There are two types of sources of air pollution in the kitchen. Gas stoves often produce carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and other harmful pollutants. Cooking and frying also release multiple odorous volatile organic compounds and particles into the air. A simple range hood can remove these pollutants from the kitchen.
If you don’t have a range hood installation or have an open kitchen with the living room, you can improve the ventilation using an exhaust fan or open windows. When these options are limited, a special kind of air purifier can also reduce indoor air pollution from the kitchen.
In this post, we review the 7 best air purifiers for the kitchen to eliminate cooking air pollutants.
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[amazon table=”1944″]Ingredients for a Kitchen Air Purifier
Most of the air purifiers are designed to capture particles and not for odors and gases. The cooking odors are composed of various volatile organic compounds (VOCs), vaporized oils, gases, and particles.
So you need two kinds of filters in your air purifier:
- VOCs, Odors, and Gas filter
- Adsorbant media filters (activated carbon)
- Photocatalytic Oxidation (PCO)
- Plasmawave
- Particle filter
- Fibrous media filters (HEPA)
- Ionizer
- Electrostatic precipitation (ESP)
We have chosen the ones that have a combination of the two types of filters. We have taken into account: True HEPA filter, a dense layer of activated carbon, harmless technologies to eliminate odors, moderate CADR ratings, built-in air quality sensor (VOCs and gas), and compact size.
Related reviews:
List of The 7 Best Air Purifiers for Kitchen:
1. Bissell MyAir Air Purifier (2780A)
Bissell MyAir is a compact cylindrical-type air purifier that you can use on the kitchen countertop or floor. The purifier has a 3-in-1 filter, including a true HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter to remove both particulates and cooking smells from the air.
With 3 level fan speeds, the purifier is recommended to use in a 100 sq ft space. The filter will last no more than three months for regular use. The built-in filter indicator will notify you when the filter needs to be replaced.
The purifier has about 360-degree air intake, which is effective for better air flowing. It lacks an air quality sensor but has 3-level (1, 3 & 8 hr) timers.
Space Coverage: Up to 100 sq ft
Filter replacement cost: ~ $15 for 3 months usage (check availability & filter price)
Pros & Cons:
[i2pc][i2pros]3-in-1 filter including True HEPA and activated carbonModern and minimalist design
Filter replacement indicator, timers
Blue night lights
Low maintenance cost
Easy to operate & maintain
Value for money[/i2pros][i2cons]Low space coverage
Louder on top speed
No medium fan speed setting (sleep, low, high)[/i2cons][/i2pc]
In-depth review >>> Bissell MyAir Air Purifier
2. Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier
Winix 5500-2 has two-stage filtrations for neutralizing kitchen odors. The first stage is a pelletized activated carbon filter in a honeycomb structure, which is also washable. The second stage for removing odors and VOCs is electronic Plasmawave filtration, a very few air purifier has this add-on.
It has a True HEPA-grade filter to remove particulate pollutants, which traps particles sized down to 0.3 microns. With a Tobacco Smoke CADR of 232 cfm, the purifier is suitable for large kitchens. The purifier is capable of cleaning a 350 sq ft space five times an hour.
Winix 5500-2 also has a VOC sensor to detect odorous pollutants, convenient for use in the kitchen.
Space Coverage: 350 sq ft with 5 air changes per hour
Filter replacement cost: ~ $49 for 12 months usage (check availability & filter price)
Pros & Cons:
[i2pc][i2pros]AOC carbon filter & Plasmawave for eliminating odorTrue HEPA filter for particle removal
VOC sensor to detect volatilized kitchen odors
Plasmawave removes gaseous pollutants
The activated carbon filter is washable
Sleek design, can be kept close to the wall
Energy Star certified, AHAM verified[/i2pros][i2cons]Loud in the turbo mode
VOC sensor often works slowly[/i2cons][/i2pc]
In-depth review >>> Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier
3. Molekule Air Mini+ Air Purifier
The problem with activated carbon or charcoal-based air purifiers is, they often start off-gassing. Because they don’t break down the gases and VOCs after adsorbing. Unlike adsorption media type filters, Molekule Air Mini+ comes with a PECO filtration system, which breaks down the gases and VOCs by a harmless chemical reaction.
The purifier is proven in the Berkeley Lab that the PECO filtration is very efficient at removing common household volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Furthermore, it uses a low-energy UV-A light to initiate the chemical reaction into its nanoparticle-coated filter and doesn’t produce any traceable amount of ozone.
Besides the high efficiency, Molekule Air Mini+ has a built-in particle sensor, real-time air quality indicator, five-level fan speed, and an auto mode.
Space Coverage: Up to 250 sq ft
Filter replacement cost: ~ $75 for 6 months usage (check availability & filter price on Molekule, Amazon)
Pros & Cons:
[i2pc][i2pros]Proven in odorous pollutants removalZero chance of off-gassing, better than activated carbon-based filter
Elegant and compact design, leather carrying handle
Five level fan speeds, auto mode
Built-in particle sensor, Wi-Fi connectivity
Ozone-free, CARB approved[/i2pros][i2cons]Poor app support
Slightly expensive[/i2cons][/i2pc]
In-depth review >>> Molekule Air Mini Air Purifier.
4. Dyson DP04 Air Purifier
Dyson DP04 HEPA air purifier is a futuristic-looking device loaded with features. It has a built-in VOC sensor and an activated carbon filter layer to detect and remove the odorous smell from cooking.
It also has a sensor to detect Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas, which is often released from unvented gas (natural gas or propane) stoves. Although conventional air purifiers cannot filter NO2 from the air effectively, you can take proper action using the data. Check out the impacts of indoor nitrogen oxide pollution.
The core air filtration is a true HEPA-based filter, which traps tiny particulate pollutants. You don’t have to change the fan speed settings manually, as the purifier has both particle and VOC sensors, which will be very useful to use in a kitchen.
Dyson DP04 also has a 350-degree oscillating feature, and you can set it in various flexible angles. You also can tilt it in upward or downward directions. It has an extensive ten-level fan speed control, and the airflow directions can be set forward or backward.
Space Coverage: 120 sq ft with 3 air changes per hour (approximate value, calculated by us)
Filter replacement cost: ~ $79 for 12 months usage (check availability & filter price)
Pros & Cons:
[i2pc][i2pros]Granulated activated carbon filter with true HEPA filterVOC, Particulates (PM), and NO2 sensor
Show PM2.5, PM10, VOC, NO2, temperature & humidity data on LCD
Remote and app control via Wi-Fi
Alexa and Siri supported
Longer filter life, easy replacement[/i2pros][i2cons]Slow air filtration
Not compatible with Google Home[/i2cons][/i2pc]
In-depth review >>> Dyson DP04 Air Purifier.
5. Bissell Air220 Air Purifier
Bissell Air220 air purifier comes in a sleek four-legged design, which will easily fit in a tight kitchen space. The front-to-top airflow design will allow you to place it against the wall.
The purifier has a 3 stage mechanical-only air filtration, a pre-filter, a true HEPA filter, and a honeycomb activated carbon filter. Instead of a 3-in-1 combined package, the filters are separate. It will allow you to replace the filters independently, which is also cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
The 3 stage filtration will remove both particulates and odorous pollution from cooking activities. The built-in VOC sensor triggers the fan speed when it detects strong smells in the air.
Space Coverage: 160 sq ft with 5 air changes per hour
Filter replacement cost: ~ $22 for Pre-filter plus HEPA, 6 months usage (check availability & filter price); ~ $18 for Carbon filter, 6 months usage (check availability & filter price)
Pellet based activated carbon filter
Built-in VOC sensor, auto mode
Modern design, one-button control
Energy Star certified[/i2pros][i2cons]Low CADR ratings
No remote controller[/i2cons][/i2pc]
In-depth review >>> Bissell Air220 Air Purifier.
6. Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto Air Purifier
To efficiently remove pollutants with an air purifier, you need a 360-degree air intake design. Blue Pure 311 Auto has a large air intake area that pulls the air from all directions. Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto purifies the air using a pre-filter and a 2-in-1 particle plus carbon filter.
The filtration system is boosted with an electrostatic filtration (HEPASilent™), which increases the overall filtration efficiency. Because of this add-on, Blueair has been able to keep its particle filter less dense than the HEPA filter. Due to this, the purifier has high clean air delivery ratings using very little electrical energy.
If you have a large kitchen or an open kitchen and living room area, Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto might be a good fit. The 4 stage filtration is capable of cleaning kitchen pollutions, including odorous smells.
Space Coverage: 375 sq ft with 5 air changes per hour
Filter replacement cost: ~ $40 for 6 months usage (check availability & filter price)
Built-in particle sensor, auto mode
High CADR ratings, AHAM verified
Multi-color pre-filter option, washable
No traceable ozone emission, CARB approved[/i2pros][i2cons]Low dense particle filter is less efficient
No programmable timers[/i2cons][/i2pc]
In-depth review >>> Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto Air Purifier.
7. Levoit Vital 100 Air Purifier
Levoit vital 100 air purifier is a sleek and compact air purifier from Levoit. Despite being lightweight and compact, the purifier has an effective 3-in-1 filter. The filter consists of a washable pre-filter, a honeycomb structured carbon filter, and an H13-grade HEPA filter.
The filter combination is suitable for trapping household pollutants, including odors from cooking and pets. It pulls the air from the two sideways and delivers from the top, which is suitable for a small kitchen.
The convenient touch control panel features a three fan speed setting, 3-level timers, and a timer-based filter replacement indicator. The filter lasts 6 to 8 months based on usage and indoor air pollution level.
Space Coverage: 195 sq ft with 5 air changes per hour
Filter replacement cost: ~ $21 for 6 months usage (check availability & filter price)
Pros & Cons:
[i2pc][i2pros]Activated carbon filter including a true HEPA filterWashable pre-filter
Sleek and compact design
Decent air delivery rate
100% ozone-free, CARB approved
Low maintenance cost[/i2pros][i2cons]No odor or particle sensors[/i2cons][/i2pc]
In-depth review >>> Levoit Vital 100 Air Purifier.
Check out our top picks >>> The 5 Best Levoit Air Purifiers.
Kitchen Air Purifier Buying Guide:
Odor Filtration
The most common and safe method for odor elimination is using an adsorption media filter. Activated carbon or activated charcoal is good adsorption material to trap cooking odors, VOCs, and gases. Also, it becomes saturated quickly. Thicker filters are better for absorbing odorous elements effectively.
Other odor removal technologies are Plasmawave and Photocatalytic Oxidation (PCO). The intentional ozone generator is used for odor eliminator but not suggested to use in a residential space. Don’t forget to check the CARB approval if the purifier used any electronic filtration.
Particle Filtration
Cooking activities also release tiny particles alongside volatile organic compounds. True HEPA-grade filters are excellent in trapping fine airborne pollutants. An ionizer or electrostatic charging add-ons will also increase the filtration rate, but these technologies often release chemical byproducts such as ozone.
VOC or Particle Sensor
Kitchen odors are mostly volatilized oils, including multiple tiny particles. You can select an air purifier with a built-in air quality sensor for convenient operation, especially a VOC sensor. A particle sensor will be excellent, and a combination of both will be great.
Air Delivery Rate (CADR)
One big problem with CADR for odor is that the CADR is given only for particles and not for odors. However, some manufacturers use their self-tested CADR for VOCs. You can estimate your room size with particulates CADR only. For odors, you have to look at the gas-phase filters.
Calculate the required cfm for your kitchen with our advanced CADR calculator.
Air Intake and Output Design
A compact, flat, and sideways air intake design will help you place the air purifier in a small kitchen and nearby to the wall. Some air purifiers take air from the top and deliver it from the back, which wouldn’t be helpful to keep it in the kitchen.
360-degree air intake air purifiers are also beneficial for better air circulation.
Final Thoughts
Proper ventilation and correctly placed exhaust fans are good enough to remove most of the odors out of the kitchen. Also, cleaning the kitchen after dinner will help not to linger the odor. On different occasions, do your heavy cooking activities outside the home if possible. If your kitchen has inadequate ventilation or an open kitchen area, then some particular air purifiers might benefit you.
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