According to the wondrous pool of knowledge named Wikipedia, an extractor hood (United Kingdom), range hood (United States), or rangehood (Australia) (also known as a kitchen hood, stove hood, exhaust hood, cooker hood ::deep breath:: extraction hood, cooking canopy, ventilation hood, extractor fan, fume extractor or electric chimney) is a device containing a fan that hangs above the stove or cook top in the kitchen. It is used to remove airborne grease, combustion products, smoke, odors, heat, and steam from the air by a combination of filtration and evacuation of the air. So do you need a range hood? Do you like to cook? Do you like clean air? Do you want to avoid detailing cleaning grease and particles from your kitchen with a toothbrush? If you answered yes to the questions about, you'll probably want a range hood. They prevent the buildup of grease and other particles both in the air and on the surface of just about everything in your kitchen. By not having a range hood, you could be subjecting yourself and your family to air that's more toxic than the outdoor air in LA. So unless you want to see a lovely coating of smog, we suggest a range hood.