Electric induction cooktops are more climate-friendly than gas stoves. Now people can borrow induction cooktops for free from a local library.
Millvale Tool Library, located in the community library near Pittsburgh, recently added the two induction cooktops to its collection. The lightweight, portable cooktops are powered by electricity. They don’t rely on fossil fuels that contribute to global warming.
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Bill Mocker, the Program and Volunteer Coordinator of the library, said the cooktops are a good fit for the sustainability goal of the tool library, despite the fact that they don’t have any other cooking items.
“The induction stovetops have a lot of advantages that make them a sustainable option. They’re energy efficient, they’re good for indoor air quality,” he said. “And that’s why we thought that they fit our mission enough and we thought they might be a good fit for the community.”
The benefits of induction cooking
The cooktops were donated by PennEnvironment, a state-wide environmental organization, in an effort to allow more people to access and try them out.
They have donated induction cooktops to other local libraries, including the West Philly Tool Library in Philadelphia and Schuylkill Valley Community Library in Berks County.
According to Flora Cardoni, the Deputy Director of PennEnvironment, they hope that the donations would allow more residents to test out this new technology, which can save them money on energy bills.
“Induction appliances can be up to three times as efficient as their gas counterparts, and still 10% more efficient than electric appliances. This efficiency can lead to potential long-term energy savings on utility bills and faster cooking times.”
Cardoni also emphasized how the induction cooktops can improve indoor air quality.
“Stovetops that run on gas have also been shown to dramatically increase indoor air pollution,” she said. “A recent study found that over 12% of childhood asthma cases could be attributed to indoor gas stove use, and could be prevented by using an induction or electric stove instead.”
Gas stoves emit nitrogen dioxide(NO2) indoors when they are burning.
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Check one out
To borrow a cooktop, patrons can simply go up to the front desk of the library and check it out. The library is part of the Allegheny County Library Association, so anyone with an associated library card can borrow it.
Mocker said he was disappointed by the number of people who had borrowed the cooktops so far.
“Zero,” he said in late July. “But we would like to get the word out there that people can use them and try them out. During the holidays, when they might need an extra burner, even if you’re having a picnic or you have a pavilion where you have electricity.”
Mocker said the cooktops are really a good portable option, since they are small, about the size of a laptop, and the surface doesn’t get hot to the touch.
