The appetite for regulatory overreach by un-elected professional bureaucrats is insatiable. This time, “Science” suddenly says that gas stoves are the new cigarettes. The federal government is no longer sure whether it’s possible, after over 100 years of widespread usage, to safely operate a gas-powered stove. 40 percent of homes in the U.S. use gas powered stoves. All of a sudden the EPA and World Health Organization declare the gas stove emissions to be unsafe.
What's Next? Gas Stoves Are "Racist"?
Senator Cory Booker (D., N.J.) and Representative Don Beyer (D., Va.) wrote a letter to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) last month urging the agency to address the issue and calling the harmfully "racist" emissions a “cumulative burden” on black, Latino and low-income households. WOW!!!
Citing bogus "scientific" studies that link gas stoves to health problems, the power hungry CPSC official Richard Trumka said last month (December 2022) that his agency is keeping the possibility of a ban in mind, because it’s a powerful tool in their tool belt. Trumka continued stating that the commission could set standards on emissions from the gas stoves, or even look to ban the manufacture or import of the appliances. The regulation could happen in 2023.
Meanwhile, a new culture war battle has broken out over gas stoves, with Republicans arguing that talk of a federal ban is an example of government overreach into the lives of Americans.
“Don’t tread on Florida, and don’t mess with gas stoves!” tweeted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) last week in response to comments from a member of the federal CPSC that a ban might one day be possible given health concerns about the stoves.
“God. Guns. Gas stoves,” tweeted Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) listed banning gas stoves as being among policies that he described as “Democrat authoritarian impulses.”
The Bogus Scientific Study
The bogus asthma study that has triggered the latest uproar was funded by RMI, an environmental group with the radical goal of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 50 percent within the next seven years. Its lead author is part of the group’s Carbon-Free Buildings initiative. The study was not based on any actual scientific research on the human body in regards to the effects of a gas stove in the house during normal use. Like every other BS we have been introduced as "science" during last few years, this study was based on looking at previous studies from North America, making extrapolations about the number of children living in homes with gas stoves from data in the American Housing Survey, and then coming up with a mathematical formula to get the result that the authors wanted.
Important Reasons Why I, Chef Janine, and My Professional Chef Friends Prefer Gas Stoves
If I, Chef Janine, had to name the one single thing that will drastically improved your cooking game, it is definitely switching to a gas stove. There are a few important reasons why I and my professional chef friends are raving about. There are key advantages that gas ranges have over electric ones. Most important of all, not only do gas ranges heat up faster, they work better with varied cookware.
In a recent survey conducted among 100 professional chefs across the United States, 96 reported that they prefer to use gas cooktops, and 68 also prefer gas ovens. Even if you're not a professional chef, there's no reason that you can't cook like one using a gas stove.
My opinion: Gas Stove ban is another assault on restaurant industry!
San Francisco restaurant owners, already simmering over covid-19 restrictions, are ready to boil over because of a city ban on natural gas stoves in new buildings. Restaurant owners say it’s an outrageous, unnecessary law that will make expansions and opening in new restaurants impossible. It puts salt in the wounds of businesses agonizing over covid restrictions, they add.
Here are my top reasons to use gas stoves:
Speed of Response
The biggest advantage that gas cooktops have over electric ones is their fast response. When ignited, gas burners respond immediately, while electric burners take several minutes to reach the same temperature. Gas burners also cool faster, allowing you to take a rolling boil down to a simmer in no time.
These kind of controls are is especially important when cooking delicate things like sauces. For some sauces, hot temperatures that last too long could mean the difference between a perfect creamy consistency and a runny failure.
Easier to Control
Like the speed of heat control response, gas ranges are also much better manageable than electric burners.
Seventy-two percent of the professional chefs surveyed cited greater control over temperature as one of the primary reasons for their preference. With electric burners, you sometimes have to move the pan away from the burner to help the contents cool faster, but with gas you don't, which makes it the far more convenient option.
Usability with Varied Cookware
In addition to better control, gas ranges also superior in terms of cookware usability. Flat electric cooktops are fine if you only use perfectly flat-bottomed pans and pots, but most of the time that isn't possible.
For example, if you have an over-sized skillet with a slightly curved bottom, it will still receive the same heat over the entire bottom surface on top of a gas burner, while the electric burner will lack proper contact across the entire bottom surface, thus only a part of the bottom will make contact with the hot surface, and as a result, will cook the contents unevenly.
Woks are another type of cookware that gas stoves complement perfectly. Woks are designed to be used over an open flame, so clearly, gas is the winner.
Simple to Clean
If you cook on an electric range, you are probably no stranger to the stubborn messes they incur. With electric, you either have to clean under cumbersome and unsightly burners, or scrub the burnt food spills on your flat cooktop while using a special cleaning agent and trying not to scratch the surface. Again, gas stove is the winner. With gas burners, all you have to do is remove the steel grate, wipe away errant crumbs and food, and use a multipurpose cleaning spray like 409 to remove cooked-on spills.
Inexpensive Maintenance
Along with easier cleaning, gas stoves are easier to maintain and troubleshoot. If you've purchased a used gas stove or recently move into an apartment with one, you'll want to deep clean not only the surface and grates, but also the heating elements. Here's a step-by-step guide from WikiHow on how to do that.
Newer electric ranges that have digital controls may seem more convenient; that is, until they break. This most likely means spending an arm and a leg for an appliance repair service.
In conclusion, if you want the ease and convenience that professional chefs enjoy when cooking with gas, weigh your options and consider making the switch.