According to the Climate Council, while more than a third of Australian households currently rely on gas stovetops, the methane, other gases and airborne particles these cookers emit can affect children as much as smoking indoors.

One study of Australian homes found the average nitrogen dioxide present was nearly three times as high in houses with gas cookers compared to those without, while another showed a 12.3% positive correlation between gas stovetops and asthma in children under 14. And the risk isn’t just limited to when you’re cooking – a recent study found that gas stovetops even continue to emit methane when turned off.

Gas is now banned in new builds in many US cities, such as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle.

In Ecuador, where the country has invested heavily in hydro-electricity, a program has been underway to replace 3 million gas stoves with induction ones in the residential sector.

The American Medical Association recently passed a resolution recommending that physicians, healthcare providers and the public be informed of the health risk associated with gas stovetops, but the impacts of fossil fuel usage tends to have been viewed largely through an environmental lens here in Australia. 

Health begins at home

“The health impacts of gas in the home are, to be honest, something I’ve never even considered up until recently,” says chef Darren Robertson of Three Blue Ducks fame. “Now, though, they are a concern to me, especially as I have kids who are also budding chefs. It definitely feels like a good time to look at another option.”

Robertson, along with a host of other chefs, such as Neil Perry, Palisa Anderson and Analiese Gregory, is an ambassador of The Global Cooksafe Coalition, launched last week.

An alliance of chefs, property companies and public health, climate, aid and development organisations, the coalition advocates for access to safe, sustainable cooking, including the phase-out of gas from our kitchens.

Robertson says that his next commercial kitchen, currently just at the planning stage, is likely to include no gas and will be primarily induction. Head chef Simon Furley at Beechmont Estate’s Paddock restaurant in the Gold Coast hinterland – who has an electric stove that runs on solar in his home kitchen – is also doing away with gas in the restaurant kitchen.

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A safer alternative

So, if not gas, what are your options? The ideal is to replace the gas stovetop with an induction stovetop, powered by a renewable source.

An induction cooktop uses an electromagnetic field to heat food. When in use, electric current passes through a copper coil under the cooking surface and through the cooking pan, creating instantaneous heat. Instead of heating the surface it’s sitting on, however, it’s heating the pan itself. Once the pan is removed and the connection broken, the surface immediately cools. Apart from benefits in terms of both climate change and health, induction cooktops are also significantly more energy-efficient, there are no naked flames and, being a flat continuous surface, are far easier to clean and maintain than gas stovetops.

“Electric is definitely the future of cooking in the home and in commercial kitchens,” says Neil Perry. “It’s cleaner, it’s more efficient and it’s definitely more beneficial for the environment. Everything tends to be neater and cleaner without gas.”

Aren’t induction cooktops expensive?

According to CHOICE, it’s not necessary to pay top dollar for an induction cooktop. The $699 IKEA version comes in just four points behind the consumer watchdog’s top-rated model at $2299. When shopping for an induction cooktop, make sure to look for one that has extra large, medium and small cooking zones, to match all cookware sizes.

While induction cooking – particularly utilising renewable energy – is the best solution ecologically, financially, the initial investment means not everyone can afford it. 

Induction stoves usually require additional cookware with a special ferrous base, and must correspond in size to the cooking area. They also require a minimum of 20 amps of power, so you may need an upgrade to your electrical switchboard, in addition to the cost of installing the stove itself.

Ceramic cooktops are not as energy-efficient as induction, as they rely on a heated coil rather than magnets. However, they are cheaper to buy (although cost more to run) and don’t require special pots to use.

If you have no choice but to rely on gas, Asthma Australia says to ensure you always have adequate ventilation in your home. As well as opening windows where possible, make sure to have modern, well-maintained extraction fans over the stovetop. If an extraction fan is not working correctly, it can actually make things worse by circulating the pollutants around your house, rather than pushing it outside. 

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