Gas stoves pollute homes with benzene, which is linked to cancer

MobBarley@beehaw.org to World News@beehaw.org – 66 points –
npr.org
20

We recently switched to induction at home. The benefits are awesome:

  • no smell
  • much higher efficiency
  • automatically turns off when there are no pots on the stove
  • a special mode for frying which regulates the temperature of oil to prevent it from burning
  • no heat leaking to the sides of the pot, so the handles remain cold (of course until heat conductivity comes to play)

Absolutely no regrets.

Induction is amazing. No downsides compared to any other technology (maybe except price, but it's not that crazy anymore either).

I cannot understand why anyone would use anything else in a new kitchen.

I think the only downside is the parts are astronomical should something break or need replacement. Otherwise I’d love a cooktop.

Which brand did you pick up? I'm shopping.

This has been known for a while, but this information seems to be gaining more traction lately with the general public. The recommendations are to ensure you have an exhaust fan that vents to the outside above your range, and to use it each and every time your range is turned on. Of course, that's not something most people do.

Glad my new house has an induction range. I love cooking with gas stoves, and have done so for most of my life, but these studies about the emission of benzene and other pollutants from natural gas has had me rethinking this. Until recently I was using a gas range without any active ventilation, at best I opened the kitchen window and used a fan to try and exhaust heat and smoke from cooking when necessary. Now, having used induction for a while, I can say that I barely miss my old gas stove. I just hope, like smoking, any damage I’ve incurred will repair itself with time.

Keep in mind you should still ventilate when cooking on induction, even when not actively burning your food, it still generates lots of nasty stuff

I knew ordering out instead of cooking on my gas stove was a good thing!

Btw, looks like you accidentally posted this 4x. Do you maybe want to delete the other three to focus the discussion?

While there are risk factors associated with gas appliances, I think it’s incredibly high handed to just tell people to go buy non gas appliances. Good ventilation should be absolutely codified in municipal codes, but not everyone can just eat the ancillary costs associated with swapping out new stoves and fuel sources.

In a world where everyone owns their home I'd probably agree.

In markets where almost everyone is renting, pushing safety costs onto the owner makes sense to me, renters have no financial incentive to upgrade and usually aren't allowed anyways.

EV charging faces some similar hurdles, and in both cases lawmakers seem skittish about imposing costs specifically onto landlords like this. If the property is owned explicitly for turning a profit, it seems reasonable to expect them to invest in stuff like this too.

e: and if those costs are too high... there's a long line of people who'd love the landlords to fuck off and sell it back to the market.

I’d be interested to know the number of houses/ apartments that had gas ranges. I never met a landlord who’d give you anything beyond a coil top.

I've only had it in colder climates where gas is a prerequisite for heat (be it forced air or steam boiler). In warmer areas I've always had electric.

Definitely been trying to use the vents consistently. I am looking at getting a free-standing induction burner just to give me some more flexibility.

And I read this as I was contemplating a gas heater. Guess they'll be a no then.

Time to get better clothing.

Heat pumps ftw

Not going to happen.

I'm in a squat. It'll be demolished soon. The site clear felled and scraped to bare earth. Then another soulless cookie cutter box will be built and surrounded with a lawn desert.