Flameless Stoves A Burning New Trend

 For millennia fire and cooking have been entwined.  Yet it turns out that those helpful flames are not only bad for the environment but also our kids. What do we do? Switch over to a different kind of cook top.It's time for home chefs to consider .

Regular contributor Melissa Clark wrote about this neat invention in today's New York Times Food section. An induction stove basically runs on electromagnets. These offer a stove much more responsiveness,power and precision. They are also a dream to clean. There's no going under or between messy burner grills to pick or mop up burned pieces of food or spills.Keep in mind there is a learning curve. It will take some time to get used to this new way of cooking.Robert Osbourne of Brooklyn had one installed after his co-op board rejected his request for putting in a gas line for a gas stove. He resisted at first but then became acclimated . He had to adapt to the mental process of looking at a number instead of gazing at the centuries old orange blue flame.It starts off cool and works up to a heat.However unlike regular stoves, they are expensive. Only five per cent of American homes have one. They can range anywhere from $690 to $1600. An expensive gas range tops at $1,000 while the cheapest is only $395.

Yet converting to an electric range is worth it. Gas ovens and stoves emit potent greenhouse gases like methane into the atmosphere, What's even more surprising and worrying is that seventy-five of these emissions happen when the stove is shut off. Then there are those noxious fumes that are more harmful to kids.It brings about indoor nitrogen dioxide that spike quickly , reaching hazardous levels in the time it takes to bake a cake. Children with asthma suffer terribly.Yet many home chefs are reluctant to switch over. Only five per cent of American homes have them. It could be the cost or the whole idea of cooking on cook top that eventually heats up. It is something homeowners have to get used to though. New York and other cities across the country are enacting legislation that will limit the amount of gas hook-ups in new construction. Luxury buildings not only see them as more efficient and functional but also as more upscale and lux.  Induction ovens are also going to be put into NYCHA apartments throughout Manhattan to help the organization meet its' city mandated sustainability requirements.

Think about an induction oven for your next stove.It's better for the environment and family. It makes your kitchen more sustainable and better for the planet and you.

Natural Vs Chemical Kitchen Cleaners

Maybe more so than the bathroom, the kitchen is the dirtiest and messiest room in the house. This is the place where oil gets splattered and  mud gets scattered. It's a smelly fridge competing with a smelly sink. Kitchens need constant cleaning - and here is the dilemma - do you go for the safe all natural cleansers, versus the heavy duty super efficient industrial ones.

Everyone wants a clean and sparkling kitchen. Yet who has the time to whip up a natural cleanser when it's easier to go out and buy a bottle? The problem is that many cleaners have a whole host of bad for you chemicals.Any product that boast's it's antibacterial should be given a second glance. It's probably chock full of quarternary ammonium compounds or QUATS. Firstly they help in creating antibiotic resisting bacteria which can be lethal to the very young, very old and the immune challenged .On top of that , they are responsible  for creating asthma. What do you sub in then? Tea tree oil mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar and water can do the trick. Bleach can work too, as with hydrogen peroxide. Just wear old, ratty clothes when you're working with the last two. Bleach can get all over and there is a tendency to wipe our hands on our jeans after we clean (I know do). Even a tiny drop can ruin denim.

Bleach is my go to for cleaning the kitchen sink however I found another natural cleanser that also does the trick.Apple cider vinegar and baking soda  together has been my preference for cleaning stubbornly greasy pans . I thought , well if it works for metal, it could work for porcelain. It did. Use about a quarter of a cup of baking soda over the surface. Add about half a cup of vinegar over the baking soda. Stand back and enjoy the foamy reaction (really the best part of it) and then wipe down with a sponge.The result is the same as the bleach cleaning - a sparkling white and clean surface. Remember that baking soda is also very good at removing tea and coffee stains from cups and mugs.
As far as removing mold from underneath drying racks, I'd go with the bleach. Black mold can be very difficult  and bleach has the power to get rid of it.  You could use vinegar - white works well with an old toothbrush  to scrub it away. That is if you have the time.It can be labor intensive, however.

What's the best cleanser for your kitchen? Natural or chemical? Natural if you have the time to clean. However some of the chemical ones do come in handy when you;re pressed for time. Use whatever works for a clean , sparkling kitchen.