Questions About Gas Stoves? Look Toward Induction!
Posted on January 24, 2023 by Charlotte Shuff
Tags, Energy, General Interest
There has been a lot of buzz recently about gas stoves. Whether you have a gas stove or are considering purchasing one, you may have some questions.
Both nationally and locally, government safety watchdogs are concerned about health risks associated with gas stoves. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission is concerned about hazardous emissions from gas stoves and is exploring new ways to address the associated health risks. The Commission has clarified that it is not currently considering banning gas stoves. Multnomah County also has released a report on the health risks of gas stoves.
As a consumer advocate with economic expertise but not public health expertise, CUB recognizes concerns about the impact of gas stoves on public health, and knows that more energy efficiency options exist. Whether you have a gas stove already or are considering purchasing one, knowledge is power.
And for folks who have gas stoves and are considering converting to electricity, the federal Inflation Reduction Act provides for rebates of up $840 on a new electric stove. As these and other rebate programs are rolled out over the course of 2023, CUB will report on them.
Our recommendation: Look towards induction stoves instead!
Induction Stoves Are the More Efficient Options
A study conducted in 2014 found that induction ranges send 85-90 percent of the generated heat directly to the food they’re cooking. In comparison, electric stovetops hover around 65-70 percent. Gas ranges come in last with about 40-55 percent efficiency. This means that more than half of the energy from a gas range is wasted. Induction ranges are the most efficient option by far.
Induction ranges consist of an electromagnetic coil that creates a magnetic field when supplied with an electric current. When compatible cookware connects with the stove, only the pot or pan is heated, not the stove. The cookware is heated internally while the cooktop surface remains cooler to the touch.
In comparison, gas ranges have a gap between the flame and the cookware. This leads to a higher loss of generated heat in gas ranges. Conventional electric stoves have higher efficiency levels than gas. Electric stoves push more heat directly into the food rather than the surrounding kitchen. When paired with cookware that completely covers the coils, electric is even more efficient.
You can read more about induction stoves and hear from CUB supporters on their experience making the switch in a recent CUB Blog post.
Health Concerns
Recent studies have shown that the respiratory health risk of living in homes with gas stoves is particularly high for children. Children are more vulnerable to air pollution than adults. They have higher breathing rates and rates of physical activity, higher ratios of lung surface to body weight, and immature respiratory and immune systems.
One of the most well-studied indoor air pollutants emitted by gas stoves, nitrogen dioxide, has been found to exacerbate child asthma. These effects have been shown at much lower exposure levels than the EPA standard for long-term outdoor exposure, and the EPA has no safety standard for indoor exposure to nitrogen dioxide.
Yet a 2020 report from Rocky Mountain Institute shared nitrogen dioxide levels measured from gas stoves during common uses such as boiling water or baking a cake. All cooking activities produced levels exceeding the EPA’s outdoor exposure standard – some by as much as 300%. Nitrogen dioxide from some gas ovens burning with no food in them was over five times the EPA outdoor exposure limit.
How to Reduce Risk with Gas Stoves
Already have a gas stove? Don’t worry, there are still steps you can take to keep your family safe.
The first rule of safety for all gas stoves is to make sure knobs are turned all the way off when not in use to prevent large leaks of unburned gas. Make sure also that you have a carbon monoxide detector installed close to your kitchen, if not inside it. Test your detector at least once a year. And always replace batteries immediately when your detector chirps to indicate that battery power is low.
But how should home cooks protect their families from lower carbon monoxide levels, methane, and other harmful compounds while their stoves are in use? The key to this is making sure you have adequate ventilation.
Hoods and Fans
Some gas-powered homes have hoods or fans installed over their gas stoves. Yet surveys have shown that many home cooks who have stove fans or hoods use them infrequently or not at all. If you have a hood or fan over your gas stove, try to use it consistently, every time you cook.
Building regulations do not require residential gas stoves to be vented outdoors. But if you are shopping for a stove hood, CUB recommends looking for one that can vent outside your home.
Unsure if your existing stove hood vents outdoors? Look for a duct. You can check the cabinets above your stove to see if there is a duct (look for a silver tube). For a single-family home, try to locate the end of the duct to make sure it is venting all the way outside and not stopping in your attic. Most multifamily housing does not have this type of kitchen ducted ventilation.
Airflow From Windows and Electric Fans
Unfortunately, Oregon does not offer rebates or other incentives for the purchase of range hoods. And many customers cannot afford the cost of purchasing and installing one. Many others live in homes where the installation of an outdoor venting hood is made impossible by the home’s layout or not allowed by the landlord.
If your home does not have an outdoor venting stove hood, Oregon Building Codes still require some sort of ventilation in all kitchens with no exception. Any kitchen without mechanical ventilation, like an outdoor venting hood, must have a window that opens.
If installing an outdoor venting hood over your stove is not an option for you, it is extra important to air out your kitchen by opening windows. If you don’t have windows that open in your kitchen, your home is not up to code and needs to be updated.
To be extra safe, use open windows and electric fans in combination with each other. This is especially important if you are cooking food at high temperatures or for a prolonged period. If the air quality outside is unsafe because of smog or wildfire smoke, avoid cooking with your gas stove if possible until the air quality in your area returns to safe levels.
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04/12/23 | 1 Comment | Questions About Gas Stoves? Look Toward Induction!