Should You Worry About Your Gas Stove?

Gas stoves have been fairly controversial recently, including being targeted for regulation. But what are the real dangers behind cooking with gas, and should you replace your stove with an induction cooktop immediately? SciShow investigates.

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[yavannapr]

No matter what type of stove we all end up using, what we really should strive to regulate is the abilibity of good ventilation on apartments building. Way too many houses and apartments don't have even operable windows.

[thewinterasp]

I really appreciate careful approach here, presenting all the information they have and making sure that the limitations in those data are made clear.

[Aristo]

I had the opportunity to replace my gas stove with an induction one a few years ago. I found it so much better in many ways compared to my old gas stove:

- Very easy to control temperature
- It heats up the contents of the pots quicker than any other cooking method and that is probably because it's so efficient
- Kitchen itself doesn´t heat up as much, since most energy ends up in the pot and the contents
- No open flames, so no fire hazard
- Surface doesn´t get as hot as compared to a conventional electric stove, so much easier to clean afterwards
- Surface is completely flat, so when not using it for cooking, you can use it to prepare the food instead
- Easy to keep food 'warm' without burning it for longer times

Of course it has the downside that it can take some time to get used to it and it doesn´t work during a power outage, but so do some modern gas stoves as those are sometimes electrically controlled. It also needs a beefy electrical connection.

[EATSxBABIES]

So a few BIG details glossed over towards the end. If you use indoor propane you must still ventilate. It breaks down into a lot of more CO1 compared to CO2 relative to most other common gasses (It's the main reason why camping stoves have big "DO NOT USE INDOORS" stickers on them). So yes, it is a choice but you still need to have a good vent system or a window with a fan. I also highly recommend a CO1 detector near the kitchen. The other concern is using induction stoves with pans that contain Teflon coating. The coating wears out much faster on induction stoves compared to regular coil tops. In short, no matter your choice stick with stainless or cast iron (I still like my "older than me" copper bottoms for gas though) and open a window/vent then you have very little to be worried about.

[danielcattini]

There are "adapters" for induction stoves for you to use your favorite pans. Basically it's a metal plate with a handle, which works with induction. Then you put your pan on top and that means you can use any pan. Obviously not as efficient as if your pan already works, but it's a nice workaround

[fuggetaboutit]

I really wish it was a building code standard that you have to require ventilation in kitchens that is evacuated outdoors. So many apartments and homes will have an over stove fan, but all it does is suck the fumes from the cooktop and blast it over your head. It doesn't remove the contaminants from your home at all. If anything it spreads it more quickly around the space! Even if you had an electric stove, who wants cooking smell all over your home (especially if you're me and often burn things)!

[kellydalstok]

I’ve been cooking on an induction stove for about two years now and I’m very content with it, especially with the fact it reacts so quickly to changes in the setting. Plus stove is incredibly easy to clean.

[apollyonn]

I've been around a gas stove for most of my life, and although I don't know about all this stuff, it is incredibly useful since I lived in an area where the power frequently goes out, meaning we could still cook food even though we didn't have power for a week at a time sometimes.

[erikanders]

speaking as a chief induction is far superior to even flame based stoves. Its precise and you can use what's called the ' tip effect' where you only place a small corner of a tilted pan and cause it to have two zones of heat, thus basing a scallop works much better.

(edit thanks I meant the guy who cooks not the guy who leads)

[ArchOfWinter]

Unfortunately, a lot of the range hood in homes in the US don't connect to outside. They just release air back into the kitchen.

[eliharper]

I'm a plumber, and yeah, if you have a gas system, you probably have leaks. Like 90% of the time we test a system it will fail... good for business tho

[Tinil]

I mostly find it how remarkable how obsessively some people cling to gas stoves and are straight up offended that anyone could say ANYTHING bad about them. People get territorial over the weirdest things.

[michaelkirouac]

We recently upgraded to an induction stove and it’s like magic! Boils so fast and so much control.
So happy we went with it!

[caleschley]

So, Hank Hill was right about Propane being the superior cooking gas?

[kalexambing]

Honestly electric stoves are easier anyways. Especially to clean when they’re that nice flat glass surface

I always hear "but power outages!" as the main reason to keep gas. We have a gas stove and frequent power outages. It's really not as useful as people imagine. A few years ago, we bought a generator. It's waaaayyy better. We can run heat/AC, heat water, run the freezer, charge phones, etc. for a few hours then switch off to save fuel. Or share with the neighbor. We are getting a new stovetop as soon as our budget allows.
Also, shout-out to Alec from Technology Connections and his experiments/videos on stove types and CO2.

[vegasflyboy]

It's funny that some people want to politicize science. If you think that discovering things that may cause harm to you is a bad thing, you're probably a victim of bad talking points that have little to do with what's actually being discussed.

[LMacNeill]

Induction stoves are really impressive. Kudos to whomever came up with that idea. Unfortunately, lots of non-stick cookware is made from aluminum, which doesn't work with one. But, as long as a person is aware of that when buying their cookware, they can definitely get the appropriate stuff they need to make an induction stove work.

[sherryllynnminarik]

Wow. I love how you give so much information from all sides, not just one. This was put together so well. Thank you.

[callen]

I really appreciate this post. I live in a condominium with hot water heater and range setup for gas. I do not have the option of external range venting. I’ve asked a number of electricians about switching to all electric and the reality is that it would require extensive remedial work, requiring X-rays of concrete subfloors on multiple levels and gutting and rewiring my unit, and covering liabilities with additional insurance. I’ve started using individual induction cooktops and countertop ovens as much as possible, and opening a window when I cook with gas. Not perfect but it’s better and what I can afford