The 4 best scents for hiding bad cooking smells – get your kitchen ready for hosting season

It's no secret that our kitchens can easily become one of the smelliest rooms in the home. From bins and fridges that need clearing out to cooking odours, there can be some pretty bad smells floating around a kitchen – and it can seem tricky to get rid of them. That's where the best scents for a kitchen come in.

Now kitchens are more than simply a space to cook. If you have an open-plan kitchen then it will likely be where your family dines and entertains, so you want it to feel and smell as fresh as possible. Lingering cooking smells are fine in the immediate aftermath of making dinner but banishing them quickly will have your home feeling like your own again in no time.

The best scents for small kitchens are crucial too – compact cooking spaces will contain bad smells more than open plan rooms, so making sure you have the right fragrances to combat this will leave your kitchen feeling fresh and ready to host at a moment's notice.

1. Pick an odour-neutralising fragrance

The allure of beautiful smelling (and looking) candles can be all too much and, understandably, you would probably want one for your kitchen space but if the goal is to reduce food odours then actually what you will want is a neutralising fragrance.

These will still have a scent, but the main focus is to subdue any bad odours from cooking. If you layer in-depth fragrances over a particularly fishy smell, for example, then the concoction will be less than appealing. Masking the scent instead will allow you to then layer more complex fragrances over a clean space, so the kitchen smells super fresh.

Diptyque's La Droguerie candle is perfect for this – described as 'like opening a window onto a fresh, colourful vegetable garden' and filled with notes of basil, it will make your cooking space feel like a chef's kitchen. Price's candles also get the job done for eliminating odours and are much more affordable.

2. Keep it clean with citrus scents

Although a slightly more predictable kitchen scent, we take a 'if it isn't broken, don't fix it' approach to our fragrances. Citrus notes provide a squeaky-clean atmosphere which is perfect for making your kitchen feel polished, fresh and spotless.

Many cleaning products come in citrus scents too, so it's a simple way to create a matching scheme for the entire kitchen. Be careful not to go overboard though - very strong lemon scents may leave a kitchen feeling too clinical, so the key is to find fragrances that layer other notes for a more complex approach - herbaceous touches will make a citrus scent smell much more expensive.

This is also an easy scent to achieve naturally, if you're looking for the most eco-friendly ways to make a home smell lovely.

3. Dial in to herby notes

While vanilla scents are warm and inviting, in your kitchen it's often best to stick to scents that would be found when cooking. This will give the impression that your cooking space naturally smells spectacular, as opposed to an artificial scent.

Herbaceaous scents work well for this goal – think of basil, sage, rosemary and thyme for a fresh yet homely profile.

'For a kitchen fragrance we would suggest a softly stimulating scent, something to help concentration but also make you feel calm, but focused,' advises Chrissie Rucker OBE, founder of The White Company.

After all, scents do affect your mood so you should pick something that gives off the vibes you're reaching for. 'Scents containing notes of thyme, mint, eucalyptus and rosemary would be perfect here,' says Chrissie.

4. Work in woody scents

Open plan kitchen spaces are more popular than ever before and when a cooking space is also where you socialise and hang out with family, you might want a less kitchen-focussed scent.

Picking a fragrance that suits the entire space can be tricky though, as you will want a different atmosphere in each little nook and to zone your home with scent. One scent that works in any type of space is a deep woody fragrance.

'Lighting a candle during the day isn’t something many people think to do, but I highly recommend it. In the kitchen, the rich spices of clove, star anise, nutmeg and cardamom in our Ember and Smoke candles help add to the mood rather than overwhelming it.

'We also introduced smokeless incense recently, and I can’t get enough of it,' says Sarah Bell, founder of Evermore London. 'The soft, meditative fragrance is perfect for the kitchen, adding atmosphere without overpowering the natural scents of cooking. It’s all about finding fragrances that compliment the food, not compete with it.'

FAQs

Should I opt for a candle or a diffuser in a kitchen?

There is no right or wrong when choosing a type of fragrance for a cooking space - both a candle and diffuser have their place in a kitchen but you might want to position them differently.

Diffusers are perfect for doing what they say in their name – diffusing scent slowly and naturally across a space. Adding a diffuser to open shelving will add a stylish decorative touch but also provide a subtle scent for anyone brushing past. They're great for propping in the corner of a room, but won't provide an instant hit of fragrance like a candle will.

Candles also add ambience so if you're trying to get a kitchen ready for hosting and want to create an atmosphere, popping a scented candle and smaller unscented candles around a room will add the ultimate warm glow.

They're also handy for instantly getting rid of a bad smell. Get home from work and notice the bin isn't smelling too great? Light a candle and you'll be well on your way to enjoying your relaxing evening.

Which scent fits your kitchen vibe? Are you more into herby scents or a fan of a super fresh citrus profile? Whichever it may be, it's bound to smell fabulous.