In January of 2022, we completed the renovation of our Fort Worth home, and I remember grappling over whether or not I should replace our gas stove with electric at that time. The reports had just begun coming out about the effects of gas stoves on our health, and instead of listening to them, I had our renovation team hook back up the brand new gas stove I had purchased a few years earlier.
Fast forward to November 2023, and I have regretted that decision multiple times, and even purchased and returned an electric stove once, guiltily saying I shouldn’t be spending the money, even though the reports have been climbing about the health effects of gas emissions on our lungs.
So last week, I finally made the upgrade happen by purchasing our exact same GE stove, this time with electric instead of gas. This was not the cheapest decision I have ever made, but I will say, I can finally cook with peace knowing that my husband and I are no longer breathing in toxic fumes.
I might be a little dramatic over here, but having been diagnosed with asthma, and with my husband being diagnosed with a complicated and irreversible lung disease, I don’t want to take any unnecessary risks, and certainly would not live with myself if I knew cooking with gas put him at even more risk than normal.
So – you might care less about all this and simply wonder, how does it work??
Well, after 13 years of cooking on gas only, I can say…. the baking seems more even, and the burners, although they do take longer to heat, seem to cook our food just the same, and quite frankly they seem to cook our tortillas even better. I could be biased over here as I realllly want this upgrade to improve our lives, but all in all, I am happy with the decision, and thankful that I can afford to make it – I fully realize not all can.
I will say, though, if you’re on the fence, and about to make a purchase, I highly suggest looking at the health risks before you make your purchase. One huge improvement about electric is the smells – I now only smell the food cooking, not the gas in the air in our home. And the sounds, too, now I get to listen to my food cooking instead of hearing the vent on full blast, and hearing all the filtration systems in our home turn on trying to get rid of the gas smell from our home. Those improvements might just be enough for me to be happy from here on out.
Happy, healthy Thanksgiving to you and yours,
Jen