Review of the wide built-in kitchen hood Millen MBKHG 901 BL with strip lighting and remote control

^* Contrary to popular belief, this is not the time limit after which the device will necessarily break down. However, after this period, the manufacturer ceases to bear any responsibility for its performance and has the right to refuse to repair it, even for a fee.

The Millen MBKHG 901 BL hood is supplied in a brown cardboard box with one-color printing. On the front side of the box, the manufacturer placed a vector image of the device and highlighted the main characteristics, including touch control, LED backlight, single-motor design and a width of 90 centimeters.

On the sides of the package are brief technical specifications, shipping information and contact details of the manufacturer and importer.

Having opened the box, inside we found:

• the hood itself with an installed aluminum anti-grease filter
• remote control
• a set of hardware and a paper template for installation
• check valve petals kit
• user guide
• warranty card

This hood is designed to be fully integrated into a kitchen unit, where after installation only the bottom panel made of dark tempered glass is visible. The peripheral area of this panel is illuminated by an LED strip hidden behind white glass, which creates a spectacular illumination of the work area.

The central part of the panel, decorated with the manufacturer’s logo, is a folding hatch behind which an anti-grease filter is hidden. Ventilation is provided by a wide gap between the panel and the hatch.

On the left side of the hood there is a touch panel with a seven-segment digital LED indicator displaying the fan rotation speed. We will look at the control of the device in more detail below, in the corresponding section.

The hatch is held in place by magnetic fasteners and is equipped with rubber dampers for soft closing.

Behind the hatch is an aluminum filter of traditional design: a three-dimensional metal mesh on an aluminum frame. It is held in place with a plastic clip.

This part of the hood holds the bulk of kitchen contaminants, preventing them from entering the engine compartment.

Millen MBKHG 901 BL is equipped with only one motor in its design. This hood provides the ability to connect to an exhaust ventilation system or operate in recirculation mode. In the latter case, the fan can use replaceable carbon filters, which are necessary to absorb unpleasant odors and trap dust and other suspended particles in the air. MKF 2 filters are not included in the delivery set and can be purchased separately on the manufacturer’s official website.

To change the carbon filters, simply open the hatch and remove the aluminum anti-grease element. If necessary, the engine can be accessed through a wider hatch on the front side, held in place by two screws.

Using this hatch, you can also access the electronic control unit, as well as look at a sticker with technological information: serial number, manufacturer data and circuit diagram.

The outlet of the device with a diameter of 150 mm is equipped with grooves for installing non-return valve petals (they are included in the kit). They must be installed if the device is connected to exhaust ventilation. An electrical cord with a Euro plug is attached next to the outlet on the top panel.

For installation in a kitchen set, there are four washers pressed into the top panel. The screws included with the device are screwed into them.

The hood comes with a 26-page A5 brochure, printed on thick white paper with excellent printing quality. Numerous illustrations are legible and easy to read.

We have already encountered this document before: the manual is intended for both our 90 cm hood and the 60 cm one we discussed recently.

The instructions describe in detail the process of installing the device in recirculation and ventilation modes, provide information on operating the device, caring for it, and methods for solving possible problems.

The control panel consists of four touch buttons illuminated by white LEDs and a white digital indicator.

The functionality of the buttons is easy to understand: one turns the hood on and off, the second controls the LED lighting, and the “+” and “−” touch buttons regulate the power.

Unlike most kitchen hoods, this model has as many as nine fan rotation speeds, providing the ability to smoothly regulate power over a wide range.

The hood comes with a small infrared remote control that expands the capabilities of the device.

In addition to the motor and backlight control buttons, there is another one that activates the timer. When you press it, the hood will automatically turn off after five minutes. To cancel the timer, use the sensor again.

Traditionally, our range hood tests are carried out in laboratory conditions rather than in real kitchen scenarios, as each appliance installation can vary significantly. Our measurements include performance, noise and power consumption.

During testing, we noted the good location and responsiveness of the control buttons, both on the hood itself and on the remote control. Their use is intuitive.

The LED lighting built into the hood created a positive impression. The LED strip used in the design has high brightness, surpassing traditional LED spotlights. It does not flicker, and most importantly, it creates uniform lighting, which is convenient when working at the stove.

To clean the external surfaces of the hood, it is recommended to use a soft cloth dampened with soapy water. It is better to clean glass panels with specialized products designed to care for this material in order to preserve the appearance and extend the service life of the device.

To keep your product clean, it is important to avoid using abrasive or caustic cleaners, as well as harsh sponges or scourers. It is also not recommended to use products with a high alcohol content, or use high-pressure cleaners or steam generators.

The remote control can be cleaned with a damp cloth and then dried.

The aluminum grease filter should be cleaned every 40 hours of operation or at least once every 2 months. Cleaning can be done in hot soapy water or, if necessary, in a dishwasher at a temperature not exceeding 60 °C. After washing the filter, the color of the metal may change, which is normal and does not affect its functionality.

To remove stubborn stains, you can use specialized fat-dissolving agents, and then rinse the grill thoroughly with clean water.

If the hood is used in recirculation mode, it is recommended to change the carbon filters every 3-6 months, depending on the intensity of use of the device. Replacement filters are available for purchase on the manufacturer's website.

The energy consumption of the hood depends, of course, on the speed of the fan.

This model has a wide power adjustment range: at the minimum level, energy consumption is lower than most LED lamps. When the backlight is on, approximately 9 W are added to these values, and in standby mode the device consumes about 0.4 W.

To measure the noise level, the microphone of the sound level meter is aimed at a working hood from a distance of 1 meter. To simulate real-life conditions as accurately as possible, a 2-meter pipe is connected to the output of the device so that the “rear” noise in this test diverges far enough and does not affect the results obtained.

At minimum power, the hood is almost silent: it can only be heard when you are close. At maximum power, the noise level turned out to be noticeably higher than indicated in the technical specifications.

To measure the performance of the hood, we used a two-meter smooth PVC pipe with a diameter of 160 mm from the previous test. This method allows you to stabilize the difference in air flow speed at the outlet of the device. At the outer opening of the pipe, we measured the air flow speed at 17 points, and then averaged the resulting values.

Average speed is used to calculate the hood capacity in cubic meters of air per minute. The measurement results for the MBKHG 901 BL model are presented below (the numbers indicate speed in meters per second).

Thus, the average air flow speed at the outlet of the pipe is 7.6 m/s. Accordingly, if we take into account the pipe diameter of 160 mm, the productivity is 9.2 cubic meters per minute (551.1 m³/h). This is a pretty good result, although the data obtained differs significantly from the passport data. Let us remind you that the productivity of the “narrow” version of this hood was 7.3 cubic meters per minute (438.8 m³/h).

The built-in hood Millen MBKHG 901 BL is a wide version of the previously reviewed model from this manufacturer. The device combines traditional design with modern technology: bright LED strip illumination, ensuring minimal shadows, and efficient electronic control, including nine motor speeds. This gives users the ability to smoothly adjust performance and noise levels over a wide range.

Fingerprints may appear on the surface of the glass panel, but this is a common problem with hoods with this type of coating. To reduce contamination, the manufacturer recommends using remote control using a remote control.

An additional convenience to the main functionality is the presence of a built-in timer that automatically turns off the device. Unfortunately, this function can only be activated using the remote control, since there is no corresponding button on the panel.

Pros:

• bright modern lighting
• wide range of power selection
• good performance
• ability to work in recirculation mode
• remote control
• auto shutdown by timer

Minuses:

• stains are clearly visible on the glass panel
• The timer can only be activated using the remote control