The national debate over gas stoves in homes has reached a fever pitch, with advocates praising their cooking precision and critics condemning their adverse health effects. With more Americans than ever debating the costs and benefits, many have started sharing their own stories about abandoning gas stoves on social media.
Writer Jamelle Bouie is one person who's gone through that questioning — and come out the other side praising the benefits of induction stoves over gas-powered ones. Bouie, a dad, says the decision to switch had a major effect on his son's health.
Bouie posted a TikTok explaining his reasoning, in which he says that "there is a lot of evidence going back many decades that gas stoves produce levels of indoor pollution that would be considered highly dangerous if experienced outside."
"I'm not here to tell you that you can't have a gas stove," Bouie adds, noting that he and his family purchased an induction range in 2022 and have already seen the benefits.
"My son had pre-asthma," Bouie goes on, "and removing the gas stove from our house pretty much ended any respiratory problems he had."
@jamellebouie #stitch with @drterrysimpson ♬ original sound - Jamelle Bouie
Research now shows that gas stoves are a major contributor to childhood asthma cases because they release dangerous chemicals like nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde. According to the California Air Resources Board, "Natural gas and propane stoves can release carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and other harmful pollutants into the air, which can be toxic to people and pets."
Induction stoves are an excellent alternative that can eliminate many of the problems with gas stoves. They're also lightning-fast, easy to clean, and usually cheaper than their gas counterparts. Bouie says his induction range "cooks as good as gas," and he found a lot of support for his switch from fellow TikTokers who commented on the video.
"We switched to an induction stove a few months ago," one user writes. "I like it better than gas, heats up cast iron fast and boils water very fast."
"Induction is better by every metric," writes another. "Gas offers zero benefit."
Other commenters lamented that they lived in rented homes and didn't have the power to replace their gas stoves. "I would get rid of the stove," one writes, "but I'm in an apartment."
"Renters need recourse," another commenter writes. "Not like we can legally replace them ourselves."
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