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Gas stoves have been quite the \u201chot button issue\u201d lately. But a range of data from decades\u2019 worth of research has already reached a consensus: Cooking with gas is dangerous to human health and a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Electrification has been ongoing, with Europe leading the way in adopting induction cooking.1<\/a><\/sup> However, here in the U.S., recent efforts to tackle the pollution generated by gas stoves have sparked a heated national debate. Why are people so hot under the collar? Is gas cooking even that great in the first place? And is switching from gas to electric worth the investment?<\/p>\n Let\u2019s clear the air on this.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I\u2019m in the middle of building a new home, and I want to make it as energy efficient as I can afford to. When it came to planning out my kitchen, a gas stove was out of the question. It felt so obvious \u2014 why would I want to burn an open flame inside of an airtight box? But with the recent gas stove controversy, it got me wondering \u2026 is there something I\u2019m missing? Does it really matter what I\u2019m cooking with? How bad is gas really? And is induction the best alternative?<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the dirty truth: Whether you own a gas or electric stove, you produce emissions every time you cook. We\u2019re not talking about just CO2 here. On top of that, there\u2019s particulate matter or PM, like smoke or drops of liquid suspended in the air. You can also run into other scary acronyms whenever you crank up your gas or electric burners to high heat for tasks like searing, broiling, and frying.2<\/a><\/sup>3<\/a><\/sup> 4<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n One example is volatile organic compounds or VOCs, like acrolein and benzene. Where you find high fat, you find acrolein. That\u2019s why when common cooking oils get hot, acrolein joins the party. And it\u2019s an uninvited guest, because nobody likes the smell of burnt grease. Fun fact \u2026 more like horrifying fact \u2026 the French used this to their advantage during World War I by weaponizing acrolein as tear gas.5<\/a><\/sup> That\u2019s right. Chemical warfare in your kitchen.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAH, which are chemicals released as things like oil, gas, wood, and tobacco burn. That means people inhale PAHs when smoking cigarettes\u2026and when charring meat. Sadly, that means both activities are linked to cancer. Sorry to everyone who likes their steak well-done.6<\/a><\/sup> 7<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Shelly Miller, an environmental engineer and professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, probably said it best in 2021: \u201cCooking is the No. 1 way you\u2019re polluting your home.\u201d8<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n So, if cooking with any type of fuel brings down the quality of the air you breathe, why are people focusing so much on gas? Well, you\u2019re probably already familiar with how gas stoves are a source of carbon monoxide, which can cause fatal poisoning. Setting that aside, gas stoves also give off hazardous air pollutants including but not limited to nitrogen oxides, formaldehyde, and methane.2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n You don\u2019t want any of those in your lungs, but let\u2019s start with why methane is such a big deal. Like CO2, methane is a greenhouse gas, but it\u2019s anywhere from 34 to 86 times more potent than CO2 in terms of its warming effect on the atmosphere. And, disturbingly, just owning<\/em> a gas stove is a cause for concern. In a January 2022 survey of 53 California homes, Stanford University researchers found that 76% of the total methane emissions produced by gas stoves were released when they were off.<\/strong> Even worse, they found no relationship between the age or price of the stove and the emissions it produced.9<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n And remember how I said that cooking in general can produce benzene, a carcinogen?10<\/a><\/sup> According to an October 2022 study conducted by the California-based PSE Healthy Energy institute, it turns out that gas stoves also continuously leak benzene when they\u2019re not in use. In fact, the research team estimates that 75% of the benzene that gas stoves emit is released when they\u2019re off.11<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n So, one way or another, gas stoves are a messy subject\u2026and also notoriously very hard to clean. This leads us back to our main question: Do gas stoves really make for the best experience? Let\u2019s just get it out of the way. It\u2019s definitely true that gas has a reputation as the gold standard for both home and professional cooking. The idea is nothing new. Natural gas companies have been aggressively promoting gas stoves for the past century. In fact, that\u2019s why we have the idiom \u201cNow you\u2019re cooking with gas!\u201d \u2014 it was first developed as a marketing slogan in the 1930s.8<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Since then, gas stoves have been hot, and so have the kitchens they\u2019re installed in. You could say the open flame is a double-edged sword. As a visual cue, it provides immediate feedback, allowing you to intuitively adjust the temperature quickly and accurately. No doubt about it: gas stoves are responsive in a way that can\u2019t really be replicated with electric…yet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The problem with gas stoves is that they run at efficiencies between 32% to 40%. You lose a lot<\/em> of heat, so you might find yourself sweating more than your vegetables.12<\/a><\/sup> 13<\/a><\/sup> The remaining heat energy has to go somewhere, and that\u2019s into your home \u2026 not your food. As an experiment, I filmed 1 liter of water coming to a boil on a gas burner, and electric burner. You can see how much of the gas burner heat is being lost around the pot. That\u2019s heating your home vs. your food. One major downside of electric resistive heating element cooktops in general is that you end up with a lot of residual heat. Exposed coils can retain heat even when they\u2019re not actively lit. That\u2019s why ceramic topped stoves use indicator lights to warn you when they\u2019re still running hot.15<\/a><\/sup> Another disadvantage is that if you\u2019re unlucky enough to accidentally crack the surface of a ceramic top, you\u2019re suddenly out of a stove.16<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Still, electric cooktops do eliminate a lot of inconveniences associated with gas stoves by design. You don\u2019t have to worry about exposure to nitrous oxides, they\u2019re much easier to clean, and, well, you\u2019re safer and cooler without a fire beneath your pans.16<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n What often makes electric cooktops the most unappealing is the illusion of slowness. Electric is faster to heat than gas in the majority of cases.17<\/a><\/sup> 16<\/a><\/sup> And according to Consumer Reports, gas stoves are usually the slowest to boil water.18<\/a><\/sup> The thing is, we can sense the liveliness of a fire. Staring at a red electric glow isn\u2019t very exciting, and it\u2019s more difficult to determine the temperature you\u2019re working with.17<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Even more critically, the speediness of flames is still superior when you transition between temperatures. On a gas stove, moving between high to low is pretty much instantaneous. On electric cooktops, residual heat causes a notable delay as you transition to lower temperatures.18<\/a><\/sup> This thermal inertia means that you have to think ahead as you cook and anticipate the time the stove will take to match the setting on the dial. Some electric stove owners go as far as to preheat burners. Like anything else, it takes practice to get used to this quirk, and it\u2019s understandable to just not want to deal with the frustration.19<\/a><\/sup> 20<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n The good news is, it doesn\u2019t have to be this way. By cooking with induction, you get all the advantages of electric with an even higher efficiency of up to 85% to 90%.12<\/a><\/sup> 13<\/a><\/sup> That\u2019s because through induction, you\u2019re not heating the atmosphere or even any burners: just your cookware. An induction cooktop transfers heat energy straight to the pan and only<\/em> the pan. How? With magnets.<\/p>\n When you cook with induction, an alternating current flows through the coils beneath the burner and generates a magnetic field. Magnetic materials like iron don\u2019t conduct electricity well, so when a ferromagnetic pot or pan is placed within that field it heats up.21<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n This makes induction cooking significantly safer. The cooktop itself hardly warms up and can only heat metal. I mean, you can actually place something like a dollar bill right against an induction cooktop pot as its heating without any issues.22<\/a><\/sup> So klutzes can breathe a sigh of relief, because you\u2019re a lot less likely to burn yourself.23<\/a><\/sup> Several models also have an automatic shutoff feature.24<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Another huge advantage of induction is that it allows you to cook at precise, consistent temperatures in a way that you can\u2019t do with gas or resistive electric heating elements. On some induction cooktops, you can set a specific temperature for perfect results every time.23<\/a><\/sup> Basically, upgrading to induction is like going from analog to digital. Logistics-wise, swapping an resistive cooktop for an induction one can be very simple because you might be able to get away with keeping your existing outlet.16<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n However, there\u2019s a reason why only about 3% of U.S. households cook through induction.23<\/a><\/sup> Either way, making the jump from gas to induction is a hefty investment considering both the cost of installation and the stove itself. Right now it\u2019s possible to snag an induction cooktop for around $1,000, but that\u2019s about as low as it goes.22<\/a><\/sup> That\u2019s an intimidating price tag in comparison to gas or electric stoves, which can be as low as $400.14<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n You also have to factor in a potential need for new cookware. Because induction cooktops are magnetized, pots and pans have to be as well. Many stainless steel pans will work, but it depends on their composition. If a magnet can stick to the bottom of your pot or pan, you\u2019re good to go.22<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n The technology is still going through a few growing pains, too. Induction can sometimes be a noisy process, so you might have to deal with whirring fans, buzzing, or clicking, especially at higher heat settings.19<\/a><\/sup> 26<\/a><\/sup> 27<\/a><\/sup> Induction burners tend to be smaller, so there\u2019s a hard limit to the number of pans you can work with at once and the diameter of the cookware you can use. Otherwise, you\u2019ll notice a sharp boundary between the surface area where food is thoroughly and evenly heated\u2026and food that is being left out.26<\/a><\/sup> 20<\/a><\/sup> The effect of the magnets is very precise. One more hitch: the magnetic field can interfere with digital meat thermometers.27<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n That said, the U.S. is behind the curve on induction, with it holding less than 10% of the cooktop market share. Meanwhile, induction represents about 36% of Europe\u2019s market share.23<\/a><\/sup> The tides may be turning, though. During a June 2022 survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by Consumer Reports, 51% of respondents said they\u2019d \u201cmaybe\u201d consider induction the next time they were on the hunt for a new stove, and 18% said \u201cyes.\u201d The rest hadn\u2019t heard of induction.28<\/a><\/sup> That\u2019s a problem.<\/p>\n Hopefully induction will become more commonplace as prices continue to fall. If your curiosity is piqued, you can give a single portable burner a try \u2026 like the one I used in my testing. Some models run for roughly $60, but you can find high end ones all the way up to $1,500. Obviously, experiment on the cheaper side first. As for my new home, I\u2019ll definitely be going with induction. Energy efficiency and speed were the deciding factors for me.<\/p>\n For those of you that cook with gas, you\u2019re not doomed if that\u2019s your only option. To keep your air as clean as possible, the easiest thing to do is to just crack open a window when you use your stove. The fans in your bathroom can also help. And it\u2019s important to note that even though ventilation is important, kitchen exhaust hoods are generally ineffective at dealing with pollutants.29<\/a><\/sup> Research shows air purifiers can help cut down on nitrous oxides, though.30<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Even better, avoid relying on your stove to protect both your health and your wallet. Smaller electric appliances like toaster ovens, tea kettles, air fryers, and crock pots can get you food heated faster and<\/em> with less energy.2<\/a><\/sup>31<\/a><\/sup> That\u2019s a smart practice regardless of what kind of cooktop you have.<\/p>\n In the end, the best stove for you comes down to your preferences. But for the sake of efficiency and your health, you\u2019re way better off with electric, and induction is the safest option hands down.<\/p>\n Gas stoves have been quite the \u201chot button issue\u201d lately. But a range of data from decades\u2019 worth of research has already reached a consensus: Cooking with gas is dangerous to human health and a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Electrification has been ongoing, with Europe leading the way in adopting induction cooking.1 However, here in the U.S., recent efforts to tackle the pollution generated by gas stoves have sparked a heated national debate. Why are people so hot under the collar? Is gas cooking even that great in the first place? And is switching from gas to electric […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[261],"tags":[25],"ppma_author":[303],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Featured-2.jpg","authors":[{"term_id":303,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"matt","display_name":"Matt Ferrell","avatar_url":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/portrait-small.png","last_name":"Ferrell","user_url":"https:\/\/wordpressmu-787287-2686879.cloudwaysapps.com","first_name":"Matt","description":"Matt Ferrell lives in the Boston area and is a UI\/UX designer by trade, but has always been obsessed by technology and how it works. In 2018 he started his YouTube channel, Undecided with Matt Ferrell, where he explores sustainable and smart technologies like EVs, solar panels, and smart homes."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8003"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8003"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8006,"href":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8003\/revisions\/8006"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8003"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/undecidedmf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=8003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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\nOn the other hand, electric cooktops cost about the same amount to run but work at an efficiency of 75 to 80%.12<\/a><\/sup>14<\/a><\/sup> You can see that the majority of that heat energy is making it to where you want it \u2026 the food. While gas cooking leaves you with more hot air than hot food, electric appliances narrow their focus to the burner. Cooktops with resistive heating elements transfer heat directly to your cookware, while radiant cooktops have a ceramic layer in between the cookware and the element that the heat has to transfer through.15<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n
\nThe biggest barrier is cost. Broadly speaking, natural gas is a lot cheaper for the average household to use than electricity.25<\/a><\/sup> But when you compare induction and gas stoves specifically, which state you live in seems to matter more than what fuel you\u2019re cooking with, according to an analysis by Grist. In some states, the difference between the annual costs of gas and induction could mean saving $20. In other states, it could mean paying an extra $20.14<\/a><\/sup> Keep in mind, though, that induction cooking is faster, so you\u2019ll naturally be using less energy.22<\/a><\/sup> If you want to see an excellent video on the differences in speed, you\u2019ve got to check out Alec from Technology Connections. On his second channel, Technology Connextras, he made an epic video on the speed differences<\/a>. I won\u2019t go into the same detail here, but I found similar results in my testing.<\/p>\n
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