Do you have a gas stove?

[mommyoffive]

I am reading this and thinking oh man I want to replace our gas stove. 

Gas stoves can leak chemicals linked to cancer, mounting evidence shows (msn.com)

Do you have a gas stove? 

Are you thinking of replacing it? 

[livetoread]

I used to want one because while I've learned to cook fine on my glass smooth top, I thought it would be nice to be able to adjust the temperature more quickly. Now I'll pass thanks. I could still be tempted by an induction one that is supposed to also allow for precise temperature adjustment.

If I moved into a house that had a gas one, I'd look into getting rid of it. Can't say I would for sure, but I would definitely explore my options carefully.

[prairiewindmomma]

I do and we plan to get rid of it when we do our kitchen remodel in a few years.

[Arcadia]

I have had a gas stove in all the homes I lived in. Good ventilation and an efficient exhaust hood are key factors. My husband does worry about the potential health hazards. I also use my slow cooker and air fryer so it’s not like every meal is cooked using my gas stove.

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I do and we plan to get rid of it when we do our kitchen remodel in a few years.

Have you looked into the cost of that?

[itsheresomewhere]

This is one thing I am not worried about.  Honestly, having good ventilation is the key for all.  So many things might cause cancer and even with our high family history, my gas stove will stay. 

Edited October 21, 2022 by itsheresomewhere

[Selkie]

We've only ever had electric, which makes me grateful in light of the information about the dangers of gas. Love our electric glass top stove.

[Clarita]

I love my gas stove. No I'm not getting rid of it. I'm definitely not going back to electric stove. I even live in California, our windows are open a lot only a few days out of the entire year where the weather isn't nice enough to open up my windows. For the past few years there have been more days where I have to keep the windows closed because of wildfire smoke than I do for temperature reasons. It certainly feels like there is more toxic stuff in some of the wildfire smoke than coming off of my gas stove. 

[Mom_to3]

1 hour ago, mommyoffive said:

I am reading this and thinking oh man I want to replace our gas stove. 

Gas stoves can leak chemicals linked to cancer, mounting evidence shows (msn.com)

Do you have a gas stove? 

Are you thinking of replacing it? 

Odd that the emissions seem to be much worse in some parts of the country than others (CA vs MA)...Yes, we do have a gas stove, and we are definitely not getting rid of it (perhaps if we lived in CA, we might...very odd). Appreciate being able to cook during power outages. And tbh, we are probably all being polluted and filled with plastics etc right now anyway (perhaps the cumulative organ damage of repeat covid infections will kill us before cancer from gas stoves gets to us lol).

[regentrude]

I have a gas stove and am not worried about it.

[prairiewindmomma]

1 hour ago, mommyoffive said:

Have you looked into the cost of that?

Yeah, a couple of hundred to cap the line + cost of new stove.

For us, it’s been running the CO2 monitor and seeing how our CO2 levels jump in the rooms above the kitchen that has led us to be more concerned. We thought for a time it was our old stove, but when it died and we replaced it the gas situation did not improve. Our line is fine, our ventilation should be more than adequate, it’s just that natural gas is much more toxic than I think we all thought it was.

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Yeah, a couple of hundred to cap the line + cost of new stove.

For us, it’s been running the CO2 monitor and seeing how our CO2 levels jump in the rooms above the kitchen that has led us to be more concerned. We thought for a time it was our old stove, but when it died and we replaced it the gas situation did not improve. Our line is fine, our ventilation should be more than adequate, it’s just that natural gas is much more toxic than I think we all thought it was.

Thank you so much for that.  Wow, that is simple.  

[prairiewindmomma]

@mommyoffive, we don’t have to upgrade our electrical box because our current stove is dual fuel. So, I should caveat my answer by saying in some rare instances you may have to upgrade your plug to 220v if you don’t already have an 220v plug, and you may have to boost your electrical box. When we did that in a different house, for a different reason, it was like $500. 

[Carol in Cal.]

I do, and I’m not getting rid of it.

I find the timing of these studies very suspicious.  ‘Suddenly’ we should all be electric.  Just like ‘suddenly’ we should all have electric cars.

News flash:  I live in CA, where brown outs and PSPS’s and outright power outages are commonplace.  I will never willingly put all my eggs in one energy source basket.  That’s just crazy talk.

[GailV]

We have gas and will be keeping it.  

For that matter, my parents had a gas clothes dryer -- cheaper to run than electric. 

 

[Katy]

I was raised with the idea that in hurricane country it was never a good idea to have an electric stove. But I’ve known several people who switched to induction when they got a generator.  

[kristin0713]

I’ve always had gas. Recently got duel fuel with our new build (gas range, electric oven.) I love it and I’m not worried. I know I would *hate* cooking on an electric cooktop, I’m way too impatient and particular. 

[madteaparty]

Yes and not replacing it. ETA I guess mine is propane. 
but I don’t use a microwave so I figure my risk is completely balanced 🤣

Edited October 22, 2022 by madteaparty

[whitestavern]

I love cooking but could not cook on anything other than a gas stove. There’s risk in everything, really. 

[heartlikealion]

New ovens off gas, too so while upgrading you're exposed to toxins. This oven I have now stunk many, many times after first use. I heated it up to high temps, ran it an hour, opened windows. Still stunk many uses later. It was awful. I don't want to deal with brand new appliances that heat up. Toaster ovens do it, too. 

[plansrme]

Yes. I also have a gas dryer, gas hot water and gas heat. I am not getting rid of any of them. If I lived somewhere without natural gas, I would still have a propane-fueled stove. I agree with not putting all of my energy eggs in one basket. But I also believe in good natural ventilation.

[annandatje]

Yes, I  own a nice gas stove.  Have no intention of replacing with electric stove.

[Spy Car]

The only way I'm giving up my gas stove is if you can pry it from by dying cancer-ridden fingers--and good luck with that. LOL

Bill

[City Mouse]

I have had gas stoves for over 30yrs and 3 houses  along with gas water heater, dryer, heating. I current live in a well ventilated home (very old and drafty 😀). 

There are too many unknowns in that report for me to worry about my gas stove being toxic, and I have lived with too many extended power outages to rely only on electrical appliances. 

Edited October 21, 2022 by City Mouse

[TravelingChris]

No,, but if we ever get our kitchen remodel, I will try to put that in.  Both dh and I prefer cooking on gas.

[Roadrunner]

3 hours ago, Clarita said:

I love my gas stove. No I'm not getting rid of it. I'm definitely not going back to electric stove. I even live in California, our windows are open a lot only a few days out of the entire year where the weather isn't nice enough to open up my windows. For the past few years there have been more days where I have to keep the windows closed because of wildfire smoke than I do for temperature reasons. It certainly feels like there is more toxic stuff in some of the wildfire smoke than coming off of my gas stove. 

Exactly this! 

[Corraleno]

I plan to replace the gas cooktop and separate wall oven with an induction stove when I remodel the kitchen next year. Induction is even faster and more responsive than gas, more energy efficient, and since the surface itself doesn't get hot, food splatters & spills don't get baked on. My pots and pans are already induction-friendly, so that's not an issue. We rarely have power outages here, and when it does happen it usually lasts less than a day, so if I couldn't cook I'd just eat salads, fruit, nuts, yogurt, granola, etc. (If I lived in an area where power outages were more common and lasted for days, I'd probably just get an outdoor grill.)

[Pawz4me]

12 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

I plan to replace the gas cooktop and separate wall oven with an induction stove when I remodel the kitchen next year. Induction is even faster and more responsive than gas, more energy efficient, and since the surface itself doesn't get hot, food splatters & spills don't get baked on. My pots and pans are already induction-friendly, so that's not an issue. We rarely have power outages here, and when it does happen it usually lasts less than a day, so if I couldn't cook I'd just eat salads, fruit, nuts, yogurt, granola, etc. (If I lived in an area where power outages were more common and lasted for days, I'd probably just get an outdoor grill.)

I just bought an induction range. It should be delivered in a couple of weeks and I can't wait! 

We've got a two burner camp stove that works fine for power outages, so that's not a concern.

[Laura Corin]

When we remodel we'll have an induction hob plus a separate gas wok ring.  I'm not worried about the risks of gas but like induction and the easier clean up.

[Tree Frog]

The link requires me to download the app before I can read the meat of the article, so here's another article. Do it they say pretty much the same thing?

I've had a chronic cough for the last 4 years and suspect it's something in the house that's causing allergies. (Doctor's have confirmed it's allergies, but are unable to determine what I'm allergic to.) We have a gas stove and love it, but if it's leaking and causing this cough, I'll get rid of it. 

[fairfarmhand]

 

17 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I do, and I’m not getting rid of it.

I find the timing of these studies very suspicious.  ‘Suddenly’ we should all be electric.  Just like ‘suddenly’ we should all have electric cars.

News flash:  I live in CA, where brown outs and PSPS’s and outright power outages are commonplace.  I will never willingly put all my eggs in one energy source basket.  That’s just crazy talk.

But ironically, many electric plants burn fossil fuels. Is that really better? I don't know how it all works out as to which is ultimately leading to more pollution.

[MEmama]

We do and won’t be changing to electric.

I am reassured that we can cook (and make coffee, and heat water for makeshift showers) during power outages; that and having a generator to run the pellet stove really reduce my anxiety about storms. There are probably 106 other ways my house is conspiring to slowly do us in, lol.

 I honestly can’t be fussed about every new scare article; next week there will be a report that we need gas appliances to reduce the strain on the electric grid. I can’t keep up.

[Longtime Lurker]

We have a gas stove/oven and I have been considering replacing it for a somewhat different reason. Both DH and DS have occasionally leaned on the knobs (on the front) and turned the gas on without realizing it. If I am near the room, I notice immediately. But for some reason, DH does not notice and I have come home a few times (over the past few years) with the gas on in the kitchen! So I am wondering if electric would be safer for our family. I always worry about the burners staying hot for so long after they're turned off with electric, but maybe that is not so much of a concern anymore. I grew up with an electric stove but I am thinking of 40 years ago.

[Innisfree]

3 minutes ago, Longtime Lurker said:

I always worry about the burners staying hot for so long after they're turned off with electric, but maybe that is not so much of a concern anymore.

You might like induction. The burners never get very hot, since the pans are heated directly, and heat transfer from them is the only reason the burners get warm at all. They’re as responsive as gas, without the potential leaks.

[Arcadia]

17 minutes ago, Longtime Lurker said:

Both DH and DS have occasionally leaned on the knobs (on the front) and turned the gas on without realizing it.

Maybe use stove knob covers for the time being. That’s what we used when my kids were little as a precaution and I bought mine at Target’s baby section. 

https://www.amazon.com/Safety-1st-Child-Proof-Covers/dp/B00068O22S

[Not_a_Number]

We have a gas stove. 

Ever since we've read stuff about what they do to the air, we do want to replace them. 

[KSera]

22 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

For us, it’s been running the CO2 monitor and seeing how our CO2 levels jump in the rooms above the kitchen that has led us to be more concerned. We thought for a time it was our old stove, but when it died and we replaced it the gas situation did not improve. Our line is fine, our ventilation should be more than adequate, it’s just that natural gas is much more toxic than I think we all thought it was.

This is what has me concerned about ours as well. Our indoor CO2 levels near the kitchen are high and we have a good vent hood that we always run when cooking. 

22 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

 

I find the timing of these studies very suspicious.  ‘Suddenly’ we should all be electric.  Just like ‘suddenly’ we should all have electric cars.

There’s nothing at all sudden about the need to move cars away from fossil fuels. It’s just that now we’re feeling the actual real climate effects of burning all those fuels at the same time electric car technology has become really excellent such that the supply of electric cars can’t keep up with the demand yet. 

5 hours ago, fairfarmhand said:

 

But ironically, many electric plants burn fossil fuels. Is that really better? I don't know how it all works out as to which is ultimately leading to more pollution.

The studies and calculations have been done and it still works out to be much less fossil fuel used even when the electricity used to power an electric car is generated by burning fossil fuels. An electric motor is just far far more efficient than a gas powered engine.

Edited October 22, 2022 by KSera
Typo

[dirty ethel rackham]

But, but, but, ... how will I cook without all my cast iron pans?!?!  I do love my gas stove and I like that I'm not relying on one fuel source.  However, I do like the idea of easy clean up and less indoor air pollution.  I don't think we will give it up when we do our kitchen remodel next year.  

[Pawz4me]

10 minutes ago, dirty ethel rackham said:

But, but, but, ... how will I cook without all my cast iron pans?!?!  I do love my gas stove and I like that I'm not relying on one fuel source.  However, I do like the idea of easy clean up and less indoor air pollution.  I don't think we will give it up when we do our kitchen remodel next year.  

You can use cast iron pans on any kind of electric stove -- old fashioned coil, glass top or induction. 

[prairiewindmomma]

I used cast iron stuff on my glass top electric stove a few houses ago. Obviously, don’t drag a rough surface across the top of it, but we never had scratching from my skillet or Dutch ovens.

[SHP]

We have gas and an electric. No one knows how to cook on the electric.

[wathe]

7 hours ago, dirty ethel rackham said:

But, but, but, ... how will I cook without all my cast iron pans?!?!  I do love my gas stove and I like that I'm not relying on one fuel source.  However, I do like the idea of easy clean up and less indoor air pollution.  I don't think we will give it up when we do our kitchen remodel next year.  

I use cast iron on my old electric coil stove all the time.  I am not gentle with them.  It's fine.

[Innisfree]

16 hours ago, dirty ethel rackham said:

But, but, but, ... how will I cook without all my cast iron pans?!?!  I do love my gas stove and I like that I'm not relying on one fuel source.  However, I do like the idea of easy clean up and less indoor air pollution.  I don't think we will give it up when we do our kitchen remodel next year.  

Like others have said, cast iron pans are fine on glass topped stoves with a minimum of care. I’ve done that without problems. But if you want an extra safeguard, I’ve heard about some people who have induction cooktops who place a paper tower or a thin silicone mat between the burner unit and the pan. The pan heats, the glass is protected, all is good. Not something that’s possible with standard electric stoves, but perfectly possible with induction.

[shawthorne44]

We don't now, but we will be soon.   The current oven was bought in '97 and is all-electric because that was what that house was.  The convection died, then we lost two burners.  Now the glass top has a giant crack in it.  I have a fancy duel-use one picked out.  But we just spent 20K on a garage floor and driveways.  So, at the moment we are just hoping the current one hangs on.  DH wants gas burners.  I never liked my parents gas burners, but the ones on this range I picked out seem like they'd be good.  My parent's never seemed to simmer well, it went from too hot to off.  The one I picked out has 6 burners and one is low-energy for simmering, and one is high-energy for quickly boiling a giant pot of water.  

[Longtime Lurker]

22 hours ago, Innisfree said:

You might like induction. The burners never get very hot, since the pans are heated directly, and heat transfer from them is the only reason the burners get warm at all. They’re as responsive as gas, without the potential leaks.

This is an interesting option! I really know nothing about induction stoves/ovens. Are they common now? Are they more expensive?

[Innisfree]

15 minutes ago, Longtime Lurker said:

This is an interesting option! I really know nothing about induction stoves/ovens. Are they common now? Are they more expensive?

This is a good article on the pros and cons of induction. If it has a paywall let me know and I’ll quote the important bits or find another article that’s free.

https://www.consumerreports.org/electric-induction-ranges/pros-and-cons-of-induction-cooktops-and-ranges-a5854942923/

Induction has been around for decades, but didn’t start to really catch on until fairly recently. It’s still a less common choice than standard electric or gas, and it is more expensive than basic electric stoves— I’m not familiar with gas stoves.

It’s got some important benefits, though, including significant safety advantages and increased efficiency. Because the burner doesn’t heat unless a compatible pan is on it, and because it never gets as hot, it’s often recommended for situations where elders are aging in place: much less likely to start a fire if someone forgets they’ve turned on a burner, and less harmful if they touch a burner by accident. The same might apply to kids. And, of course, there’s no gas to leak.

[Innisfree]

I meant to add that you can try out induction inexpensively by getting an induction hot plate. They’re around $50-$120 on Amazon, and give you a chance to see if you like the technology.

[Longtime Lurker]

20 minutes ago, Innisfree said:

This is a good article on the pros and cons of induction. If it has a paywall let me know and I’ll quote the important bits or find another article that’s free.

https://www.consumerreports.org/electric-induction-ranges/pros-and-cons-of-induction-cooktops-and-ranges-a5854942923/

Induction has been around for decades, but didn’t start to really catch on until fairly recently. It’s still a less common choice than standard electric or gas, and it is more expensive than basic electric stoves— I’m not familiar with gas stoves.

It’s got some important benefits, though, including significant safety advantages and increased efficiency. Because the burner doesn’t heat unless a compatible pan is on it, and because it never gets as hot, it’s often recommended for situations where elders are aging in place: much less likely to start a fire if someone forgets they’ve turned on a burner, and less harmful if they touch a burner by accident. The same might apply to kids. And, of course, there’s no gas to leak.

Thanks! The article is really helpful. I am going to start looking at some options. 

[wathe]

I don't have a gas stove.  But this thread has made me think about my gas dryer.  I thought  it ws well vented, but wanted to find out! 

I put my CO2 meter in the laundry room while drying a load.  It didn't budge.  850 ppm, same as the rest of the house.   Our gas water heater is in the same room.

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, wathe said:

I don't have a gas stove.  But this thread has made me think about my gas dryer.  I thought  it ws well vented, but wanted to find out! 

I put my CO2 meter in the laundry room while drying a load.  It didn't budge.  850 ppm, same as the rest of the house.   Our gas water heater is in the same room.

Thanks for that!  That is good news as we have a gas dryer and gas water heater.