Gas stoves are a hot topic. A new study linked them to one in eight cases of childhood asthma, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said it would consider banning them, and Republicans expressed anger at the very proposal.
At the same time, federal and state policies are looking to boost gas stoves’ main competition—the conventional electric stove and the hyped induction stove.
What does this all mean to you? We’ll break it down in this explainer.
Are gas stoves a source of indoor air pollution?
No doubt, yes. There are two ways gas stoves pollute your home. The first is the most obvious: when they are used. The hot gas creates heat that causes nitrogen and oxygen to combine in the flames. These combine to create nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide, known as NOx, which can irritate the lungs. But that’s not the only compound you need to worry about. Cooking with gas can also release carbon monoxide, particulate matter and even formaldehyde. All of them have different harmful effects on health and can affect the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
There’s probably a more insidious form of pollution emanating from your stove. More and more research shows that 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 taken in California homes. Other chemicals found include xylene, toluene and ethylbenzene, which can also cause respiratory problems and cancer.
Talor Gruenwald, lead author of the new asthma study and a researcher at Rewiring America, said the finding “shows that this is a real public health challenge that we need to address.”
How much pollution are we talking about here?
A lot. The PSE Health Energy study found that gas stoves can emit as much benzene as a cigarette, making them similar to secondhand smoke.
“You can get the same level of benzene just by having the stove off in your house as you would expect to see as a house with a smoker in it,” said Seth Shonkoff, executive director of PSE Energy Health and research associate at the University of California, Berkeley.
This, of course, only when the stove is turned off. A study published last year found that NOx emissions when the stove is in use can exceed federal safety standards for outdoor air quality within minutes. For this reason, Shonkoff calls stoves “stationary air pollution machines in people’s homes,” albeit ones that aren’t subject to the same outdoor air pollution standards.
Grunwald also compared stoves to having a smoker around, saying, “The stove is honestly going to be the main source of pollution if you don’t live in a smoker’s home.”
Gas stoves are also terrible for the climate. Methane emissions from gas stoves in the US are equivalent to adding 500,000 cars to the road each year.
Can you test for gas stove contamination at home?
Not exactly. While there are various indoor air quality sensors for things like carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter, there are no inexpensive home versions to test for NOx, benzene, and other household pollutants. There are somewhat affordable gas leak detection tools, but Shonkoff said they’re more geared toward significant leaks than everyday gas stove emissions. (And if you ever smell gas, call your utility or 911 immediately.)
He added that the tools used by academics cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Does using a hood/vent make a difference?
Absolutely yes. Turning this vent on while cooking is vital to getting air pollution out. This is of course not the ideal solution as it simply turns indoor air pollution into outdoor air pollution. But it’s better than having it in high concentrations in your home, where it can cause more damage to your lungs.
What else can be done to reduce indoor air pollution from gas stoves?
For those who don’t have a hood over their stove (like me), Shonkoff said even opening the windows is a good tactic to clear the air. Even better would be to put a fan in the window to help suck out the indoor air.
Of course, the best way to reduce gas stove pollution is to not have a gas stove in the first place.
What are the alternatives to the gas stove?
Electric stoves come in two main variants: standard and induction. Standard electric stoves run electricity through a wire to generate thermal heat.
Induction stoves are more and more modern. Instead of generating thermal heat, induction stoves generate heat electromagnetically. When you turn on an induction stove, electricity flows through a coil that creates a magnetic field. I won’t go into exactly how it heats your pots and pans (more info here if you’re interested), but it does.
What you need to know is that the magnetic field directly heats pots and pans—and their contents—rather than transferring heat like traditional stoves do. The stove itself does not heat up. You can actually turn on an induction burner and put your hand on it. (Just don’t do it after a hot pot has been on the surface.) Also, unlike traditional electric stoves, induction stoves don’t take time to heat up. This makes them more similar to gas stoves. But they are more efficient than gas stoves. Tests show they can bring a pot of water to a boil in half the time of a gas stove.
How much does an induction stove cost compared to a gas stove?
Switching from gas to induction can be expensive. A cursory glance at major retailer Lowe’s shows that the cheapest gas stove is $529, while the cheapest induction stove is $1,199 at press time.
Switching from gas to induction comes with other costs. Induction cooktops don’t plug into standard wall outlets, so an electrician will likely need to rewire your kitchen. And induction stoves only work with certain types of pots and pans. If you own a set of copper or aluminum cookware, you may need to invest in new pots and pans.
Are there ways to cut costs?
You’re in luck because the answer is yes. If you’re curious about induction and want to dip your toe in, there are plenty of single-burner induction cooktops to get you started. Wirecutter’s top pick costs $117, making it a reasonable entry point, while its budget pick is even cheaper. You could buy four and put them on your gas stove and voila, you have an induction range for less than $500. However, this is a cumbersome solution.
In the US, the Inflation Reduction Act includes rebates of up to $840 for buyers purchasing an induction or electric stove. If you earn less than 80% of the median household income in your area, you qualify for the full discount. For those earning between 80% and 150% of the median household income, you can get a discount of up to half the cost of a new stove.
For people switching from gas to electric, there is an additional $500 to cover installation costs. Rewiring America has a calculator to find out what stove tax credits and rebates and other electrification benefits you qualify for under the Inflation Reduction Act.
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