Gas stoves: We’ve got hybrid cars. Why not a plug-in hybrid kitchen? | Opinion
You’ve likely heard something about the gas-stove feud of 2023. The latest round of this “hotly contested” debate between gas-stove lovers and others was sparked by a comment from a commissioner with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in January.
Citing dangers to indoor air quality, the commissioner proposed a ban on gas stoves. But his agency quickly walked it back after a culture war erupted.
The gas stove debate has reignited environmentalists to promote giving up gas stoves as a way to eliminate avoidable fossil fuel combustion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
I would have expected any mention of the word “ban” in the same sentence as “gas stoves” to initiate a passion-infused uproar. As an instructor at Appalachian State University, I’ve been working as a physicist in this space of energy efficient and climate change-friendly cooking and food choices for years. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that people who cook on gas love cooking on gas.
I can appreciate their passion. Many of gas cooking traditions are deeply rooted in cultural recipes which should be embraced and cherished. So, I offer a suggestion that provides the opportunity for people to keep their gas stoves and still improve the indoor air quality of their homes — and help reduce their home’s greenhouse gas emissions.
My suggestion: Hybridize your kitchen. It’s akin to driving a hybrid vehicle. I drive one so that I can enjoy the benefits of a fossil fuel engine while reducing my vehicle’s greenhouse gas emissions. We can do the same in the kitchen. Allow me to explain....
Hybrid kitchen step 1:
Keep your gas stove — ensuring that the exhaust hood works well and, in fact, does exhaust outside — and purchase a single-burner electric induction cooktop. Or, if you’re building new or remodeling a kitchen, consider a two-burner gas stove next to a two-burner induction stove. Congratulations! You now have a plug-in hybrid. You have retained your beloved gas stove and can use it for all those applications for which the flair and flash of the flame is part of the preparation. I’m thinking about high-temperature cast-iron sears and stir fries on a fiery carbon-steel wok.
However, for any cooktop job that could be as effectively served by an induction cooktop, use your electric induction unit. If your only experience with electric cooking is an old-school coil resistance or flat-top radiant cooktop, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.
Hybrid kitchen step 2:
Commit to the hybrid kitchen game-plan. Keep your induction cooktop out and easily accessible. If you are accustomed to turning to that satisfying “whoosh” of the flame when it comes time to brew your nightly cup of tea or reheat that bowl of soup, this may take some time. Start slow and be kind to yourself as you evolve in this new habit and increasingly turn to this magical electromagnet to cook quickly for you. You’ll learn that the induction cooktop is impressively responsive — more akin to the gas stove than to any electric resistance or radiant cooktop.
Hybrid kitchen step 3:
Expand to other appliances. The great kitchen-hybridization doesn’t stop with just an induction cooktop. Other electric appliances reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. As more and more of our national electric grid becomes powered by renewable energy (wind, solar and hydro), you’ll be able to ride that wave into our renewable energy future.
I say, give it a try. We can drop our polarity, support each other and produce delicious meals in our kitchen. Fire up the stove — and the electric induction burner — and cook up something delicious. Then, invite friends, family, neighbors over to share a meal and show off your new plug-in hybrid kitchen.
Buon appetito!
Carla Ramsdell is a faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. She writes the KnowWattsCooking.com food blog.
