In most kitchens, the choice between a gas cooktop and an induction cooktop comes down to habit and taste. But increasingly, that choice has far-reaching implications — for your carbon footprint, indoor air quality, and even your energy bills.
New research is reshaping how we think about the stove sitting at the heart of our homes.
Cooking with gas means cooking with methane, a fossil fuel with an outsized climate footprint. When burned, methane releases carbon dioxide (CO₂), and unburned methane leaks can trap more than 80 times more heat than CO₂ over 20 years (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
A study in Stanford University-affiliated journal Environmental Science & Technology found that gas stoves leak 0.8–1.3% of the gas they use as raw methane — even when turned off (Stanford University, 2022). That leaked methane carries almost the same climate impact as running half a million gas-powered cars for a year.
Induction stoves, by contrast, use electricity. They’re about 90% efficient, compared to 35–40% for gas, meaning most of the energy goes directly into cooking food (U.S. Department of Energy). As the grid shifts toward renewable energy, induction gets cleaner every year, while gas will always burn fossil fuel.
Let’s put this in household terms. Assume:
Switching from gas to induction can cut your stove-related carbon emissions by ~640 kg CO₂ every year — roughly the same climate benefit as skipping a 1,600-mile (2,600 km) car trip.
And that’s not counting upstream methane leaks from the gas system, which would make gas look even worse.
Gas stoves emit nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and fine particles directly into your kitchen. A meta-analysis in University of Queensland’s International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that children in homes with gas stoves had a 42% higher risk of childhood asthma (University of Queensland, 2013).
By comparison, induction stoves produce no combustion emissions at all. They don’t add NO₂ or CO to the air and don’t contribute to indoor pollution — a critical difference in homes without powerful ventilation.
Induction stoves are known for speed: they boil water about twice as fast as gas and allow for ultra-precise temperature control — down to steady, gentle simmers that even professional chefs prize.
They also reduce burn risks: only the pan gets hot, and the cooktop surface cools almost immediately after use.
The main tradeoff: you’ll need magnetic cookware (cast iron and many stainless steel pans work fine).
While induction stoves can cost more up front, they tend to save money over time thanks to their efficiency. You’re paying for electricity, not methane — and many utilities now offer rebates to help with the upfront cost.
With rising gas prices and electrification incentives from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Inflation Reduction Act, the economics are increasingly favoring induction.
Switching from gas to induction is more than a kitchen upgrade — it’s a climate action:
The science is clear: if you want cleaner air at home and a lower carbon footprint, the simplest place to start might just be the stovetop.