I totally get your confusion. Both ducted and ductless chimneys have their pros and cons, especially for Indian kitchens.

• Ducted Chimney: These chimneys pull the smoke, grease, and odors through a duct and release it outside. They are generally more effective when you do a lot of deep frying and spicy cooking (you know how Indian tadkas can fill up the entire house with a strong aroma!). The suction power in these tends to be stronger and more effective at keeping the kitchen air clean.

• Ductless Chimney: Instead of sending the air outside, ductless chimneys filter the air and recirculate it back into the kitchen. They use a combination of charcoal and grease filters. While they’re easier to install (no ductwork required), they may not be as effective for heavy Indian cooking. Also, you’ll need to replace the filters regularly, especially after frequent use.

If you're someone who cooks a lot of heavy meals (think deep-fried puris, aloo bhujia, or paneer tikka), I would suggest going for a ducted chimney. But if you're more into light cooking or have space constraints, ductless might work fine.

I installed a ductless chimney in my flat last year. The installation was super easy, but to be honest, I’m not 100% satisfied with it. I do a lot of frying and spicy cooking, and while the filters help to some extent, the kitchen still smells like last night's food in the morning. Also, the filters need to be cleaned and replaced frequently, which is an added hassle. I’m thinking of switching to a ducted chimney next time. For regular, lighter cooking, it’s okay, but for typical Indian-style cooking, I feel ducted is a better option.

If you’re thinking about going ductless, just keep in mind a few things:

1. Filter maintenance: Charcoal and grease filters can clog quickly, especially with our kind of cooking. You’ll need to clean the grease filter every few weeks and replace the charcoal filter every 3-6 months, which can be a hassle and an extra cost.

2. Reduced suction power: Since ductless chimneys only filter and recirculate air, they aren’t as powerful as ducted ones. For those of us who love to fry pakoras or make masala-heavy dishes, this might be an issue.

3. Odor retention: Even with good filters, a ductless chimney doesn’t eliminate all the odors. If you fry a lot of food or cook heavily spiced dishes, the smells can linger longer than you’d like.

In my opinion, ductless works better for smaller, less oily cooking but isn’t a great fit for traditional Indian kitchens.

And one more thing to keep in mind is the cost and installation. Ducted chimneys can be a bit more expensive to install because you’ll need to get the ductwork done, which may involve drilling holes and dealing with external pipes. In older apartments or homes, this can be a bit of a hassle, especially if you don’t have a direct route to the outside.

Ductless chimneys, on the other hand, are more budget-friendly upfront since they don’t need ducting. But like others have mentioned, you might end up spending more in the long run on filter replacements and maintenance.

If you can afford the initial cost and installation isn’t a major issue, I’d suggest going for ducted. It’s a more permanent and efficient solution, especially with Indian food.

For small flats or kitchens where ducting might not be possible (or if your landlord won’t allow it), ductless is the only real option. Just make sure to get one with a good quality charcoal filter. I’ve been using one for a while in my small Mumbai apartment, and while it’s not as powerful as a ducted chimney, it gets the job done. The key is regular maintenance. I clean the grease filter every month, and that keeps things manageable.

If you’re not cooking super heavy meals every day, a ductless chimney can work fine.