Best Kitchen Window Exhaust Fan For The Money

Kitchen window exhaust fans tend to be rather inexpensive devices. This unfortunately means that many aren’t well designed or well made. The best kitchen window fan is one that gets the job done well easily and reliably. Our research of the currently available window fans found that the Bionaire BW2300-N is the best kitchen window exhaust to buy. Continue reading to learn why we rated this kitchen fan the best exhaust fan for the money.

Our Number One Pick:

Bionaire BW2300-N Twin Reversible Airflow Window Fan with Remote Control

The Bionaire BW2300-N Kitchen Window Exhaust Fan is designed to fit casement, vertical slide, or double hung windows from 24 inches to 37 inches in width and is 13 inches in height. This is typical for most fans in this category. What isn’t typical is the popularity of this particular fan and its unusually high praise from customers.

This fan also allows for one fan to blow out and another to draw in fresh air which is a unique and useful feature. It also includes a handy remote control which is a bonus for a fan in this price point. The unit includes a thermostat so that it can be set to automatically run based on temperature.

For fans in this price range this one rates as the most reliable and feature rich. This fan proves to be the best kitchen window exhaust fan in our opinion without breaking the bank.

Budget Option:

Bionaire BWF0502M-WM Thin Window Fan with Electronic Thermostat

If saving a few bucks is more important to you than a remote control and some of the other upgrade features from our #1 pick, the Bionaire  BWF0502M-WM is a great alternative.

This fan is no slouch. It includes 3 fans instead of 2 although they are much smaller. This has the bonus of taking up less room in your window but will not draw as much air flow overall. It does a good job despite not being quite as powerful as the  BW2300-N.

It should be noted that the reviews aren’t as great as our #1 pick but this is a budget fan and that is to be expected. If saving a few dollars is a higher priority than maximum air flow and features then this is a great fall back option for the price.

Upgrade Option:

AirKing 9166 20" Whole House Window Fan

If you truly want a powerful, quiet, and extremely reliable kitchen exhaust window fan, the AirKing 9166 is the ultimate solution. You’ll spend a good bit more than our top pick but it’s still relatively inexpensive. It’s larger so it’s going to eat up more window space and it doesn’t have the features of some of the other options.

This fan is designed for exhaust only so it’s not reversible. It does not include a thermostat or a remote. It’s a simple fan with 3 settings – low, medium, and high. Construction is almost entirely metal, including the extensions on the sides. It includes a storm guard for use in inclement weather. 

Depending on your needs you may find this isn’t the fan for you. If you need power or reliability and features don’t matter then this is the fan you’ll want for your kitchen window.

Other Resources:

Helpful Links

Manufacturers Web Site and Product Page: Bionaire BW2300-N

Manufacturers Web Site and Product Page: Bionaire BWF0502M-WM

Manufacturers Web Site and Product Page: AirKing 9166

Wrapping Up:

Best Kitchen Fans

I really love cooking and I really love cheese burgers. Smashed burgers that I make at home are incredibly delicious. I follow a simple method by Kenji Lopez-Alt for smashed burgers over at Serious Eats. You’ve gotta try it! Trust me on this. The problem is though that cooking up these delicious bits of heaven produce an insane amount of smoke. My current home was built in 1958. When I moved in it was 2009 and several previous owners had gotten somewhat “creative” in their renovation approaches. One of the most infuriating problems that I encountered was the lack of an exhaust over the kitchen cooktop. We have a microwave there with a built in fan but all it does is recirculate the air in the kitchen and doesn’t actually exhaust it anywhere. Turns out there is a vent above the microwave that isn’t connected! Oddly enough however, that vent just goes into the attic and doesn’t get exhausted to the outside. We’d have to put in a different microwave with the ability to actually vent outside and put in venting all the way through the attic and through the roof. Installing the true ability to vent smoke from our kitchen while cooking to the outside was looking like it was going to cost thousands of dollars.

Enter the kitchen window exhaust fan. A simple and inexpensive solution to a real problem. For me, the AirKing 9166 was the best solution. The windows aren’t very close to my stove top and I wanted to be able to suck out all that smoke as efficiently as possible. I’m not using the fan for cooling my house or anything like that. It’s a simple alternative to properly exhausting smoke and fumes from my kitchen that is super effective. The AirKing is relatively expensive, big, and lacking in features. The Bionaire BW2300-N is significantly less expensive and loaded with great features. It looks much better and is much smaller. It gets great reviews and is the best bang for the buck. If features don’t matter to you but saving a few dollars does, the Bionaire BWF0502M-WM is the little brother to the BW2300-N and a great inexpensive alternative. It takes up even less space but has more features than the AirKing and gets good reviews from customers.

One of these fans will solve your problem efficiently. It’s up to you which one fits your need and budget best. If you pick up one of this kitchen window exhaust fans come back and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Good luck in your kitchen.

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