[flakeoil]

> stove-grade electrical backup systems

What the heck is that? Where in the western world can't you run an electric induction stove? And what would the environmental impacts of that be?

Gas leaks and gas explosions is nothing I see as benefits.

And en electric stove also have many benefits over gas such as automatically turning off, timer based shut off etc.

[bifrost]

Ever seen an electrical fire? Nasty business.

It'd cost me $20k to install an induction stove, not buying it.

I lose power in SF 3-4 times a year, have never lost gas. Last power outage I cooked with gas and it was great. I have gas heat too, always works.

[bell-cot]

>> stove-grade electrical backup systems

> What the heck is that?

Try searching for "UPS" on Amazon. How many of the search results would be capable of powering an electric stove (to cook meals) through a several-day electrical outage? If you looked at larger units (and generators) which were capable of doing that - what physical/electrical/safety issues would you face in actually connecting them to a typical residential stove? And once you're into the generators - those have their own fuel safety issues.

> Where in the western world can't you run an electric induction stove?

Anywhere that does not have electrical power available, during a power outage. Which the comment I was replying to very specifically pointed out.

[amluto]

“UPS” is the wrong search term. Buying a “UPS” gets you 1990-era tech for cleanly powering down a computer if the power fails or riding through a brown-out. You’re looking for an off-grid system or a hybrid system or a portable power station. A company like Ecoflow will happily sell you one for $600 or so that will power a perfectly nice induction stove at full blast for half an hour. (You don’t need full blast for very long to cook most meals — this is good for quite a lot of cooking.) Throw in a single solar panel and a patch of sun and it will keep you cooking indefinitely.

Impulse Labs would like to sell you a really nice 4-pan stove with a built in battery that will ride through a decently long outage.

[bifrost]

It has 3kwh and the stove costs $6k + installation. Based on their specs thats less than an hour.

Gas stovetop costs $400 and just works.

[bell-cot]

Perhaps.

But there's also the virtue of tech that just works, without everyone having to spend time & money researching/purchasing/maintaining/using backup systems to cover its frequent outages.

Tech like those old gas stoves.

[flakeoil]

Well, in most developed countries it happens very rarely (less than once a year) and when it happens it's typically in the minutes or maybe an hour range.

As a backup I would recommend a camping stove that uses ethanol over using a UPS system.

[bell-cot]

> Well, in most developed countries...

Vs. the USA? Further up the chain of replies, this was specified:

>>> Here in New York I lose power several times a year - sometimes for multiple days at a time. In 5 decades I've never lost my gas.

And I know quite a few people in Michigan who had similar experiences last year. Total outage duration for many of them was >2 weeks.

(I'll admit that, these days, "USA isn't really a developed country any more" is a credible argument.)