Gas cooking is hazardous to your health

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I used to swear by gas stoves but once I went Corning flat-top electric, I never looked back.

No more "tick-tick-tick-tick POOF!" or worse, it doesn't ignite and you have to wait a while. And no more worrying if the pilot went out and you're breathing CO.

Now, us CAJUNS like to cook outdoors on our propane burners and big pots, so don't mess with that. But inside the house, the modern electric stove and oven with digital controls are alot more precise and easy to use once you get used to it.

One of my favorite little appliances is a West Bend electric cooker that uses a thermostat control. It works great for a small one-pot meal and it can cook slow OR fast depending on how much you crank the thermostat. It IS submersible and it's dishwasher safe. I rescued it from Chalmette, cleaned it (in the DW) and sure enough, it still works. My mom made a beef stew in it yesterday, set it to "simmer", went to church, came back to a delicious slow-cooked beef stew.
 
I don't *#^#^^#!* care!

I MISS gas cooktop cooking!

I find it harder to stirfry well on an electric coil.

If I am ever in a position to choose all my appliances again, I want gas cooktop and electric ovens A good dual fuel will find a loving home with me.

If I am in a position to design my kitchen, I want 6 gas burners of varying output levels, and two electric elements for simmering and things like that.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
Gosh!

Been living in houses with gas cooking exclusively for 45 years, and somehow I'm not dead yet.

Mom's been doing the same thing for 75 years and she's still kicking.

I think gas cooking is only hazardous to your health if you stick you head in the effing oven!

veg
 
Tried electric and burned every damn thing. Give me a gas stove any day. Instant on, instant off, no hot coils or cooktops. 'Nuff said!!!
 
What is REALLY sick IMHO is the sky-high prices (in the US) of dual-fuel ranges / cookers.

In Europe one of the top-burners amoung four in total- three being gas ones- can be an electric *HOB* [cast-iron electric element], which appears to be realtively common-place and inexpensive.

(Electricity is techincally not a fuel, but we shall overlook this litle factoid).
 
Well, I personally think induction will be an outstanding replacement for gas. It will stir-fry even hotter than gas form waht I've heard. Jetcone, wehre are u!!!!
 
I agree with Bob. The only form of electric cooking I'd leave gas for is induction.

It's a mystery to me why full-on induction cooktops and ranges are not available in the USA for reasonable pricing.

However I really don't think gas is all that dangerous in the typical home, which undergoes many changes of air from natural diffusion through the day. And a modern, air-tight home should have a heat or energy recovery ventilator to handle other serious indoor air quality threats, such as from various cleaners, hair sprays, furnishing material outgassing, paints, and even from normal human digestive processes (ahem).

It's my undersanding that burning a single candle, or burning or scorching food, puts more CO and pollutants into the indoor air than a properly functioning pilotless range will.
 
From the Aerias link, here are some sound recommendations regarding safe stove usage - and many of them apply to electric ranges, as well:

Here is what you can do to prevent indoor air problems caused by stoves:

Cover all pots when cooking to reduce moisture that could lead to biological contaminants.

Run a ventilation fan that exhausts to the outside when cooking. A circulating fan may remove some cooking odors from the air, but it will not remove moisture.

Only buy a gas stove that has been tested and certified to meet current safety standards. Examples of certifying organizations are Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the American Gas Association (AGA) Laboratories. Look for a label that clearly shows the certification.

Use pilotless (electronic) ignition on gas appliances. These appliances are usually more energy efficient and eliminate the continuous low-level pollutants from pilot lights.

Install and use an exhaust fan vented to outdoors over gas stoves. Remove and clean the metal mesh filters on your range hoods with detergent when they begin to look grimy (most can be put in the dishwasher). "Ductless" range hoods are not effective because they exhaust into the house rather than outside; add a duct or replace the hood with one vented to the outside (ducted).

NEVER use a gas oven or range to heat your home—even for a short time! According to the CDC, between 1988 and 1994, almost 7.7 million people used their gas stove or oven for heat at least once during the previous year. This dangerous practice was most common among rural, low-income, and African-American households.3

Supply adequate outdoor make-up air for combustion if you use a gas range so there will not be backdrafting into the indoor environment.

Have a trained professional inspect your gas range every year.
 
I have inspected many a large apt. buildng with the stoves running for heat.

I usually comment about it in my appraisal and a fussy lender will get the problem corrected. ("It's for yor own good"...LOL)

Real bad for health and air quality. Sadly the tenants usually DO pay for gas (some don't) and electric oil-filled raidiator are available realtively inexpensively.

IMHO, if I were a landlord I'd include a wall-mounted eletric heater [on tenants' meter] so my tenants could supplement the heat the lanlord is required to furnish here in NYC. Note: normally tenants in NYC, have no control over getting additional heat, they can limit what is provided however.

http://www99.shopping.com/xGS-oil_filled_electric_heaters
 
I have cooked on electric for the last 22 years and the prior 20 were with gas. Personally I can see no difference. They both get hot and they both cool down. The chef is the one with the problems. You have to change your cooking techniques depending on which fuel you use and style of cooktop. I have seen people switching from gas to electric and electric to gas and seem to think there is only one burner setting " HI ". I believe that every cooktop today has controls to adjust the burners, It is the chefs job to learn how they work. Cooking is a fun science, you experiment until you get it right. I have burned or undercooked many things, it was never the stoves fault it is the chefs. Machines only do what we tell them to
 
Oh, for crying out loud!

From the Aerias link: "Cover all pots when cooking to reduce moisture that could lead to biological contaminants"

I've got a lot of things to worry about, but getting toxic mold from boiling pasta isn't on the list.

Hmmm. Wonder if they stopped to consider that one will eventually have to uncover those potentially deadly pots. Then the steam will go where...?

Trying to convince someone to give up gas cooking is like a vegetarian trying to get someone to give up meat.

veg
 
Gimme gas anyday

It's easier to light a cigarette from the burners.
And I have only singed my eyelashes twice...
I remember trying to do on a KM flat cook top I had back in '97-half the tobacco would stick to the top. LOL
I now have a nice collection of zippos, but I still occasionally use the stove to light one up.
Besides, when the electricity goes out during storms, hurricanes, etc...I can still cook.
But honestly, at the prices of NG at my house lately, I am about ready to go to electric.....
Nah...

I'll shut up now.
 
I've grown up with both gas and electric stoves and have to say that I am looking forward to going back to gas. Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with electirc stoves, I just prefer gas.

I think that's what it all boils down to. It's all about preference.

Kind of like some people like Fords others Dodges and other Chevys.
 
When i had an apartment i was stuck with electric cooking...i never really got used to it. Been cooking with gas all my life and would only switch if 30" induction ranges ever hit the market.

I think we have FAR more worries in the processed foods we eat everyday.

BTW Steve, you should write the manufacturers of gas ranges and let them know how you feel.
 
now we're cookin' with gas!

I only cook with gas. Hate cooking on electric stoves! At least when you lower the heat with gas,you do not have to remove the pan from the burner. The temp. changes are "right now" and that is what I like.
 
Does this mean I should stop heating my kitchen and living room by turning on the oven, Toggles? All the gas on gas stoves that heat many of the triple deckers in Boston! Oye.
Bobby in Boston
 
As far as stir frying, use a pan or wok with a flat bottom, especially on an electric surface unit and do not use that ring. This puts the heat at the bottom where it is supposed to be in traditional wok cooking, not going up the side with the usual gas burner. Commercial gas wok burners focus the flame inward at the bottom. Using the flat bottom wok or other stir fry pan gives excellent results on my 1954 Frigidaire range. We took two 208 volt elements from an old Frigidaire apartment range and replaced the front 8 and 6 inch elements with the 208 volt ones. When that 6 inch element gets hot under a pan for stir frying, it does not let the pan temperature drop when the veggies are added.
 

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