is also pretty responsive.
Plus, this device will be much quieter than most air purifiers of this size, even on high fan speed. Simple yet convenient controls, low noise pollution, and a minimalistic, sturdy build make the Winix 5500-2 the best air purifier for kitchen smells.
PROS:
- Quiet operation
- Hard plastic exterior for sturdiness
- Change filter indicator
- Light sensor that automatically dims the lights
- Timer with three settings
CONS:
- Heavy
- Expensive replacement filters (check availability & price).
2. LEVOIT LV-PUR131– Most Cost-Effective
If you don’t want to spend a ton but still want something powerful, the LEVOIT LV-PUR131 can be a good choice for you.
Right off the back, you can tell that the device is sturdy and durable. It’s made with hard, white plastic that has a black control panel on top. The buttons are touch-controlled with a digital display in the middle, making the device look elegant and modern.
The controls include a quiet and auto-mode with an LED indicator. And with three settings for its powerful fan, it can easily cover up to 360 square feet.
As for the noise level, the device is remarkably quiet on its low setting, though you might find it a bit noisy when on high fan speed.
Even though it doesn’t have a CADR rating, the LV-PUR131 does a great job of removing odors and pollutants from the air. And considering the reasonable price, it can be quite a satisfactory purchase.
PROS:
- Powerful fan for quick cleaning
- Filter change indicator
- Handles for portability
- Touch control panel
- Timer for up to 12 hours
CONS:
- Touch buttons lack backlighting
- Relatively heavy
3. BISSELL 2780A – Most Budget-Friendly
Buying a worthy air purifier usually leaves your pockets considerably lighter. However, that won’t be the case with the Bissell 2780A, as it packs several features into the device with an attractive price tag.
First off, the 2780A has three filters to remove 99% of dust, pet dander, and odors from the air. The prefilter, carbon filter, and HEPA filter together create this effective air purifier for kitchen odors and other pollutants.
Secondly, the 2780A is super quiet, even on high fan speed. And when you run it on Quiet mode, it can give you an almost noiseless operation.
However, budget-friendliness comes with a trade-off – the device can only cover up to 100 square feet. But this also means it’s pretty compact, weighing less than 5 pounds. So if you have a small kitchen, this could be the perfect odor eliminator machine for you.
And while the device lacks some convenient features, it steals the spotlight with its LEDs that serve as a night lamp. So overall, it’s a good catch for a small price.
PROS:
- Very Quiet
- Lightweight
- Change filter indicator
- Timer with three settings
- Inexpensive replacement filters
CONS:
- Not a true HEPA filter
4. Hathaspace HSP001 – Best for Convenience
Looking for a super convenient kitchen air purifier? Enter Hathaspace HSP001, a staple in many households for odor elimination.
With its five exhaustive filtration stages, the device eliminates 99.97% of air pollutants, including smoke particles. For further assurance, it also has a CADR rating of 160, so you know it will get rid of any nasty smell.
Plus, it has all the convenience features you could ever want from an air purifier. This includes a remote-control option, which allows you to change the device settings without moving an inch.
It also features a timer that you can set from 1-12 hours. But the best part? Even when running on high, it’s very quiet and won’t add to the noise pollution in a busy kitchen.
PROS:
- Remote-control
- Quiet operation
- Comparatively lighter
- Cheaper replacement filters
- Very easy to use
CONS:
- No change filter indicator
5. Ivation Ozone Generator Air Purifier – Best for Large Spaces
If you’re stuck with a particularly pungent and nasty smell in your house, then the Ivation Ozone Generator Air Purifier might be the perfect pick.
First off, it can cover areas up to 3500 square feet, which makes it one heck of a powerful air purifier for kitchen odors. Secondly, since it makes use of ozone, it’s super effective in eliminating stubborn smells and replacing them with crisp, fresh-smelling air.
This device also has a somewhat attractive exterior with a cherry wood finish and a couple of controls at the front.
However, we don’t recommend that you use the ozone-generating option daily. It produces very high amounts of ozone even on a low setting, which is good news for odor removal and bad news for your health.
On normal days, you can run the ionizer for as long as you need to.
PROS:
- Very powerful against odors
- Covers a large area
- Operable 24/7
- Comparatively lightweight
- Straightforward controls
CONS:
- No HEPA/true HEPA filter
- No timer
What are Kitchen Odors?
No matter if it’s a residential or commercial kitchen in a restaurant, it will always have one or the other form of odors.
And while some of these include the delicious smell of bacon that can leave your stomach growling, they also consist of bad odors. These include:
- Cooking fumes
- Smoke
- Burnt food
- Scraps of food rotting in the sink
- Garbage
Some of these smells are pretty stubborn, such as smoke smell or fumes from burnt food, and can linger around for quite a long time.
But kitchen odors aren’t just limited to food-related stuff. They also include smells from any cleaning solutions that we use or air fresheners.
And while they can cover up the smell of food or trash, they’re strong chemicals themselves, leaving your kitchen with a very intense and uncomfortable scent. In such cases, an air purifier can act as a kitchen smell air cleaner and come in super handy.
Can Cooking Odors Affect Your Health?
It is helpful to know that odors don’t affect your health directly. You won’t get sick just by smelling rotting trash or burning food – the dangerous molecules in the odor is what actually harms you.
For instance, if you’re a regular kitchen stove user, cooking smoke can affect your respiratory health. It contains hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and other toxic gases, which have severe negative effects on your health.
It was found in a study that cooking smoke leads to cough, runny noses, respiratory infections in children, and even serious conditions like chronic bronchitis. But smoke isn’t the only source of harmful gases.
Several studies have concluded that heating various cooking oils to high temperatures can release toxic molecules and VOCs in the air that can cause lung cancer. So the next time you’re stir-frying some Chinese food, you might want to ensure that no smell lingers in the kitchen.
The equipment you use also comes into play. For instance, heating a non-stick frying pan to high temperatures can release toxic fumes into the air.
And to make matters worse, your favorite disinfecting solution or air freshener adds aerosols that may smell nice, but quickly deteriorate lung health.
How to Get rid of Cooking Smells in Your House
While you can’t prevent cooking smells from entering your living quarters, you can remove them quickly. Here’s how:
- Ventilate a Kitchen: Open up a window to let in some fresh air, and if you’ve got two of them, opening both will ensure cross-ventilation. And in case you have a vent on top of your stove, make sure it’s working and doing its job.
- Invest in an Ozone Generator: This device can effectively remove pungent and stubborn odors in a short amount of time. Pick a model that covers a large area and produces lots of ozone.
- Find the Right Air Purifying Bag: Using an air purifying bag is a budget-friendly way of coping with odors. It soaks up any lingering smells in the air by using activated carbon. Just make sure you’re investing in a quality bag that uses bamboo charcoal.
- Baking Powder: This chemical agent is known for soaking up odors, so leave some out in a bowl for several hours to get rid of cooking smells.
- Use an Air Purifier: Lastly, the most effective way to remove cooking smells from your home is to use an air purifier. Just ensure that your device has enough filters to remove smoke and smells quickly.
Kitchen Air Purifier Buying Guide
Since air purifiers don’t come cheap, you want to make sure you’re making the right choice. Here are the features you should look for.
Filter Type and Cost
Make sure your air purifier has the right type of filter for your needs:
- HEPA/true HEPA: this kind of filter removes allergens and pathogens from the air, making it suitable for allergy-prone and asthmatic individuals.
- Carbon Filter: an activated carbon filter helps remove odors, so a kitchen air purifier must have this.
- Prefilter: this captures dust and pet hair, protecting other filters from clogging up.
- Additional: for a more thorough job, look for UV lights or ionizers along with filters.
Also, the replacement filters shouldn’t be costly, as you’ll have to change them often.
Other Things You Need to Consider Before Purchase
- Size: If your air purifier isn’t big enough, it won’t remove pollutants effectively. Look for one that covers at least 360 square feet, which will work for most kitchens.
- Portability: Having handles or wheels will help move the device around, especially if it’s heavy. So if you don’t have the muscles for it, do look for these features.
- Sensors: Air quality sensors ensure automatic fan speed adjustment without you having to temper with the device. Make sure your air purifier has these sensors so you can run it on auto-mode.
- Noise: If you’re going to run the device overnight, make sure it has a Quiet mode. Moreover, check reviews to see if it creates too much noise on high speed – air cleaners can quickly become a noisy nuisance!
- Timer: For your convenience, ensure your air purifier has a timer. This will allow you to run the device for as long as you’re in the kitchen without having to remember to turn it off.
- Certifications: Look for high CADR ratings that tell you how well a device cleans the air in a room. Also, ensure it has certifications from a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory.
