The important reasons why bringing an induction stove into your home should be approached with caution as this technology is a source of excessive EMF toxicity as confirmed by scientific study. Even induction stove user manuals warn against standing too close!
Buying a kitchen stove is a rare purchase most people make only a few times in a lifetime. Currently, the trend toward replacing electric cooktops with an induction stove is quite popular. Is this a wise purchase? Let’s take a look …
In our home, we purchased a glass top stove in 1997 when we completely remodeled the (very old) kitchen. At that time, the range we selected boasted the latest and greatest technology which included a glass top cooking surface.
We were upgrading from a tiny 1950’s stove (see hilarious picture below) that while it seemed to fit very well with the orange, 1970s style wallpaper, fake butcher block countertops and canary yellow cabinets (no kidding), it was not something we regretted replacing!
While this new range was awesome (so nice not to have to clean up messes under coil burners anymore!) and has served us well for many years, it recently came time to replace it when problems developed.
Induction, Gas or Electric?
Since we had upgraded to the best technology many years earlier with good results, we thought we should probably do so again. This involved the purchase of an induction stove with all the bells and whistles. The upgrade hopefully would make my many hours spent in the kitchen even more efficient.
Since indoor air-polluting gas stoves were thankfully not an option for our neighborhood, electric was our only choice. We made the rounds to Best Buy, Home Depot, and online to see what was available.
We eventually settled on a stainless steel induction stove. It offered nearly all the latest technology of the (amazing but ridiculously expensive) Viking stoves that celebrity chefs use but with a much more reasonable price tag.
This is the induction stove we originally picked that thankfully, we never bought (we bought this one instead).
I particularly liked the extra-large knobs and oversized glass top that prevented spills from trickling down the crack between the stove and the countertop. It was exactly what I was looking for.
We also decided to get the matching convection oven (that also functions as a toaster) to replace our old microwave oven that I only ever used for storage anyway.
Little Known Dangers of an Induction Stove
Really excited about our upcoming purchase, I posted about it on social media to see if anyone had any further input.
Right away, a couple of comments got my attention.
Jeanette K. said, “My mother’s induction stove was measured by EMF professionals and had extreme readings.”
In addition, Beth H. warned that “The only downfall [with an induction stove] is that you have to use pans that magnets can stick to”.
EMF Risks?
So glad I asked for the input! Neither of these concerns about induction stoves was mentioned by the salespeople I spoke to or the marketing material I had reviewed.
Since I frequently cook with glass, having to only use pans that magnets can stick to would be a serious downside.
It would require purchase of a few pieces of new cookware and bakeware which I really didn’t want or need.
But, it was Jeanette’s comment about the EMF dangers of an induction stove that really gave me pause. EMF overexposure is a huge concern of mine that I’ve written many articles about.
We take great pains in our home to minimize excessive EMF exposure such as turning off wifi at night, using radiation canceling cases and headsets for our cellphones, and EMF shields for our PCs and notebooks.
I also avoid dirty electricity in our home by never using dimmer switches, fluorescent, or LED bulbs.
In addition, we use battery power for our electronics as much as possible. Higher EMF exposure occurs when you use a laptop while it is plugged in, for example.
Induction Technology Emits Strong Magnetic Fields
When I started examining the technology behind an induction stove, I was more than a little shocked and incredibly grateful Jeanette had commented about it to clue me in to do further research. Here’s what I found out:
The technology of an induction stove works by alternating magnetic fields that generate heat in a cooking vessel made of ferrous metals. The benefits of induction cooking as opposed to thermal heating with a traditional stovetop include up to 50% faster and more even cooking of the food and slightly reduced energy usage.
Parents of young children like it because the coil itself underneath the glass stovetop doesn’t actually get hot. This means the cooking surface stays cool and won’t burn little hands or steam up if you spill liquid on it.
While it is extremely controversial whether this type of radiation source is actually dangerous, the data is sufficient enough for me to avoid it.
The latest information I found that should give anyone pause about bringing an induction stove into their home was published by the Journal Bioelectromagnetics in 2012. (1)
The study authors concluded that most induction hobs (rings) exceeded even the high 1998 maximum exposure levels set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) when a person was standing close to the induction stove.
The worst-case scenario was an up to 16-fold increase from these maximum exposure levels!
Safety Tests
So how in the world did induction stoves ever pass the safety tests?
According to Powerwatch, the safety tests assumed that a person’s body is never closer than 1 foot (30 cm) to the front of the induction stove. Standing that far away would be considered “normal usage”.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t cook standing at least a foot away from my stove. My arms definitely aren’t long enough!
In fact, this would be pretty much impossible if you needed to reach the back burners.
Don’t Use a Microwave? You Won’t Want Induction Either
The bottom line is that if you avoid microwaved food and microwaves in general, you will want to pass on the induction stove as it uses similar technology.
I’ve not used a microwave in 25 years (and not missed it for a second, I might add). Why would I start now exposing myself and my family to potentially dangerous, concentrated sources of EMFs with an induction stove which works in a similar fashion?
Of course, induction stove manufacturers insist the technology is safe.
They claim that the radiation hazard dissipates within a few inches to a foot of the appliance. “Normal usage” would not expose a person to a radiation hazard.
Right?
I’ll pass thanks.
Safer Alternatives
Fortunately, the exact same stove I wanted was available in a traditional, thermally based cooktop without an induction feature. This is the case with all the induction ranges I examined in fact!
This is the stainless steel electric stove model we eventually bought. We’ve had it for several years now and continue to love it! As a bonus, it much more easily fit within our budget than the unsafe induction models!
Sometimes the latest and greatest isn’t always the best or even the safest.
References
(1) Exposure of the human body to professional and domestic induction cooktops compared to the basic restrictions
(2) Powerwatch: In Your Home. EMF Cooking Safety
(3) Induction stove user manual
More Information
Are Pressure Cookers Safe (and do they form MSG in food?)
Clay Pots for Safe Cooking
10 Tips for Using Stainless Steel Cookware Safely
Fitbit Health Concerns (particularly while you sleep!)
Are AMR Devices Safer than Smart Meters?
Heavy Metal Toxicity Raises Risk of EMF Sensitivity
Reducing Exposure to Dirty Electricity
The Health Hazards of Wireless Baby Monitors
Harvard MD Speaks Out about the Health Dangers of Smart Meters
Protect Yourself from a Smart Meter
Sarah, I’m surprised you don’t use a gas stove. Nothing is perfect, however, some things are safer and better than others and a gas stove does wonders for cooking. Perhaps it can be your next purchase 20 years from now!
Stay well.
I don’t care for gas believe it or not and it’s not in our neighborhood anyway.
Hi,great article but i still would use resonator to protect myself, i love the family business of emfblues.com they help me and my husband a lot. Keep up the good work Sarah, i like your articles a lot.
And sometimes you die anyway. My friend refused to use a microwave. Breast cancer at 32 years old, dead at 49. Ate all home cooked food. Grew her vegetables in the garden. Dead anyway
Maybe she would have gotten breast cancer in her 20’s if she hadn’t tried to be healthy at least in some areas of her life. You also have no idea what type of diet she ate as a child or how her mother ate while she was pregnant. We could all be hit by a truck today .. your type of attitude is a totally unproductive state of mind. Seriously Bro?
What grabbed my attention is the slick way these stoves passed safety standards! It’s the same type of shenanigans we see in drug and vaccine “safety testing”! My gosh, this stuff riles me up. Consumer, always beware and never let your guard down or take a manufacturer’s or industry’s word for anything. Thank you, Sarah, for digging in and sharing your research!
Thanks for posting! I hadn’t thought about this issue at all either! I have relatives with this kind of stove and know how fantastic it is to cook with so much more control than conventional electric. With so much more exposure to EMF that is out of our hands these days, it’s important to protect our families as much as possible at home, including eating real foods that help to protect or detox our bodies. Great information, will share!
I found your article very interesting and affirming! We purchased new appliances when we built a new house a few years, and I researched the induction cooktops. I didn’t like what I found, as it didn’t look healthy to me, but haven’t found someone who agreed with me until now! It’s not something I want in my home.
During a kitchen reno in 2006, I considered an induction cooktop. I was intrigued about spills being easier to clean and small children not getting burned. When I realised that I would have to replace all of my aluminum bottomed pots that I had spent $$$ on I opted for a gas cooktop instead. Within six months one of children was diagnosed with leukemia. I became very EMF aware and had my home tested just in case. My original glass top stove tested off the chart for emfs when standing at the usual cooking distance. I always wonder whether or not standing by this stove most of the day while pregnant had affected my child and predisposed him to cancer (epigenetics). Induction stoves are an emf danger for sure but I am just as concerned about any appliance that one is exposed to within close proximity every day for hours on end.
Wow! I wonder what the difference is between electric and induction in the EMF count?
Wow, I’m so glad you posted this Sarah! I had an induction burner in my Amazon cart. I am quite sensitive to EMF’s; and like you, I had done lots of research, but never read that they had EMF’s. So, thank you again for your timely post!
We bought the Gas fueled Samsung,(identical to yours except it’s gas) because it has a burner for wok, 20,000 BTUs. We love it, easy to use, easy to clean. Great stove. After using my mothers glass top stove, would never buy one. Too easy to scratch (and no the scratches can’t be healed) and requires too much attention.
Really like your blog and your often contrary to mainstream information.
Thanks, E
Thanks for sharing this! We’ll be doing research soon for all sorts of things as we get ready to build, and you just saved me a lot of time and headaches on the stove part of that process!