The age-old debate over gas stoves in kitchens went into overdrive earlier this year after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission appeared to announced plans for a potential future ban, although it later walked back the idea. In light of 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 weighed in on what’s become a surprisingly hot-button political issue.
Natural gas stoves have been found to emit harmful air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide; and have likewise been associated with childhood asthma cases. Yet, the appliances can still be found in about 40 percent of U.S. homes, and are still revered for what many home chefs believe to be more precise control over the cooking process.
When asked where the pair stands on the gas stove debate in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Scott twins came down firmly on the side of science.
“It’s not about attacking people who have it, but it’s not healthy,” Drew explained. “Induction is way better. ‘Cooking with gas’ was marketing that tricked everybody into thinking that that’s how professionals cook—”
“That it’s the only way to cook. Now we’ve got a better technology,” Jonathan added. “The scariest thing are all the reports on indoor air quality. It’s just pumping fumes in your face, so it isn’t even a matter of taking sides. I think the next big movement for home, besides electrification, is going to be about air and water quality.”
But despite the inherent risks, it’s estimated that approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of Americans seldom, if ever, turn on their stove’s ventilation fans.
“There is about 50 years of health studies showing that gas stoves are bad for our health, and the strongest evidence is on children and children’s asthma,” said Brady Seals, who co-authored a Dec 2022 study about the dangers of gas stoves in homes with children, in an interview with Bloomberg earlier this year. “By having a gas connection, we are polluting the insides of our homes.”
Despite pushback from political groups, the anti-gas-stove movement is gaining steam. Earlier this month New York became the first state to effectively ban gas-powered stoves, furnaces, and propane heating in most new construction—with exceptions made for large commercial and industrial buildings such as stores, hospitals, laundromats, and restaurants.
