Shopping for an air purifier to remove kitchen odors?
Then take a look at our favorites below.
Kitchen and odors usually go hand in hand. From spices and herbs to cooking smells, you experience a wide variety of odors lingering around your kitchen.
While a range hood is ideal for removing these unwanted smells, it’s not nearly good enough to rid your kitchen of foul odors.
This is where an air purifier comes in.
An air purifier helps handle the smelly situation in a better way.
All you have to do is set it up, and it will eliminate all the odors automatically.
However, choosing the right air purifier for your kitchen is not easy. The wide variety of types and models can make this difficult; in addition, many air purifiers today come with extra functionality like oil diffusers, remote control, and dehumidifiers.
In this guide, we cover everything you need to know to select the right air purifier to remove kitchen odors in your home.
What’s in this Buying Guide
There are two main sources of air pollution in a kitchen: gas stoves that produce formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and other harmful substances, and cooking and frying activities that release numerous odorous VOCs (Voltaire Organic Compounds).
An air purifier can help you eliminate both types of particles from your kitchen.
In this guide, we review the best air purifiers to remove kitchen odors.
We first present a list of our top picks and follow it up with a detailed review covering all aspects.
Then we discuss how to shop for an air purifier for the kitchen and mention some usage and maintenance tips.
In the end, we answer some FAQs to address your queries.
Best Air Purifiers To Remove Kitchen Odors
Disclaimer: All links below go to Amazon.com
- Best Overall: LEVOIT Core 300 Air Purifier
- Best Countertop Air Purifier: Germ Guardian AC4825E
- Best Budget Air Purifier: MICPANG Air Purifier
- Best Air Purifier for the Money: Medify MA-40 Air Purifier
- Best 360° Air Purification: KOIOS EPI810 Air Purifier
- Best Noiseless Air Purifier: AIPER KJ200 Air Purifier
- Best 3-Stage Air Purifier: MOOKA Air Purifier
Best Overall: LEVOIT Core 300 Air Purifier
This Levoit air purifier is one of the manufacturer’s best-selling products. It features a cylindrical, low-profile design that compliments any kitchen decor.
The Levoit air purifier has a comprehensive 3-stage filtration system consisting of a pre-filter, a high-efficiency activated carbon filter and a true HEPA filter. It removes 99.97% of airborne particles, including stubborn odor molecules.
Features
- Equipped with a True HEPA Filter
- Features VortexAir Technology and 360° air intake
- Suitable for areas as large as 219 square feet
- 3 filtration stages capture up to 99.97% of airborne particles
Our Review
The Levoit air purifier packs tons of features inside its compact, cylindrical body. It has one of the most powerful fans and an all-in-one, 3-stage air filtration medium that removes up to 99.97% of air contaminants.
The first stage is a nylon filter that traps large particles like dust, pollen, and other allergens.
The next stage is a true HEPA filter that removes air particles down to 0.3 microns.
Lastly, the activated charcoal filter traps odor molecules and removes all sorts of smells from your kitchen.
This Levoit model features an elegant and simple control panel on top. There are touch-sensitive controls with a small picture of the function each performs.
You can choose between 3 fan speeds, timer durations or set it on sleep mode. The model also comes with a filter indicator, so you know when it’s time to replace the filter.
The Levoit Core 300 is stylish and compact and silently removes all odors from your kitchen. Plus, you can purchase in 2 colors.
Levoit also lets you lock the display for childproofing.
Pros
- Quiet operation
- 3-stage filtration
- Simple and easy to use
- Made with high-quality materials
- Energy Star rated
Cons
- Has an issue with plastic off-gassing
- No handle or crevices for holding
Best Countertop Air Purifier: Germ Guardian AC4825E
Germguardian AC4825E is an excellent air purifier that not only removes unwanted odors but also significantly improves indoor air quality.
Its 4-in-1 air purification comprises a HEPA filter, charcoal filter, UV-C light, and TIO2 treatment. It is a powerful unit that removes up to 99.97% of odors and other airborne particles.
Features
- Suitable for medium to large kitchens
- Optional UV-C light kills germs
- AHAM (Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers) Verified
- Has high CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate)
Our Review
No matter what angle you look at it from, the Germguardian AC4825E looks stunning. You may even mistake it for a home theater speaker if you don’t know better.
The stylish AC4825E comes in 2 colors: black and white. You can also choose to purchase it as a single unit or as a two-pack. Either way, this Germguardian air purifier offers great value both in terms of performance and affordability.
With its 4-in-1 functionality, the AC4825E is one of the best-selling air purifiers. It features a true HEPA filter that works in combination with an activated charcoal filter to remove the smallest particle as well as common odors.
Germguardian AC4825E also has a UV-C light that works in conjunction with the TIO2 treatment to kill microbes and remove VOCs.
Germguardian AC4825E is an efficient yet powerful unit that can solve odor issues in any kitchen. Whether you have an enclosed kitchen or an open one, this device works well for both.
Pros
- 4-stage filtration
- Affordable price
- TIO2 treatment helps reduce VOCs
- 3 speed settings
- 3-year warranty
Cons
- Very noisy on the highest speed
- Replacement filters are expensive
Best Budget Air Purifier: MICPANG Air Purifier
MICPANG A01 Air Purifier promises an excellent combination of performance and affordability. It boasts a 4-in-1 air cleaning system, including a pre-filter, a carbon filter, an EPA filter, and a true HEPA filter.
Where the ionizing capacity and HEPA filtration of MICPANG A01 clean and purify the air, the carbon filter removes unpleasant odor, leaving you with cleaner and higher quality air to breathe in.
Features
- 4-stage filtration
- Compact design
- 3 modes – sleep mode, regular mode, and ultra-clean mode
- Filters 99.9 % of airborne particles
Our Review
If you want an affordable yet effective air purifier to remove kitchen odors, the MICPANG A01 checks both boxes. It is a smart, attractive appliance that works quite well for a product this small.
You can easily place this compact unit on a countertop or on the floor as you work or cook in your kitchen, and it won’t come in your way.
The A01 air purifier is one of the simplest devices in terms of both operation and setup. You can power your MICPANG A01 by connecting the included USB cable with a regular USB adapter, a power bank, or even a PC. It draws very little power yet delivers satisfactory results.
The reason behind the A01’s popularity is its 4-in-1 filtration capacity. It incorporates a true HEPA filter in addition to the carbon filter and pre-filter for both odor and contaminants removal.
MICPANG’s A01 also releases negative ions that react with airborne contaminants to improve its quality.
Pros
- Affordable price
- Removes 99.9% dust
- Activated Carbon Nano cotton technology delivers superior odor-removing performance
- You can switch modes with the tap of a single button
- Very portable
Cons
- Susceptible to falling over
- Power adapter is not included in the package
Best Air Purifier for the Money: Medify MA-40 Air Purifier
The Medify MA-40 is a sleek and compact air purifier that tackles kitchen odors efficiently. It features a triple-stage air purification system consisting of a pre-filter, an H13 HEPA filter, and a carbon filter.
The MA-40 is compact and lightweight and removes up to 99.9% of air contaminants and odor-causing particles, leaving behind cleaner and higher-quality air.
Features
- Removes particles as small as 0.1 micron
- Cleans up to 1,600 square feet in one hour
- Equipped with a HEPA H13 filter
- Produces 46 decibels of noise at the lowest speed
Our Review
The Medify MA-40 is a good-looking device. The front side has a big air outlet, while the handle and the inlet vents are on the rear side.
The control panel is set on the top and is made entirely of tempered glass. The overall appearance is extremely elegant, so this Medify air purifier won’t look out of place in any decor.
At the core of its composite filtration system lies an H13-grade HEPA filter. With its particle-removing capacity of 0.12-0.25 microns, the Medify MA-40 can remove 99.95% airborne particles.
But that’s not all.
The last stage of the composite filter is a honeycomb-shaped odor and gas filter. It is filled with activated carbon pellets and allows the MA-40 to remove lingering odors and VOCs from your kitchen.
Pros
- Aesthetic, rectangular design
- 3-in-1 filtration with an optional ion generator
- Child lock and sleep mode
- 3 fan speeds
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- Noisy
- Using aftermarket replacement filters voids the warranty
Best for 360° Air Purification: KOIOS EPI810 Air Purifier
KOIOS EPI810 air purifier delivers great value for a small price. It is a compact and stylish unit that looks amazing sitting atop the kitchen counter.
The cylindrical unit encases a circular 3-stage filter, topped with a powerful fan for 360° air purification.
EPI810 features a single-button operation and has 2 fan speeds.
Features
- 2 fan speeds
- Filters particles as small as 0.3 microns
- Cleans 55 cubic meters of air per hour on normal mode
- Consumes less than 0.002 units of power
Our Review
The KOIOS EPI810 works on the bottom-to-top airflow system concept.
It uses circular fan motion to pull in air from the bottom vents. Inside is a circular filter that cleans and deodorizes the air before blowing it out the top of the unit.
KOIOS air purifier uses 360° air purification to deliver immediate results, providing you with better quality air.
EPI810 uses a 3-stage filtration process to purify the air.
The first stage is a fine preliminary filter that captures large airborne particles like dust, pollen, and pet dander.
Next comes the true HEPA filter that traps smaller particles like dust mites and mold spores.
Lastly, the KOIOS EPI810 passes cleaner air over an activated carbon filter that traps the gaseous odor molecules and blows out fresh and odor-free air into your kitchen.
KOIOS EPI810 is one of the easiest air purifiers to use. Its one-button operation eliminates all the guessing and offers better control over its functionality.
Pros
- 3 air filtration stages
- 360° air purification
- Powerful fan
- Efficient air intake and discharge system
- Simple to set up and easy to use
Cons
- 2 fan speeds only
- Build quality feels cheap
Best Noiseless Air Purifier: AIPER KJ200 Air Purifier
If you have a large kitchen and are a passionate chef, you need a powerful and rapid air cleaning device like the AIPER KJ200.
It can cover areas as large as 500 square feet and clean them in just 20 minutes.
Using its 2-stage air filtration, it pulls the contaminated air in from the front and blows cleaner air out the top. The KJ200 combines the H13 HEPA high-efficiency filter layer and activated carbon layer and quickly absorbs the most stubborn smell in no time.
Features
- 2 filtration stages
- Incorporates a filter change indicator
- Ideal for big kitchens up to 500 square feet
- Removes 99.98% of airborne particles
Our Review
The AIPER KJ200 is one of the bigger air purifiers currently available on the market and provides great power.
The KJ200 has a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 20 meter cube per hour and can easily purify rooms measuring up to 500 square feet in as little as 20 minutes.
This air purifier from AIPER relies on a 2-stage filtration process to improve your kitchen’s air quality.
The first stage is an H13-grade HEPA filter that removes 99.98% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns.
The second air filtration stage in KJ200 is an activated carbon filter that traps and absorbs odor-causing molecules, creating a superior-quality indoor atmosphere for you to breathe in.
Plus, it makes only 30 decibels of noise, so it works pretty silently.
Pros
- Quiet operation
- Child lock and timer function
- Efficient odor removal
- High CADR rating
- FCC, ETL, and CARB certified
Cons
- Susceptible to falling over
- Not very portable
Best 3-Stage Air Purifier: MOOKA Air Purifier
The Mooka air purifier stands out for its 360° air intake and purification. The cylindrical unit pulls air from the bottom, purifies it, and blows fresh air out the top.
This Mooka unit features a comprehensive 3-stage air purification system to provide superior-quality air free from both contaminants and unpleasant odor.
Features
- 3D filtration
- Effectively removes odor and smoke
- Single-button operation
- Cleans 50 cubic meters of air per hour in normal mode
Our Review
The Mooka air purifier is great for kitchen use because it is simple to use and runs noiselessly. The compact size adjusts well on most countertops without looking out of place.
The 360° air pull allows the Mooka air purifier to easily suck in the reeking kitchen air and filter it to replace it with cleaner and fresh air.
The air-cleaning device from Mooka uses a 3-stage (pre-filter, true HEPA filter, and activated carbon filter) filtration process to improve air quality.
The first two stages work together to systematically remove airborne particles down to 0.3 microns, while the activated carbon filter absorbs odor molecules. With all of these removed, the Mooka air purifier blows fresher and cleaner air into your kitchen.
Mooka air purifier works great for small, personal spaces because of its unique 360° air intake and compact design. It falls within most budgets without stretching them to a limit.
Pros
- Affordable
- Efficient performance
- 360° air intake
- 3-stage filtration
- Simple and quiet operation
Cons
- Bright display lights
- Expensive replacement filters
Air Purifiers For Your Kitchen: Buying Guide
How Does an Air Purifier To Remove Kitchen Odors Work?
An air purifier to remove kitchen odors is a device that captures and removes odor-causing air contaminants from your kitchen air.
These devices are usually regular air purifiers but are more specifically designed to remove odors.
So how does an air purifier work?
An air purifier draws in the polluted air and passes it through the filtration system to cleanse it before circulating it back into the room.
Most air purifiers to remove kitchen odors feature a 3-stage air filtration system.
The first stage is the pre-filter that removes larger airborne particles.
Next, the air passes through a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter that removes up to 99.97% of air pollutants.
The last stage is where odor molecules are actually removed. This stage involves an activated carbon filter that traps and absorbs the majority of odor-causing particles, including smoke, fumes, and gases. The air purifier then blows out cleaner and fresh air back into your kitchen.
Why Buy an Air Purifier To Remove Kitchen Odors vs. Other Kinds?
An air purifier is only effective at odor removal if it has a carbon filter as one of its filtration stages. None of the other filters are as effective at odor removal.
Ionic Air Purifiers
Ionic air purifiers release negatively charged ions into the air that bond with positively charged air pollutants. Once bonded, their combined weight is too much to stay airborne, so all the contaminants fall out of the air and settle as dust throughout the room.
Since they operate without a motor, ionizing air purifiers are extremely quiet. However, without a carbon filter, they are not very effective at eliminating odors.
UV Air Purifiers
Ultraviolet rays are best for sanitizing and disinfecting purposes. UV air purifiers use special light bulbs to kill mold, germs, and other bacteria. They can kill up to 99.9% of mold spores. However, they are not designed to target odor particles lingering in your kitchen.
HEPA Air Purifiers
High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are advanced filters that can remove up to 99.7% of airborne particles. They have a high filtration capacity and remove contaminants down to 0.2 microns.
However, they are not too efficient at odor removal because odor molecules are much smaller, so they can easily seep out of a HEPA air purifier too.
How to Use an Air Purifier To Remove Kitchen Odors
Most air purifiers for kitchen odor removal are simple devices with an interactive control panel. They have plug-and-play functionality.
All you have to do is connect your air purifier to a power supply and set the speed you want it to operate on.
Some units even come with remote controls that make them pretty easy to operate.
What to Look For
Some features that make an air purifier great at removing kitchen odors are:
Filtration System
When deciding on a certain air purifier to remove the different odors lingering in your kitchen, the first thing to check out is its filtration system. For effective odor removal, an air purifier must have a carbon filter as one of its stages.
An activated carbon filter is an excellent filtration medium that absorbs gaseous odor molecules to neutralize their effect. The highly porous substance effectively traps these particles, allowing only fresh air to pass through.
If a potential air purifier lacks a carbon filter, it won’t have much effect on your kitchen odors.
Size
All air purifiers have a certain area coverage.
A small-capacity unit won’t bring about a significant change in the air quality of a large kitchen. Similarly, a large capacity unit in a small kitchen is just a waste of energy.
Before starting your search for a good air purifier, be sure to measure the size of your kitchen. This way, while looking at the different options, you will know what size you want.
Noise Level
The noise level of an air purifier is also important to consider.
Different air purifiers emit noise levels between 15 and 40 decibels.
Most manufacturers include the noise level rating in the product specifications—the lower the rating, the quieter the unit. You should check and compare the noise levels of different models to choose the most suitable one for yourself.
Filter Lifespan
The filters in your air purifier also lose their filtration capacity once they are full. When this happens, you have to replace them with new ones.
Since you will use your air purifier in the kitchen to control the smells, the carbon filter is the most important. When deciding between different units, go for one whose carbon bed is thicker and offers more surface area for capturing odor molecules.
It’s also important to choose a unit whose replacement filters are readily available. This way, you won’t have to worry when the time for replacement arrives.
Energy Efficiency
EPA strongly recommends using energy-efficient appliances in your home to avoid drawing too much energy. Using energy-efficient appliances does not burden your home electric grid and also helps you save money on energy bills.
When looking for a good air purifier to remove kitchen odor, be sure to purchase an Energy Star rated unit for lowering your energy bills as well as for environmental friendliness.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick rundown of both the pros and cons of air purifiers to remove kitchen odors to help you make a well-informed choice.
Pros
- Keeps your kitchen air clean and odor-free
- Cleans and freshens indoor air
- Capable of removing all sorts of odor molecules, including smoke, VOCs, and fumes
- Lots of options to choose from
- Simple and easy to use
Cons
- Require periodic filter replacements
- Only carbon filters can remove odors
- Some models are noisier than others
Cleaning and Maintenance
Regular cleaning and maintenance are necessary to keep your air purifier in its top working condition.
Here are some tips to point you in the right direction:
- Keep its exterior and surrounding clean and dust-free
- Clean the dust build-up on the vents, grills, and panels
- Don’t delay filter replacements
- If you have a washable pre-filter, wash it regularly and dry completely before placing it back
- Place it on a spot with maximum airflow
Frequently Asked Questions
Do air purifiers help remove cooking smells?
Yes, air purifiers can help you remove cooking smells, especially models with carbon filters. Where other filters cannot trap gaseous odor molecules, the porous activated charcoal traps them inside and allows only fresh air to pass through.
Can a true HEPA filter eliminate odors?
No, a true HEPA filter is not very efficient at eliminating odors. As its name suggests, a true High Efficiency Particulate Air filter is designed to remove particulate matter from filter air. Since most odor-causing organic compounds are gaseous, a HEPA filter is unable to trap them.
How long does it take for an air purifier to clean the kitchen?
While it depends upon your kitchen’s size, most air purifiers take about 30 minutes to 2 hours to completely clean the air inside your kitchen.
In ideal conditions, you should notice a difference in the room air quality after 20 minutes.
Where is the best place to put an air purifier in your kitchen?
The best place to place an air purifier in your kitchen is where it has access to the maximum amount of air. Placing it near a window, an air vent, or close to a doorway is your best bet. Avoid placing it on a countertop near other appliances – especially in corners.
Final Verdict: What is the Best Air Purifier to Remove Kitchen Odors?
After carefully assessing the different models available in the market, we believe the LEVOIT Air Purifier is the best air purifier to remove kitchen odors. It is compact, stylish, and removes odors lingering around the kitchen in no time.
The Germ Guardian AC4825E also stands out for its powerful fan and efficient performance.
If you want something more budget-friendly, go for the MICPANG Air Purifier. Despite its compact size, it effectively targets common kitchens for a truly affordable price.
Thank you for this comprehensive review! Would you be able to review Xaomi 2S Air Purifier, too? And a side by side comparison vs Dyson? Thank you!
Sure, I will Do this soon. Thanks
This is very informative and useful. Thank you.
Hope you share more details of another smell free air in your kitchen!