“Would you install a Bora cooktop again? Honest experiences wanted”

Accomodation, House and Garden
1

I’m considering a Bora cooktop with integrated downdraft extraction and would really appreciate hearing from people who have actually lived with one.

Do you have any regrets after installing it?

Specifically, I’m curious about:

  • How well it handles cooking smells (especially things like onions, garlic, or frying)
  • Whether you notice increased humidity in the space compared to traditional extraction
  • If you’re using recirculation vs. external venting, and how that’s working for you
  • Any day-to-day annoyances or things you didn’t expect

I’m trying to understand the real-life experience beyond showroom impressions, especially in open-plan kitchens.

Would you choose it again?

Thanks in advance—really appreciate honest feedback.

Lucy

2

We’re just doing a refurb and the Bora hob with integrated extractor was ‘hard sold’ to us. I then researched it and read reviews saying great extractor, shame about the hob. In the meantime (as we currently have no kitchen and no bathroom) we’re renting temporarily in a short-term rental unit with a similar Bora hob. We’ve used the extractor once or twice max. (It seemed to work well when we did) and the hob itself is glitchy - although it’s not induction and a few years old. It looks great but I’m glad we didn’t go for one.

We’ve ended up going for a very whizzy oven and an Electrolux induction hob with no extractor fan (but with electricity in the right place should we want to add one later). But our hob will back onto a wall and we already have a hole to the exterior should we need it.

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I was a bit sceptical as to how well the extractor would work, but noticed since I moved to induction that the smoke doesn’t rise as much and so maybe it would work better than an overhead extractor with induction hobs.

4

Real user here (for 26 months).

Pros :
yes, it works, and works well.
it removes the smells? yes, as well as the normal hoods (so, not 100%, but it works its part).
The physical top filter can be easily removed to be washed in the DW
The secondary filter (carbon) which is the one that actually traps the smells (and fat) can be cleaned / reactivated in the oven

Cons:
it is relatively expensive.
It blocks a part of the cupboard under your stove, as it needs to include the large vacuum / filter and conduction
The whole system gets greasy.
at high level, is more noisy than the normal hood. – it is also more powerful. It has to be, because it works ‘against’ the natural flow of hot air.

A second problem is that the system is a ‘one piece’, so you are locked in; if you want to change in the future the stove for a ‘non bora’, well… the costs of the change will be higher than expected.

my recommendation?

if you have the possibility of having a separated system (i.e. you have the kitchen against a wall, and you have already the ventilation setup) i would go for a separated system - because it gives you more flexibilty now, and in the future.

if you go for a ‘island’ kitchen, or you do NOT have a ventilation setup, then sure, I would do it. We decided for the system, because we did NOT have a ventilation setup.

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