# Everything you always wondered about cooking with gas **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 1, 2023, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413 "2023-11-01T13:27:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/1 "2023-11-01T13:27:45Z")
Not me, but literally cooking with gas, including the origin of that phrase. In the context of the hysteria over the dangers of gas stoves and the real and potential bans, this podcast gives a history of how the natural gas industry created the market for gas cooking. > **[Cooking with Gas - 99% Invisible](https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/cooking-with-gas/)** > > Back in January, Bloomberg News published a story quoting an obscure government official named Richard Trumka Jr. He works with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which regulates stuff like furniture and electronics and household appliances.... ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/2 "2023-11-01T14:00:21Z")
In 4th grade I had a math teacher who was an older woman. If she asked a question and you gave the correct answer, she’d reply, “Now you’re cooking with gas!” None of us had even an inkling what she was going on about. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/3 "2023-11-01T14:04:03Z")
Why do you say it’s “hysteria”? Seems more like facts finally being made public. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/4 "2023-11-01T14:38:07Z")
Because there may be a few stray molecules of hydrocarbon floating around the house, which causes no end of consternation. Our local utility some years ago had a Father’s Day special natural gas grill and lantern package, mom setup dear old dad with this. The lantern used those fragile cloth mantles, which proved not very durable around lots of kids playing in the yard. But the grill was excellent. No worries about running out of propane in the middle of a cookout. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/5 "2023-11-01T15:56:44Z")
I first heard this phrase used by Daffy Duck in a Looney Tunes cartoon from 1943 [(The Wise Quaking DucK](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycXk4JIFuIY)) that I watched as a kid in the 60’s. It shows up in the end around 2:46 in the clip. I learned a lot about older things from Looney Tunes cartoons. I always thought it strange that this would even be a thing by then, since gas lighting had been in use long before then, so why not cooking with gas back in the mid-1800’s. But I guess it was a slogan used by the gas companies in the 1930’s to get people to swith from electric stoves. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/6 "2023-11-01T16:03:23Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Why do you say it’s “hysteria”? Seems more like facts finally being made public. In my mind, the hysteria is coming from the people going “They’re taking our stoves away! I’m going to buy 10 gas stoves and leave them on 24/7 just to make a point!” ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/7 "2023-11-01T16:07:24Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Why do you say it’s “hysteria”? Seems more like facts finally being made public. Facts are facts, but the hysteria is the knee-jerk reaction to the facts, which then is used for political leverage. People interpret these facts as “We have to ban gas stoves or we will all die” and people interpret that interpretation as “The libs are going to confiscate my stove.” I am a bit surprised that all of this spurred NY to prohibit gas stoves in new construction. I have not read the data to see if this is justified by the science. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/8 "2023-11-01T16:08:46Z")
It’s a greenhouse gas thing, not a personal danger thing. ETA: [cite.](https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/03/us/new-york-natural-gas-ban-climate) > New York is the first state in the country to ban [natural gas](https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/27/us/natural-gas-stoves-methane-climate/index.html) and other fossil fuels in most new buildings – a major win for climate advocates, but a move that could spark pushback from fossil fuel interests. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/9 "2023-11-01T16:13:28Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > It’s a greenhouse gas thing, not a personal danger thing. [It’s actually both](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-health-risks-of-gas-stoves-explained/). It’s part of my planned upgrade of our home utilities to replace our gas stove – and I love cooking with gas – with an induction stove. For both reasons. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/10 "2023-11-01T16:17:28Z")
I agree that gas stoves can cause indoor pollution, and can occasionally explode, but that’s not the reason that I’ve seen for any of the bans. Anyway, it’s interesting, but I guess unsurprising, that it was the gas industry that started the phrase “now, you’re cooking with gas!”. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/11 "2023-11-01T16:31:55Z")
IMHO on this, there use not to be a problem with indoor combustion of gas because houses were leaky and it was not uncommon to feel drafts near windows and even exterior corners, and one could feel wind through holes in the walls for outlets. Now homes are much more sealed up, and even furnaces often take air from outside for combustion. And this allows any indoor pollution to get more concentrated than in the past. This even applies somewhat to old homes as during renovations, even the use of modern materials with no real attempt of sealing things up, will often leave the home tighter than before. So yes i do think that gas stoves/ovens/ranges are an indoor pollution issue, though overall I don’t think it’s overwhelmingly so. Because the tightness of new construction makes the problem worse, I can understand the wisdom of not allowing it in new construction but not mandating it in current construction. Though I also understand that the owner who bought new construction can change to gas after the construction if they want to. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/12 "2023-11-01T16:32:52Z")
They can have my gas stove when they pry it from my cold dead kitchen! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/13 "2023-11-01T16:36:13Z")
I’ll use an electric stove when restaurants start using them. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/14 "2023-11-01T16:55:56Z")
I’m with @Beckdawrek and @Alessan . I used an electric stove sometime in the late 80s. Aint never going back. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/15 "2023-11-01T17:00:50Z")
If I had a gas line available I’d have a gas stove now. The only question now is when I spend the money for a propane installation, inferior to natural gas but still better than electric. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/16 "2023-11-01T17:07:46Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Though I also understand that the owner who bought new construction can change to gas after the construction if they want to. By new construction, they mean new developments. They won’t run gaslines to brand new neighborhoods. They can’t change to natural gas. I just remodeled my kitchen and you better believe I got a gas range. It was all replumbed and there are no leaks ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/17 "2023-11-01T17:10:50Z")
Cooked on gas for 50 years. Now we’ve got induction and I wouldn’t go back. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/18 "2023-11-01T17:26:48Z")
Gas cooking is extremely wasteful in terms of heat delivery. If it’s winter somewhere that it gets cold, that’s fine - you’re probably heating your house with gas anyway. But it’s not great if the AC is running. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/19 "2023-11-01T17:47:40Z")
I’ve never lived in a place with AC so maybe I’m missing something. Why would the method used to heat an insulated oven matter? Is there really that big of a difference if you boiled water with a gas flame versus an electric coil? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413/20 "2023-11-01T17:50:32Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Is there really that big of a difference if you boiled water with a gas flame versus an electric coil? Well, in my experience, it’s really easy to make the stovetop teakettle too hot to pick up by the handle if you’re heating it over a gas stove. That’s never an issue with my electric teakettle. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-you-always-wondered-about-cooking-with-gas/992413.md?page=2)