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Yes. Gas is better for cooking than electric. It heats up and cools down faster, you can maintain a single temperature without it turning on and off. You have finer control over the temperature. You can visually see the flame to know how hot it is. You can cook without worrying about smashing or scratching those glass top ones.

There’s a reason professional chefs use gas when they can. Can you do most simple western cooking on electric? Probably yes. But if you want to do anything more advanced, or go beyond European dishes, you’ll be limited.

I’m truly worried about losing gas stoves. I cook a lot and it’s what makes me happy, and I don’t want that circle of my life to shrink. You can mandate vent hoods, require gas leak checks, enforce stringent emissions standards, ban gas for heating, whatever. Just please don’t take this away from me.
 
Bill Blass said:
Yes. Gas is better for cooking than electric. It heats up and cools down faster, you can maintain a single temperature without it turning on and off. You have finer control over the temperature. You can visually see the flame to know how hot it is. You can cook without worrying about smashing or scratching those glass top ones.

There’s a reason professional chefs use gas when they can. Can you do most simple western cooking on electric? Probably yes. But if you want to do anything more advanced, or go beyond European dishes, you’ll be limited.

I’m truly worried about losing gas stoves. I cook a lot and it’s what makes me happy, and I don’t want that circle of my life to shrink. You can mandate vent hoods, require gas leak checks, enforce stringent emissions standards, ban gas for heating, whatever. Just please don’t take this away from me.
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This is why we won’t be able to have nice things (a decarbonized economy and a comfortably habitable biosphere).
 
jklo said:
Not a foodie so dunno if there's any Foodie reason you would want Gas over Electric
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Yes, gas is preferable for cooking, because it offers more precise temperature control.

awood91 said:
This is why we won’t be able to have nice things (a decarbonized economy and a comfortably habitable biosphere).
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Eh, seems a bit extreme to say that. Yes, using a gas stove is marginally worse for the environment. So are 100 other choices we all make on a weekly basis. I use transit, bike, or walk, for 95% of my movement around the city, I think that is far more beneficial than not using a gas stove for a few hours a week.
 
...wait for it...
* But electric induction cooktops also have excellent temperature control
* But induction limits your types of cookware, for instance, you can't use a wok; plus they're expensive and sometimes require electrical installation
* That's a small price to pay for toxins inhaled by the home's occupants
* But excellent ventilation can take care of most of that. Many of the studies cautioning gas cooking didn't examine best-in-class ventilation.
* But you're still introducing toxins to the environment

There, I saved everyone the trouble and summarized the debate that has already happened multiple times on this site
 
I would add a few more limitations to induction, but yeah, that’s a pretty good summary.

I would like to see data on how much of the pollutants are from heating via gas vs stoves. And commercial vs residential buildings. I feel like there’s a major impact you can make before you come for the gas stove.
 
I was skeptical too, but if you start asking around, you'll understand why so many people are switching to induction stove tops.

www.epicurious.com

It's Time to Make the Switch to Induction

Learn what happened when our writer swapped her range.
www.epicurious.com www.epicurious.com

www.nytimes.com

The Case for Induction Cooking, Versus Gas Stoves (Published 2022)

As the perils of gas stoves become more apparent, there’s ever more reason for cooks to turn to these flameless, easy-to-clean ranges.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com

 
No, they aren’t. There aren’t “so many” people switching.

Now granted, induction bridges a lot of gaps left by traditional electric stoves, and it is better. But there are a lot of shortcomings:

Expensive
Need all-new cookware (probably)
Can’t lift or tilt a pan or the connection breaks
Can’t cook fast or vigorously, specially with heavy cookware, or you risk breaking or scratching the surface
No fine control over temperature (the article mentioned 10 settings)
The heat switches on and off to maintain a temperature, rather than actually changing to the desired level, this makes fine braising difficult
Can’t use woks because only part of the cooking surface is heated

Even some of the things mentioned in the articles are misleading. Perfect pancakes? That has everything to do with cooking skill and nothing to do with the heating element. You can make perfect pancakes on the cheapest electric range. That kind of cooking is not where gas stands out. It’s in more complex/advanced, and certainly non-western cooking. The author even goes on to say her husband still uses the gas grill.

I love what the article said about boiling water and how the author uses it as a party trick. That’s exactly what it is, a party trick. It’s cute the first few times, but that alone isn’t a reason why induction is superior. A kettle heats water just as fast.

Induction is better than electric, no doubt about it, but that doesn’t mean it’s better than gas. It closes some gaps, like I said, but to say it’s better suggests one doesn’t do anything beyond lower-mid level western food. If that’s all you do, you’re probably good to go. Heck, you could get electric and be fine. But for others, gas has its place.
 
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