How bad is my gas stove? • Hacker News Board

Re: How bad is my gas stove?

#411

Post by bumby » Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 5:38 PM UTC

JasonFruit wrote: post #406

schmichael wrote: post #390

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Findings like this, like all societal issues from climate to pandemic, are naturally read as “What should I do?” when they should be read as “What should society incentivize?” Sure electric instead of gas, bike instead of car, N95 instead of cloth, are all beneficial choices on an individual level, but it’s much more important for authorities to create incentives to encourage optimal behaviors. Want to use a wood sto…

> Findings like this, like all societal issues from climate to pandemic, are naturally read as “What should I do?” when they should be read as “What should society incentivize?” I could not disagree more. First, I value personal freedom, and an important part of exercising freedom responsibly is being informed. Good information helps you make a choice that wisely balances what you want with what's wise. I read things…

I read the OP differently. As in, modern society is enormously complex, to the point where everyone can’t assimilate all the information necessary. For example, maybe you bought a car based on the freedom to choose between performance and emissions. But how much do really know about the fuel mapping in your car? Do you know enough to make that accurate judgement even without the added complexity of fraud in reporting?

As far as the euphemisms hiding intent to control choice, I agree that can happen. But I think there is a area of nudging incentives before strict regulation. The classic example is changing organ donation from an opt-in to an opt-out system. Nobody’s choice was removed, but a small nudge can have a measurable systemic impact

Re: How bad is my gas stove?

#412

Post by Tiktaalik » Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 5:39 PM UTC

dashundchen wrote: post #301

oxymoran wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Heat pumps only work on their own in mild climates. Cold climates still require furnace in conjunction with the heat pump. Good luck convincing anyone in the northern United States of getting rid of their furnace or hot water heater. Spouting this sort of head-in-the-clouds, wrong information only weakens your cause. “WHERE DO HEAT PUMPS WORK BEST? Heat pumps are more common in milder climates, where the temperature…

I live in the Great Lakes with a heat pump heating in a drafty Victorian house. The heat pump came with resistive heat strips but they only kick on a few days a year. Once I airseal some more and fix some of the leaky storms I expect it to never resort to resistive at all. Heat pumps do work in cold climates.

and imagine it wasn't a drafty victorian, but rather a new build passive house with incredibly good insulation. One would probably be fine with the heat pump alone.

Re: How bad is my gas stove?

#413

Post by bjoli » Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 5:40 PM UTC

samwillis wrote: post #110

To anyone considering switching to an induction hob and hearing anecdotal stories of how some people don’t think they are “as hot” or “slower” than gas. I guarantee these are all related to the pans being used. It is of upmost importance that you get a really good set of pans “designed” for induction. We have found “tri-ply” stainless steel pans work really well, better than on gas. Cast iron is also brilliant, I inh…

I love induction. I did however struggle with my carbon steel pan. It just wouldn't season properly. I followed the instructions from the manufacturer, online guides. You name it. The thing would start shedding its coat after a while. It was a mess.

Then we moved to a house with an old electric stove. The pans turned to pure magic. More non-stick than our teflon pans.

Then we moved again to a place with an induction stove and bam: the pans are shit again.

It is obviously me, of course. Heat is heat. But something about induction makes me unable to use carbon steel.

Re: How bad is my gas stove?

#414

Post by Tiktaalik » Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 5:45 PM UTC

spacephysics wrote: post #216

I feel we’re nitpicking far too much for climate change in the case of at hone stoves and cooking. The pretense of climate change, and the implication of “well if you have a gas stove, you’re contributing” is going to cause more harm socially and psychologically than to the environment. At some point we have to realize that some climate effect is OK, and to live our lives. Let’s go after the big ticket items, like se…

Home cooking might be a minor climate change issue, but home heating isn't. In Metro Vancouver 26% of total CO2 emissions come from home heating.

Accordingly Metro Vancouver wants to get people to stop heating their homes and water with gas.

If people think they "need" gas stoves that can be a barrier to moving them toward electric heating. If they "need" gas for the stove, might as well heat with it too.

Creating greater understanding of the health risks of gas ranges and that induction stoves are just as good if not better is good in helping make people more comfortable with the idea of shifting to electric next time they need to replace a main component of their heating system.

Re: How bad is my gas stove?

#415

Post by selimthegrim » Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 5:49 PM UTC

antishatter wrote: post #199

crisdux wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We should be subsidizing conversions like this. This is the epitome of the current green movement. Proponents want an unnecessary luxury green product subsidized for higher income households, even though there are perfectly fine substitutes that are just as good for the environment at 1/5 the cost you just described. I just can't get on board with a movement like this.

I mean, they could have just fixed their gas leak (lol what the fuck) and bought a nice hood. Even having to suggest people fix their gas leak is comedic and reminds me of how absurd many tech people are. Bragging about transitioning, recommending a subsidy, allowing a gas leak.

Here in New Orleans they take your meter if you report a leak and you can’t get it back for a couple weeks and thousands in reconnection fees because they don’t trust people’s plumbers apparently and have to reinspect everything themselves

Re: How bad is my gas stove?

#416

Post by loeg » Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 5:51 PM UTC

I'm sympathetic to the argument, but the data presented is anecdotal, or pure hearsay. Also a bit weird that he's talking about measuring his stove, which he knows produces less emissions than furnaces or water heaters, but ends up measuring his furnace. This is not a compelling argument against gas stoves.

Re: How bad is my gas stove?

#417

Post by amluto » Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 5:52 PM UTC

dmd wrote: post #410

amluto wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recently bought a Polyscience/Breville Control Freak, and I’m increasingly convinced this is the future. It heats dramatically faster than a supposedly high end gas stove I compared it to despite being a lowly 1.6kW or so device. (Gas stoves are stupendously inefficient. That 15kBTU/hr stove may well deliver 15kBTU/hr to the air but not to your pan.). It heats quite evenly. And best of all, it has closed loop tempe…

How does something like that (at $1500) compare to the performance of e.g. a full range like https://www.geappliances.com/appliance/GE-Profile-30-Smart-S... (at twice that, but for an entire rangetop)?

The Profile can supposedly do the closed-loop trick if you pair it with Heston Cue pans. The manual makes this sound like a real PITA, and do you really want a pan with batteries and bluetooth? The Control Freak is compatible with any sufficiently flat magnetic cookware. Do you really want to be limited to a choice of a whopping three compatible pans? The world is full of excellent pots and pans at varying price points, and these are not compatible with the Cue system. This includes, for example:

Essentially disposable nonstick pans (pay a small premium for induction compatibility).

Enameled cast iron Dutch ovens.

Very high end nitride-coated pans from Hestan, compatible with any induction stove except Hestan Cue.

Plain old cast iron.

Magnetic steel comals.

Carbon steel seasonable pans, paella pans, etc.

A flat-bottom wok.

All of those work on induction stoves, and all work on a device like the Control Freak. Just put them on and set a temperature.

On the other hand, the GE range has an app and buttons. Where’s the knob?

Re: How bad is my gas stove?

#418

Post by aulin » Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 5:53 PM UTC

thurn wrote: post #360

What kind of air quality monitor is being used here? I've been looking for a good one to purchase for myself, would be good to get one with N02 capability.

Any cheap sensor (electrochemical? single electrode or even dual) sold for amateur use is unlikely to provide any useful measurement, especially if you want to draw any conclusion about concentrations exceeding safety limits like the author is doing. They are a pain to calibrate, the absolute values you get cannot be trusted, the most you can use them for is to say something about trends and spikes. "Look the gas stove is on, there's a NO2 and CO spike!", now let's get a chemoluminescence spectrophotometer to see it we should worry.

Re: How bad is my gas stove?

#419

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 5:55 PM UTC

pkulak wrote: post #403

samwillis wrote: post #110

To anyone considering switching to an induction hob and hearing anecdotal stories of how some people don’t think they are “as hot” or “slower” than gas. I guarantee these are all related to the pans being used. It is of upmost importance that you get a really good set of pans “designed” for induction. We have found “tri-ply” stainless steel pans work really well, better than on gas. Cast iron is also brilliant, I inh…

My favorite way to show people how my induction stove works is to put some cold water in a kettle, pop it on a "burner", then turn it to "power boost". You can instantly see tiny bubbles forming on the bottom, and 20 seconds later it's at a rolling boil so intense you fear it may explode. I have no idea how anyone can say induction is slower than gas. And on the other end, low will slowly melt chocolate or heat a hol…

[deleted]

Re: How bad is my gas stove?

#420

Post by selimthegrim » Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 5:57 PM UTC

_jal wrote: post #94

leobg wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love induction. The main annoyance, for me, are the touch controls. You regulate up or down in steps, and the controls sometimes have trouble recognizing your fingers if they are wet. There’s also no tactile feedback. I’d much rather turn a knob. Then it would be perfect.

- They fail to work with non-standard sized pans. - You can't use a wok on them. - In fact, you can't use them with lots of other things, or in many ways I use my gas stove. Yes, these are "off-label" uses, sometimes not even related to cooking. So? Tools should be flexible, not fight back.

I guess old school jiggle top pressure cookers are right out too (but I guess anyone buying an induction stove would buy an Instant Pot anyway)