Avocados may seem innocent, but these oblong fruits sent almost 9,000 people to US emergency rooms in 2018 alone. Injuries sustained by hacking at the pit or slicing while holding the fruit have become so common, doctors have dubbed them avocado hand. Of course, there is a safer way to cut avocados. But knives are just one of the hazards kitchens harbor.
In the US, between 2011 and 2022, the deadliest kitchen appliances were ovens and ranges— appliances that are stoves and ovens in one. They took lives by causing fires and leaking carbon monoxide, a gas that can cause suffocation at high concentrations.
These kinds of sudden, catastrophic fatalities are thankfully rare. But the kitchen dangers that cause the most casualties may actually be less immediate and more gradual— involving constant exposures, like stuff in the air we breathe. Ovens and stoves remain a major culprit here. Indeed, the fourth leading cause of years of life lost globally is air pollution. This includes indoor air pollution, most of which comes from cooking.
Over 2 billion people cook using a solid fuel, like charcoal and wood. As it burns, fire and oxygen can’t reach all of the fuel source, leading to incomplete combustion. This produces pollutants like soot, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and lots of particulate matter— that is, solid and liquid particles that have become airborne and small enough to inhale. A single particle can contain many different chemicals. And especially tiny particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, enter the bloodstream, and irritate tissues, cause inflammation, and bring about more systemic problems. It’s estimated that about 3 million people die prematurely each year from illnesses caused by burning solid fuels.
Stoves and ovens that don’t use solid fuels produce far less pollution— but still a considerable amount. There are two basic types: gas and electric. Gas stoves primarily burn methane to create an open flame for cooking. Traditional electric stoves use metal elements that radiate heat when an electrical current is forced through them. They’re different from modern induction electric stoves, which use electromagnetic waves to induce currents that heat iron and steel cookware directly.
Gas stoves pollute more than electric ones. That's because natural gas combustion produces byproducts like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and formaldehyde. Unravelling the causes of chronic diseases is incredibly difficult, but accumulating evidence suggests that gas stoves exacerbate asthma symptoms and put children at increased risk of developing the condition.
Electric ranges are cleaner than gas ones, but they’re still not totally pollution-free— no ranges are. At least some air pollution is inevitable from the cooking process, no matter the fuel type. High-heat cooking generally releases more pollutants than lower heat methods; after all, charring a steak isn’t all that different from burning a solid fuel. And substances like oil and dust can accumulate and release pollutants when heated.
Transitioning away from solid fuels is critical to improving indoor air quality— and consequently, extending people’s lives. Cooking with proper ventilation— ideally, from a powerful range hood that vents to the outdoors— and switching from gas to electric will also go a long way.
Electric appliances are less dangerous by another significant metric: the global climate. Burning fossil fuels like natural gas releases atmosphere-warming carbon dioxide, and gas ranges can also leak methane, an even more potent greenhouse gas. Electric appliances, meanwhile, should only become more and more climate-compatible as grids transition to renewable energy sources.
In addition to being better for the climate and public health, electric induction stoves tend to rival or outperform all other stove types— electric and gas— when it comes to cooking efficiency and ease of cleaning. Induction stovetops also only heat things that respond strongly to their magnetic fields, so you can’t burn yourself on them directly.
Given the considerable health and climate concerns around gas appliances, some governments have banned them from new developments and many are helping subsidize the transition from gas to electric.
Knives will probably be staying the same, though, so please stop stabbing at avocados while they’re in your hand.
