The century-old debate over gas stoves in kitchens was kicked into high gear earlier this year after the US Consumer Protection Commission appeared to announce plans for a possible future ban, but later retracted the idea. Amid the controversy, Property Brothers hosts Drew and Jonathan Scott, who have built an empire around their real estate and renovation-based non-scripted programming, have spoken out on a surprisingly sensitive political issue.
Natural gas stoves have been found to emit harmful air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide; and have also been linked to cases of asthma in children. Still, the devices can still be found in about 40 percent of US homes and, according to many home cooks, are still valued for being able to control the cooking process more precisely.
When the Scott twins were asked how the couple felt about the gas stove debate in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, they firmly sided with science.
"It's not about attacking people who have it, but it's not healthy," Drew explained. “Induction is much better. 'Cooking with gas' was marketing that fooled everyone into thinking that's how professionals cook..."
"That it's the only way to cook. w we have better technology,” added Jonathan. “The scariest thing is all the reports about indoor air quality. It just throws fumes in your face, so it doesn't even matter to take sides. I think that next to electrification, the next big movement for the home is air and water quality.”
But despite the risks involved, an estimated two-thirds to three-quarters of Americans rarely, if ever, turn on their oven's vent fans.
"Health studies spanning around 50 years show that gas stoves are harmful to health, and the strongest evidence is in children and childhood asthma," Brady Seals, who co-authored a December 2022 study on the dangers of gas stoves in homes with children, said in an interview with Bloomberg earlier this year. "By connecting to gas, we pollute the inside of our houses."
Despite opposition from political groups, the anti-gas stove movement is gaining momentum. Earlier this month, New York became the first state to effectively ban gas-fired stoves, ovens and propane heaters in most new homes -- with the exception of large commercial and industrial buildings such as stores, hospitals, laundromats and restaurants.
