DA 6996 W PEARL Decor Rangehood

A characteristic feature on headroom hoods is the pitch of the canopy, allowing even tall persons plenty of room to peer down into pans. On the DA 6996 W 'PEARL', this 90 cm wide canopy consists of a bowed sheet of toughened safety glass in a shade of white to match the brilliant white on other Miele built-in appliances. The chimney-less design is at its most striking when the atmospheric lighting integrated into the canopy is switched on. The DA 6996 W 'PEARL' then becomes the focal point in the kitchen.

Rising steam and vapours first hit the 10-ply metal grease filter. These layers hold back the greasy air-borne particles and can conveniently be cleaned in a Miele dishwasher. In recirculating mode, odour molecules are bound by an additional NoSmell active charcoal filter, effectively neutralising cooking smells before the filtered air is returned to the kitchen. The hood also features Miele's Con@ctivity function, adjusting suction power automatically by pre-empting what is happening on the compatible Miele induction hob below, guaranteeing a pleasant room micro-climate. The hood can also be controlled via the light touch switches on the side, or using a remote control, available as an accessory.

The programmable filter saturation indicators are an important safety feature, since they are designed to remind the user to maintain the grease filter in a clean and properly functioning condition before there is an excessive build-up of grease, or the unit no longer achieves effective neutralisation of odour molecules. The integrated CleanCover hood liner facilitates safe and convenient cleaning of the inside of the hood after removal of the filter, without the risk of inadvertently coming into contact with functional or electrical components. The unit also features an electronically controlled automatic safety switch-off, which is being activated after a maximum of 12 continuous operating hours.

A close visual inspection of the DA 6996 W 'PEARL' rangehood will provide a good indication as to how Miele defines quality for rangehoods. Made by Miele in Germany, the hood is designed and tested for a useful product life of 20 years under normal household use. The fact that Miele products are used longer in the home than other brands before being resold or disposed of due to a defect was validated in a 2006 study performed by the German consumer research organisation GfK: according to this study, new Miele appliances remained in use after their initial purchase for an average of 17.0 years, whilst the average useful life of other brands was only 13.7 years.

Given its superior technology and long life expectancy, the initial investment in this Miele rangehood does represent outstanding value for money in the long term. In view of the fact that the well-established range of Miele decor rangehoods has already proven its commercial viability on international markets, as well as in Australia, for many years, Miele is confident of also achieving a positive return on the investment for this latest model.

In addition to its unique design, the DA 6996 W 'PEARL' features Miele's automatic Con@ctivity function: Whilst the user is free to concentrate on the job of cooking, the cooker hood automatically adjusts suction power to what is actually cooking on the hob below, ensuring a pleasant room climate. The Miele hob unit - and there are currently 14 compatible models to select from - transmits its settings via an RF link to the extractor. The installation of Con@ctivity is very simple and merely involves inserting the RF transmitter which comes with the extractor into its sheath on the cooktop. If required, the hood can also be operated with a remote control.