Appliance-makers are removing language from their websites that highlights the health risks of gas stoves and suing Colorado to block a law that would require them to include similar warnings on their packaging.

Grist reported on the contradicting messages from some of the companies involved in the lawsuit against the state. 

For instance, the news site found that an archived blog post from LG in 2024, which has since been scrubbed, stated, "Traditional gas appliances can emit harmful pollutants, which can compromise indoor air quality and pose health risks." The post also discussed the benefits of electric-run induction cooktops, including faster cooking times and cleaner kitchen air. 

The news site noted that BSH and Samsung had similar language on their websites that has since disappeared. 

"There's been a campaign by industry to keep the science under wraps or to confuse it, deny it," Abe Scarr of the consumer-protection nonprofit Public Interest Working Group told Grist.

According to a study from researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the adverse health impacts of living in a home with a gas stove are "large." 

The paper found that Americans living in homes with gas stoves are exposed to nitrogen dioxide levels higher than what the World Health Organization and the Environmental Protection Agency consider safe.

Nitrogen dioxide is not the only dangerous gas that is emitted from gas stoves. One reporter learned this the hard way when two researchers tested her gas stove while she was cooking. She discovered that heightened levels of nitrogen dioxide, methane, and benzene were being released from her gas cooktop, and these gases moved throughout her house into the living room and her children's bedroom. Meanwhile, her induction burner did not affect the levels of these gases.

The U.S. Department of Energy confirmed that induction burners, which are powered by electricity, are better for people and the environment. The DOE cited a 2022 study that found that 12.7% of current childhood asthma in the United States is attributable to gas stove use. 

Induction stoves can also save consumers money on energy, as they are up to 10% more energy-efficient, according to Consumer Reports. The watchdog group said induction appliances can boil water 20%-40% faster than a traditional cooktop.

Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to buy an induction stove? Healthier indoor air 🏠 Superior cooking results 🍳 Helping the planet 🌎 I wouldn't buy an induction stove 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Depending on where you live, you can still get up to $840 off the cost of an induction range thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. Additionally, through the end of the year, if you upgrade to an induction stove, you may qualify for IRA tax credits. State-level rebates are also available in many places.

If you rent or can't afford a major kitchen renovation, plug-in induction burners start at around $50. You'll get all the benefits of induction cooking at a fraction of the cost.

The Sustainability Directory chimed in on how companies were scrubbing information about the health impacts of gas stoves.

"Think of it like a company trying to remove all evidence of a leaky roof after a new building code requires waterproof materials," it stated. "The real-world consequence for residents is a continued lack of clear, accessible information about potential indoor air pollution, particularly nitrogen dioxide, benzene, and methane, which are known to exacerbate respiratory illnesses like asthma."

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