Top Chef host predicts changes to the restaurant industry with potential gas stove ban
A government bureaucrat set off a firestorm last month when they said their agency was debating whether to ban gas stoves
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Top Chef host Tom Colicchio predicted that stove manufacturers would likely start accommodating chefs who want to incorporate induction burners into their kitchens amid talk of a ban on gas stoves.
"You’re going to see a lot of range makers that are going to be [building stoves] so you can get a configuration of, say, four gas burners and two induction burners," he told the Washington Post.
Christopher Galarza, a major supporter of electric kitchens, told the outlet that induction cooking saves restaurants money in the long haul.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"When you’re able to talk about cost savings and talk about the operational efficiencies and how it’s going to benefit the operations, all of a sudden everyone forgets about gas versus electric, and they say, ‘How can I get there?’" Galarza said. "Because right now, working in the kitchen sucks."
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 21: (L-R) Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi and Gail Simmons attend the NBCU FYC House "Top Chef" carpet at NBCU FYC House on May 21, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images) (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
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The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the restaurant industry's commitment to gas stoves is based on "experience, history, marketing, cuisine, aesthetics and sometimes the sheer machismo of cooking over an open flame."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. said during an interview with Bloomberg in January that the federal agency has not ruled out a ban on gas stoves.
CPSC Chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric walked back the comments quickly after they were met with fierce backlash. He added that the agency was not "looking to ban gas stoves."
The Washington Post also reported that chefs who specialize in Chinese stir-fry would likely never surrender to induction cooks because cooking on a gas stove top is essential to the way the flavors are developed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Richard Trumka Jr. is seen as President Joe Biden speaks during a ceremony to present 17 Presidential Medals of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, at the White House on Thursday, July 7, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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Chefs are also concerned with the cost of rebuild their kitchens to use electric, according to the Post.
Colicchio said he was planning to add induction cooktops to his new restaurant in Washington, D.C.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Richard Young, the director of education at Frontier Energy’s Food Service Technology Center in California, told the outlet thar he had been trying to upgrade the electrical system in his home.
"He expects to pay more than $30,000 once finished, and that’s just for a 200-amp panel in a residential home. Restaurants, with larger electrical needs, would pay much more in the Bay Area," the outlet reported.
While the CPCS backed away from a ban, some Democratic governors are stepping up with their own push to ban gas stoves in their states. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul pushed for a ban on fossil fuel based heating equipment that would take effect in 2030 for single-family homes and smaller buildings. However, by 2035 the ban would extend to commercial and larger buildings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gas burning in the burner of gas oven (iStock)
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A New York restaurant owner sounded the alarm on a potential gas stove ban during an appearance on "Tucker Carlson Tonight."
Stratis Morfogen told Carlson that a ban on gas stoves would "destroy our industry."