Gas VS Induction is a hot topic regarding house HD stoves. There is a strong connection between gas stoves and poor indoor air quality that leads to increased rates of childhood asthma.

Is induction cooking the answer?

Will gas stoves be banned?

I know you’ve heard that the government is coming to rip the gas stove from your house but relax, that’s not going to happen, at least not any time soon.

The fuss started when

A report in December of 2022 stated “Indoor gas stove use for cooking is associated with an increased risk of current asthma among children and is prevalent in 35% of households in the United States (US). The population-level implications of gas cooking are largely unrecognized.”
According to an article from The Guardian, “There are two ways gas stoves pollute your home. The first is the most obvious: when they’re in use. Burning gas creates heat, which causes nitrogen and oxygen to bond among the flames. They combine to create nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, collectively known as NOx, which can irritate the lungs. But that’s not the only compound to worry about. Cooking with gas can also emit carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and even formaldehyde. Those all have various deleterious health impacts, and can affect the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.”
Furthermore “There’s likely a more insidious form of pollution emanating from your stove. A growing body of research shows gas stoves emit toxic compounds even when not in use. Among the most worrisome is benzene, a carcinogen. A study by PSE Health Energy found benzene in 99% of samples it took in homes in California. Other chemicals discovered included xylene, toluene, and ethylbenzene, which can also cause respiratory issues and may cause cancer as well.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environme...

The results
“We found that 12.7% (95% CI = 6.3–19.3%) of current childhood asthma in the US is attributable to gas stove use”

“Conclusions
In conclusion, 12.7% of current childhood asthma nationwide is attributed to gas stove use, which is similar to the childhood asthma burden attributed to secondhand smoke exposure [9]. Gas stove usage should be considered in multi-faceted asthma prevention approaches. Given that this exposure is preventable, our study demonstrates that known mitigation strategies will lessen childhood asthma burden from gas stoves, particularly in states with elevated PAFs. Further research is needed to quantify the burden experienced at the state and county levels, as well as the impacts of implementing mitigation strategies through intervention studies.”
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/75

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a “Statement of Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric Regarding Gas Stoves”
https://www.cpsc.gov/About-CPSC/Chair...
“Over the past several days, there has been a lot of attention paid to gas stove emissions and to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Research indicates that emissions from gas stoves can be hazardous, and the CPSC is looking for ways to reduce related indoor air quality hazards. But to be clear, I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so.”
What can you do?

ALWAYS turn on your vent when using a gas stove. Make sure your vent is clean. Turning on the vent can improve indoor air quality but makes outdoor air quality worse
Induction stoves are an excellent alternative to gas. Induction stoves are far more efficient in using energy induction. They can boil a pot of water in about half the time of a conventional gas stove. Induction stoves generate heat electromagnetically, different from standard electric stoves.

Induction stoves can be expensive so a single induction burner may be an alternative. This one is from Aldi and retails from about $40-$45. Pan size is very important when using induction cooktops. If your pan is too large for the induction surface it won’t work. Also, pans need to be flat. Since heat is generated electromagnetically you need to have the correct pan. If your pan is all copper or all aluminum it will not work on induction. Stainless steel, cast iron, and carbon steel pans all work well. If your pan is layered with a variety of metals check with the manufacturer to see if it will work. Caraway, Ninja Neverstick, and the Always pan all claim to work on induction.
Check out Chef Jon Kung here on YouTube for more about Induction cooking. He uses a very cool NuWave induction wok burner with a carbon steel wok. I’m very tempted to buy one!
Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/3IQLYhb
The United States Inflation Reduction Act includes rebates of up to $840 for buyers purchasing electric or induction stoves. Check the act for details to see if you qualify.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-c...