Hi, what are you looking for?
Sexy/Unsexy, Practical/Impractical: Let’s Talk Atmospheric Carbon Drawdown’s Hype Vs Reality
Under The Radar: Little-Known Code Proposal Imperils American Clean Energy
Are California Regulators Waiting To Crush Rooftop Solar Until After The Election?
Michigan Has Potential To Reduce Emissions By Over 94%
Solar Panels Create Micro-Climate To Save Vineyards In Spain
Sexy/Unsexy, Practical/Impractical: Let’s Talk Atmospheric Carbon Drawdown’s Hype Vs Reality
Australian Spatial Analytics — Autism to the Rescue
Michigan Has Potential To Reduce Emissions By Over 94%
Anglo American & EDF Renewables Agree To Renewable Energy Partnership In South Africa
In 2021, 40% of the Electricity Produced in the United States Was Derived from Non-Fossil Fuel Sources
Your Rechargeable Batteries Need Lithium. Geothermal Energy Could Soon Help. (Surprise Video)
On the Road to 100% Clean Electricity: 6 Potential Strategies To Break Through Last Few Percent
President William Ruto Sworn In, Reaffirms Kenya’s Commitment To Transition To 100% Clean Energy By 2030
New Lithium StoryMap & the Future of Electrification
Enhanced Geothermal Technology Cracks The 24/7 Energy Code
Seaweed-Based Battery Powers Confidence in Sustainable Energy Storage
Envisioning the Battery Data Genome, a Central Data Hub for Battery Innovation
CleanTechnica Tested: EcoFlow DELTA 2 Portable Power Station
Form Energy Raises $450 Million In Latest Funding Round
Driving the Future of Rare Earth Mining in Australia
East Bay Customers Support California’s Grid During Extreme Heat Wave Through Innovative Program
NY Governor Hochul Announces Winner of 2022 New York–Israel Smart Energy Innovation Challenge
Biden–Harris Admin Launches $10.5 Billion Investment to Strengthen America’s Electric Grid
Electric Vehicles Don’t Break The Grid, And They Can Help Boost It
Stryten Energy Applauds Investments in Energy Security & U.S. Manufacturers With Passage Of Inflation Reduction Act
Next-Generation Abrams Tank & Stryker To Be Hybrids
U.S. Commercial Buildings Continued To Increase Their Energy Efficiency Through 2018
17 EV Models Have EPA Combined Rating of 100+ MPGe in Model Year 2022
An Open Letter To Designers & Manufacturers Of Portable Power Stations
Rheem Releases 120V Plug-In Heat Pump Water Heater That Can Be Plugged Into Typical Outlet
Tesla FSD Beta 10.69 Road Trip Test — Part 1
Charging Etiquette at Holiday Accommodation
Toyota Claims It Just Can’t Keep Up
What’s Better to Drive in a Hurricane — Gas or Electric?
From Transylvania to Istanbul in a Hyundai Kona Electric
Tesla FSD Beta 10.69 Road Trip Test — Part 1
From Transylvania to Istanbul in a Hyundai Kona Electric
Electric Vehicle Journey To Europe’s Easternmost Point — In Hyundai Kona Electric This Time
What It’s Like Applying For GM & Utility Charging Station Rebates
CleanTechnica Tested: EcoFlow DELTA 2 Portable Power Station
France’s BEVs Grow By A Third YoY, Renault Megane Unassailable
UK EV Share Grows, Tesla Model Y Overall Runner Up
Tesla Model Y Is Best Selling Automobile In Switzerland In 2022, Tesla Model 3 is 3rd Best
Norway’s Plugin Growth Flat In September, BEV Share Up
Sweden’s BEVs Take Over Third Of Market
Tesla FSD Beta 10.69 Road Trip Test — Part 1
From Transylvania to Istanbul in a Hyundai Kona Electric
Electric Vehicle Journey To Europe’s Easternmost Point — In Hyundai Kona Electric This Time
What It’s Like Applying For GM & Utility Charging Station Rebates
CleanTechnica Tested: EcoFlow DELTA 2 Portable Power Station
Mazda MX-30 EV vs. Tesla Model 3 — Ultimate EV Battle Bracket
Exploring XPeng’s Self-Driving Tech Live — 1 Hour+, No Interventions!
2022 Nissan Leaf S Plus — CleanTechnica Review (VIDEO)
Ford F-150 Lightning — CleanTechnica Review
Tesla Q4 Shareholder Conference Call — Watch & Listen Here
A coalition of nonprofits called The Electrification Coalition is hosting a webinar on induction stoves with a live cooking demonstration on September 23.
A coalition of nonprofits called The Electrification Coalition is hosting a webinar on induction stoves with a live cooking demonstration on September 23. Join us!
Induction stoves are an important technology that allow consumers to happily leave behind fossil fuels in the kitchen. They cook food faster than other types of stoves, turn heat up and down instantaneously, offer precise temperature control, only work when a magnetic pan is placed on top of them (no more accidentally leaving the burner on), and thus are extremely safe, and perhaps best of all, are powered by clean electricity.
Like so many technologies in the electrified home of the future, induction stoves are relative newcomers on the scene. But they are a powerful development because they change the rules of the game and cut out one more gas industry argument for why we need methane (aka “natural” gas) in our lives at all. [Editor’s note: From a user’s perspective, induction stoves are amazing. They are becoming the norm in Europe now. They are so much better than electric coil or gas stoves. I’d highly recommend them from a user perspective alone. —Zach Shahan]
Before induction, the two choices facing cooking consumers were to use either gas burners or electric coils, and in that scenario, gas seemingly had the upper hand. Its cozy blue flame hearkens back to something prehistoric in us, a cave person’s love of fire. Plus gas flames are easily manipulated, able to be turned up or down and quickly control cooking temperatures.
Next to this blue flame, electric resistance coils look less than ideal. They are inefficient, take forever to heat up and cool down, and make controlling temperatures a challenge.
Recently, it has become clear that there are some hidden (literally invisible) costs to gas that we weren’t always factored into our equations. An accumulating body of research shows how cooking with “natural” gas can release many types of toxins like nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide, all of which exacerbate asthma and cardiovascular illness. Indoor pollution from gas thus negatively affects us all, most especially vulnerable populations like children and lower-income households which tend to have more people and less ventilation in the home (read a really good report on this topic here ). And the evidence is accumulating that due to fracking, and the higher than accounted for leaks in the distribution systems, natural gas is similar to coal in terms of its climate warming impact.
But, luckily, the whole equation has changed dramatically with induction. With this premium, new cooking technology, which has all the good qualities of gas and none of its drawbacks, we have one more reason to switch our homes to be fully powered by clean electricity.
Induction stoves, like microwaves, seemingly work by magic. The technology creates a magnetic field that directly heats iron in pans, so rather than heating the space under a pan like a traditional stove, the heat comes from within the pan itself. (If you’d like more information about the actual process, go here — you’ll learn about eddy currents, induction hobs, and varying magnetic fields.)
Induction stoves are also more efficient than gas or electric coils. Energy transfer is around 84% compared to 74% with the older technologies. Cooking doesn’t account for a lot of energy use in the home, so the typical person probably won’t save a huge amount of energy and money, but it’s nice to know that when you do cook, you’ll be doing it more efficiently. The important thing to keep in mind about induction is that it debunks the gas industry argument that we need gas in our home for cooking.
Induction stovetops match and exceed gas in their ability to quickly change and control heat. There is no lag time with induction cooking like there is with electric resistance. Sauce bubbling too much? Lower your heat setting and it’ll be instantly simmering more slowly. Induction offers excellent low heat settings that gas burners typically struggle with — no more burned rice on the bottom of the pan!
Induction also cooks far more quickly than other technologies and can boil six cups of water in two minutes. I’ve done demonstrations on my induction stove to family and friends to amaze them with just how quickly a watched pot boils on an induction stove. Your cooking style changes with this increased speed and responsivity, because you no longer have to plan something else to do while you wait forever for pots and pans to arrive at the desired temperature.
Induction stoves are also the safest cooking technology available. The cooktop only heats magnetic pans and pots and turns off automatically after 10 seconds when it doesn’t detect a pan. No more accidentally bumping the stove and turning on burners (something that happens to my parents all the time).
And because induction cooking heats the pan itself rather than underneath the pan, the entire surface is also much less hot and much less of a risk. There are strange YouTube videos of people frying bacon on induction stoves with their pan resting on top of dish towels that are not harmed in the process.
This increased safety is huge for a family like mine with two toddlers. 300 children go to the emergency room every day with burns, and the reduced risk offered by induction stoves brings a peace of mind.
Because the surface is literally a sheet of glass that does not get hot, this also means that your cooktop is more like an extension of your countertop. Unused “burners” can be used for preparation or serving.
The cost of induction stoves seem to be the greatest challenge to their full-scale adoption. The good news is that Consumer Reports has observed a decline in prices, with several models coming in at $1000 or less. This is still more than low-cost electric or gas stoves, but you’re paying for an improved cooking experience. Keep in mind you’ll also have to make sure your pots and pans are magnetic. Yale Appliances has some excellent buyers guides and reliability information that it has compiled through thousands of induction range and cooktop installations.
In these times of fires, elections, and pandemics, a topic like “what stove you’re using” can seem trite and unimportant next to some of the larger challenges we’re facing. But don’t be mislead by the humble nature of this subject — these stoves matter! Electrify everything is our best strategy to solving our climate crisis quickly, and “cooking with gas” is one of the primary methods that the gas industry uses to convince consumers that we can’t live without it. The more people who prove that argument wrong and use induction cooking, the faster we can transition off fossil fuels.
Currently, only 1% of stoves in the US are induction — meaning we’ve got work to do to get the word out about the all-electric kitchen. Buy and experience one of these great stoves yourself (my family did!), talk to your communities about induction cooking, and help make our kitchens safer, cleaner, and better.
And if we still haven’t convinced you, check out our upcoming webinar on induction cooking where we’ll have a professional chef do a live cooking demonstration.
Related report: Gas Stoves: Health and Air Quality Impacts and Solutions 2020
Featured image courtesy Kitchen Aid
Joe lives in Portland, Oregon, and works for the nonprofit New Buildings Institute, which promotes electric and decarbonized buildings. He also volunteers with Electrify Now because he believes that electrifying everything, from transportation to homes, is the quickest path to an equitable, clean energy future. And of course, Joe and his family live in an all-electric home and drive an EV.
#1 most loved electric vehicle, solar energy, and battery news & analysis site in the world. Support our work today!
Advertise with CleanTechnica to get your company in front of millions of monthly readers.
Gas stoves, like gas anything, are a 20th century technology that doesn’t have a place in our clean century. They served their purpose over...
It is widely known that gas production and transportation both result in methane leakage, but a new study found that appliances, such as stoves, leak dangerous...
Originally published on RMI.org. By Christian Roselund, Ali Rotatori, Ben Holland With the promise of vaccines curtailing the spread of COVID, states and economies are beginning...
A decade or so ago, I came across an article in the local paper about a retired school teacher who owned some land a...
Copyright © 2021 CleanTechnica. The content produced by this site is for entertainment purposes only. Opinions and comments published on this site may not be sanctioned by and do not necessarily represent the views of CleanTechnica, its owners, sponsors, affiliates, or subsidiaries.