AD PRO | May 18, 2023
By Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Jesse Dorris, Christina Poletto, Dan Howarth, Alia Akkam, and Kyle Hoepner
‘AD100 Designers, Celeb Chefs, and More’ Reveal the Layouts, Appliances, Storage Solutions, and Other Elements that Clients Want Now.
The Great Gas Range Debate: Ignited by the controversial—yet mostly unfounded—rumour of a gas stove ban, AD PRO asks which type of range designers and energy experts prefer.
Early this year when a gas stove ban rumour was swirling, it raised more questions than answers. Which option is the safest, most energy efficient, and most cost effective? What do designers prefer? How about chefs? And should you be switching your client’s (or your own!) gas kitchen to electric in case a ban eventually ensues?
What’s the difference?
With their identifiable blue flames, gas stoves have been around since British inventor James Sharp’s patent in 1826. By the 1920s, they were common in most domestic kitchens, and today, around 40% of Americans have a gas stove at home. Fuelled by natural gas that’s piped into the stove and ignited by a controlled spark, the open flame can be adjusted quickly and easily using dials. The size of the flame is a fair visual indicator of how much heat it’s emitting.
Electric stoves are a newer invention surging in popularity around the 1930s as
an alternative to gas. Over the past 50 years, advances in technology have
seen their once identifiable exposed coils replaced with much sleeker glass or
ceramic surfaces, which heat the underside of pans based on a predetermined
setting.
“The general thing to remember is that electric cooktops are slower to heat and cool compared to gas, which is more responsive and can easily adjust the flame,” says chef and author Andy Baraghani, who has extensive experience using both. There is also induction. A type of electric power, induction uses an electromagnetic field to heat up the cookware, rather than the range surface. This is “way more efficient than a regular electric cooktop,” according to Baraghani.
“It heats up almost instantaneously, you can precisely regulate the temperature, and it takes about half the time to bring a pot of water to a boil versus on a gas stove.”
Although this technology has been around for some time, it only represented a small percentage of electric stoves in US homes until recently. Cost has been a prohibitive factor, and induction only works with certain types of iron-based cookware. But it’s gaining traction. A February 2023 report by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers found that induction cooktops now make up about one-third of all electric cooktops, a 6% increase over the previous year. For many, the type of stove in their kitchen is determined by the energy source available to the property. It is possible to switch; during a kitchen or full-home renovation is the perfect time to do so.
Health and Safety
One of the main concerns around gas ranges is safety. Leaks, flames, and fumes can all result in serious and potentially fatal accidents, as well as ongoing health issues. When Consumer Reports tested gas-range emissions, it found nitrogen dioxide levels that exceeded the levels recommended by the World Health Organization. This makes ventilation essential to cooking with a gas range. In addition to using a range hood every time you cook, you may want to open a window to bring in fresh air.
Carbon monoxide and particulate matter are also unleashed by gas stoves, and all of them are linked to respiratory illness. A peer-reviewed International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health study connected nearly 13% of childhood asthma cases to gas-burning stoves.
For these reasons, Belinda Gilbey, CEO of Bondi Energy, is in the business of electrifying buildings. “Health and safety are key benefits of electric stoves over gas,” she says. “Obviously, there is no
open flame with an electric stove, which can be a fire hazard, nor the risk of carbon monoxide fumes, which ca n be harmful or deadly.”
Energy and Cost
Gas stoves are not only potentially dangerous to us, they’re also harmful for the planet. Their effects on climate change prompted more than 50 cities and counties in California last year to put an end to gas hookups in new buildings. And just recently, New York’s state legislature passed a measure to phase out the use of fossil fuels in new residential construction, forbidding the installation of gas-powered stoves, furnaces, or propane heating in new buildings under seven stories by 2026. (Taller buildings will follow in 2029.)
The topic is proving to be a sticking point for eco-conscious homeowners. “We are absolutely seeing a sharp uptick in the market for electrified solutions,” Gilbey says. “Homeowners are looking to save on energy costs and avoid carbon-based fines and taxes.” She notes that installing an energy-efficient heat pump can further reduce emissions and bills, but this does require an investment.
“The downside is that some of these technologies can be more expensive to install upfront,” Gilbey adds, acknowledging that electric stoves require extra electrical capacity to run, and upgrading to a
higher amperage circuit can be costly, particularly if your kitchen is far away from the home’s electrical panel.
However, those wishing to switch from gas to electric ranges could receive help from the US government’s recent climate spending bill, which includes rebates of up to $840 for the purchase of new electric ranges.
