During a busy service, grease collects on grills, fryers and surrounding surfaces. Less visible is the grease travelling upwards with cooking fumes. Commercial kitchen grease filters help capture this grease before it travels further into your extraction system.
Understanding that journey helps kitchen operators make informed decisions about filtration, maintenance and professional extract cleaning.
Quick answer: Where does airborne cooking grease go?
Cooking releases grease droplets and vapours into rising hot air. The extraction canopy captures this cooking plume and draws it towards the filters. Filters capture a proportion of the grease, while grease that passes through can enter the ductwork and accumulate on internal surfaces.
Effective grease management combines suitable filtration, regular filter maintenance and professional inspection and cleaning.
1 How grease becomes airborne
Frying, grilling and roasting can release tiny droplets of oil and fat, alongside vapours, smoke and moisture.
The amount produced depends on your cooking equipment, menu, temperatures and operating hours. A restaurant running fryers throughout the day will have different demands from a café preparing occasional hot meals.
Your filter maintenance routine should reflect your kitchen’s actual workload, including seasonal peaks and menu changes.
2 How the canopy captures cooking fumes
The extraction canopy captures the rising cooking plume and directs it towards the filters.
The canopy, extraction airflow and replacement air supply must work together. HSE guidance highlights the importance of suitable ventilation for removing cooking fumes and maintaining appropriate working conditions. www.hse.gov.uk
If fumes regularly escape around the canopy, arrange a professional assessment. Replacing filters alone may not resolve a wider ventilation problem.
3 What commercial kitchen grease filters do
Commercial kitchen grease filters separate grease from the air passing through them, helping limit the amount entering the ductwork.
Correct fit and condition matter. Missing filters, damaged frames or gaps can allow grease-laden air to bypass the intended filtration route.
Guardian Filters supplies wool grease filters and specially designed baffle frames for commercial kitchen extraction canopies across the UK and Europe. Contact us to discuss suitability for your canopy and cooking activity. guardianfilters.co.uk
4 Where grease goes after the filters
Grease that passes through the filters can settle or condense inside the extraction system, forming deposits over time.
These deposits may remain hidden inside bends, horizontal ducts and vertical risers. A clean canopy does not prove that the ductwork behind it is clean.
Accumulated grease creates a fire hazard. London Fire Brigade advises operators to clean kitchen ducting regularly to prevent grease build-up. www.london-fire.gov.uk
Filtration helps control grease entering the system; professional extract cleaning removes accumulated deposits. Both belong in your maintenance programme.
5 Why captured grease needs managing
Captured grease remains in the filter until it is removed through the appropriate cleaning or replacement process.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific filter. Do not assume every filter or filtration material can be washed, soaked or placed in a dishwasher.
Staff should understand what is installed, how to handle it safely and when maintenance is required.
How to manage airborne grease in your kitchen
Review cooking demands: Consider equipment, service hours and changes in workload.
Check filter condition: Look for poor fit, damage, missing filters and grease accumulation.
Follow maintenance instructions: Use the correct cleaning or replacement procedure.
Inspect the wider system: Arrange assessment and cleaning by a competent specialist.
Keep records: Document checks, replacements, cleaning and outstanding actions.
Common questions
Do grease filters capture all airborne grease?
Do not assume they capture everything. Performance depends on filter design, installation, condition and operating conditions. Inspection and cleaning of the wider system remain necessary. Guardian Filters can capture up to 98% of airborne grease with correct usage.
Do filters replace professional kitchen extract cleaning?
No. Filters help limit grease entering the ductwork. Professional cleaning removes deposits that accumulate within the extraction system.
How often should filters be checked?
Follow the manufacturer’s guidance and establish a routine based on cooking activity. Review it when your menu, equipment or operating hours change.
Does a clean canopy mean clean ductwork?
No. Visible surfaces only show part of the system. Suitable access and inspection are needed to establish the condition inside the ductwork.
Discuss your kitchen filtration with Guardian Filters
Whether you manage a restaurant, hotel, café, care home or multiple kitchens, contact Guardian Filters to discuss your commercial kitchen grease filters and maintenance requirements.
Protecting your kitchen. Protecting your business.
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Discuss your kitchen filtration
Contact Guardian Filters about frame sizing, replacement wool pads and your commercial kitchen requirements.