CNN
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Last week, Richard Trumka Jr., a US Consumer Product Safety commissioner, sent emotions boiling over when he said in an interview with Bloomberg that the agency was considering banning gas stoves, citing the fact that over 12% of childhood asthma cases in the US are the result of gas stove usage.
Though the White House soon set the record straight, saying that “The President does not support banning gas stoves – and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is independent, is not banning gas stoves,” the momentary panic at the thought that Americans might be forced to cook with electricity revealed just how opinionated we are about what fuels our kitchens.
Chef Andrew Gruel, a restaurant owner and television personality, taped himself to his gas stove in protest of a possible gas ban. Others demonstrated by participating in a dangerous social media stunt in which they turned on all the burners on their stove and let the gas run.
But some had legitimate questions about how to cook without gas. Food writer and chef Alison Roman invited Twitter users to ask her anything about her induction stove, and the inquiries quickly flooded in.
“Can you toast marshmallows over it for s’mores?”
“Does the surface of the stovetop get all scratched to hell when you scoot pans around?”
“Does it heat things up (e.g. boil a pot of water) as fast as gas?”
While the consensus from Roman and other impassioned electric and induction stove users is that it is entirely possible to cook intricate and delectable meals sans gas, it’s clear that the general public has deep-seated misgivings about it.
But why? When it comes to most consumer products, we love upgrades and innovation. What is it about gas stoves that keep us from moving past this centuries-old technology?
The most obvious answer is public misconception. People seem convinced that it is much harder – perhaps even impossible – to cook a quality meal with electricity. And this perception was not created by accident.
As Grist reported, advertising by gas companies is largely responsible for popularizing gas stoves in kitchens by promoting them as a sign of wealth and high design.
Then there’s the trendsetting…
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