Kitchen air quality is an investment in staff and customer experience

In professional kitchens, indoor air quality becomes a factor of surprising importance. While the impact of indoor air on working conditions and work efficiency might seem obvious, few consider that air quality in a commercial kitchen can also lead to energy savings or even save lives.

Restaurant chefs often work long evenings under demanding conditions, which inevitably affects alertness and health. Temperatures in professional kitchens frequently rise above ideal levels, while grease and other raw materials release pollutants into the air. In this context, claims that chefs have a life expectancy up to ten years shorter than average don’t seem far-fetched.

This reality could be entirely different if indoor air quality were treated with the seriousness it deserves in professional kitchens.

It’s a matter of mutual interest for everyone involved. That’s why air quality should be approached proactively and with a mindset of opportunity, not just as something to scrape by with, begrudgingly meeting the bare minimum requirements. The kitchen canopy is often seen as just another safety device, like a smoke detector or fire extinguisher: it’s enough that it exists and functions at a basic level. Rarely do people consider the bigger picture—how indoor air quality affects kitchen operations, customer experience, and, ultimately, business profitability—despite it being central to the entire operation.

A good canopy is a relative concept and the result of many factors

The kitchen canopy should adapt to the kitchen, not vice versa. When design starts from individual needs, the result will be just right. If a pizzeria moves into a space previously used by a vegetarian restaurant, one cannot assume the same canopy will suffice. If a lunch restaurant gains popularity and upgrades to a more powerful induction stove, the canopy’s capacity must be increased accordingly. And so on.

Modern, modular canopies offer a clear starting point for planning. They allow highly tailored, space-specific adjustments and refinements. Even small changes can lead to significant improvements. Regardless of the kitchen’s size, type, or purpose, working conditions improve while energy consumption and lifecycle costs decrease.

Attention must be paid to much more than just suction power. Installation height, lighting intensity, ease of maintenance, and cleaning systems are too often overlooked. Getting these right immediately ensures that the canopy solution serves the kitchen and concept. In doing so, kitchen staff benefit from optimal working conditions—an investment that often pays for itself.

Canopies manufactured with today’s technology can improve indoor air quality in commercial kitchens. The best results come from openly assessing the needs of the individual kitchen rather than comparing the prices of off-the-shelf solutions or forcing an existing canopy to suffice.

Don’t settle for the question, “How can I get by with the least effort?” Success begins with boldly asking, “What could my business achieve if my staff had the best possible working conditions?”