TopStrong 60cm A+++ Hood

Is the TopStrong 60cm A+++ Hood worth buying?

Yes, the TopStrong 60cm A+++ Hood is worth £129.99 if you cook hard on a 60cm hob and want the strongest extraction here without the noise that usually comes with it. It moves 450 m³/h with four fan settings, three speeds plus a booster, and runs at 58 dB(A) in normal use. The A+++ brushless motor draws 8.8 kWh a year, and the carbon filter for recirculating comes in the box.

The catch is the track record. Only 31 buyers have rated it so far and they give it 4.5, so you buy on the numbers rather than on thousands of kitchens. What those numbers say is a hood that covers a 60cm hob with 50 m³/h more airflow than the £49.99 COMFEE' 60cm Chimney Cooker Hood and 80 m³/h more than the £79.99 CIARRA CBCS6201, at 58 dB against 67 dB and 60 dB.

What does 450 m³/h and 8.8 kWh a year mean in the kitchen?

It means the hob gets cleared with room to spare and the electricity bill barely notices. The TopStrong pulls 450 m³/h, the most of the ten hoods compared here, so a wok on full heat or two frying pans at once will not outrun it. The 8.8 kWh a year is the annual figure for the A+++ motor, and the booster adds a step above the three standard speeds for a short burst of smoke.

Divide the £129.99 by 4.5 and the hood costs £28.89 for every 100 m³/h it moves, the highest figure of the ten. What that premium buys is quiet: 58 dB in normal operation, 2 dB below the £79.99 CIARRA CBCS6201 and 9 dB below the £49.99 COMFEE'. Noise figures are taken at maximum speed on most hoods, so everyday cooking sits well under 58 dB.

What comes in the box and how do you fit the TopStrong 60cm A+++ Hood?

The box holds the hood, a five-layer aluminium grease filter that is dishwasher safe, the telescopic chimney, and a carbon filter with the code #JTCF-55E. That carbon filter makes recirculating mode a straight swap with no extra purchase, which most hoods here do not manage. A 2-year manufacturer warranty covers the brushless motor.

The body measures 59.5 cm wide, 34 cm deep and 88 cm high, so it sits over a standard 60cm hob. The chimney adjusts from 30 to 59 cm, which suits lower ceilings, and the angled tempered glass front keeps your eye line clear. At 10.8 kg it wants two people at the wall bracket, and the touch panel runs the three speeds and the booster.

Where does the TopStrong 60cm A+++ Hood fall short?

Only 31 buyers have rated it, so you cannot lean on a long record of owner experience the way you can with the CIARRA CBCS6201 and its 12,710 ratings. The owner score is 4.5, which is high, but a handful of early reviews can shift quickly.

It is also the most expensive extraction of the ten at £28.89 per 100 m³/h, and it does not buy you the quietest kitchen: the £75.67 FIREGAS 60cm Angled Chimney runs at 47 dB, 11 dB below the TopStrong's 58 dB, though it moves 332 m³/h. The chimney range of 30 to 59 cm is shorter than the 573 to 853 mm on the £49.99 Cookology 60cm Chimney Cooker Hood, so a high ceiling may leave a gap unless you buy extra ducting.

How does the TopStrong 60cm A+++ Hood compare with the CIARRA CBCS6201 and the COMFEE' 60cm Chimney Cooker Hood?

Against the £79.99 CIARRA CBCS6201, the TopStrong gives 80 m³/h more airflow, a booster the CIARRA lacks, and 2 dB less noise at 58 dB against 60 dB, for £50 more. The CIARRA answers back with 12,710 owner ratings against 31. If you cook hard and want maximum headroom, the TopStrong is the stronger hood; if you want a proven one, the CIARRA is the safer £50.

Against the £49.99 COMFEE' 60cm Chimney Cooker Hood, the TopStrong adds 50 m³/h, 9 dB less noise and the included carbon filter, for £80 more. The COMFEE' still moves 400 m³/h and has 609 owner ratings, so a household that cooks one or two hot meals a week keeps the £80. The TopStrong earns its price only if the hob is busy most evenings.