During a Friday night dinner rush, executive chef Peter Petti will have stainless steel pots of pasta water boiling while searing salmon and steaks, all 12 burners ignited on the gas stoves at Sojourn, a New American restaurant on the Upper East Side. Nearly everything on his menu\u00a0 \u2013 from a 30-day, dry-aged NY strip to a chocolate flambeed dessert \u2013 is cooked on the range.
\n\u201cSome dishes require two or three pans on the burners,\u201d said Petti, 45, who\u2019s been cooking with gas since the beginning of his culinary career in the early 2000s, when he started as a line cook at Eleven Madison Park.
\nThe Feds, however, can\u2019t stand the heat.
\nOn Monday, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said it was\u00a0considering a nationwide ban\u2002on gas stoves, which are currently used in 37% of US households and 76% of US restaurants, according to\u00a0Consumer Reports\u00a0and the National Restaurant Association. The safety commission cited recent reports that gas stoves emit unsafe levels of pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and ca\u200brbon monoxide and have been linked to cancers, respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular problems. But the city\u2019s chefs and restaurateurs are fuming at the\u00a0possibility of a ban\u2002and the devastating effect it could have on the health of their businesses.
\nGas stoves are powered by sending natural gas or sometimes propane to a cooktop burner to fuel a flame. Alternatives to gas include old-fashioned electric coil stovetops \u2013 typically only found in residences and known for being slow to heat and adjust to temperature changes \u2013 and induction, which relies on electromagnets to heat cookware. Induction can be quite fast, bringing a pot of water to a\u00a0boil in two minutes or less, as opposed to five to eight minutes on gas and electric coil stove tops. But, induction also takes some getting used to and can\u2019t be used with some cookware.
\n\u201cThere are some kitchens that do operate using inductions, but it\u2019s definitely a learning curve,\u201d said Patti. \u201cYou\u2019d have to close to reset up your kitchen, refile with the fire department \u2013 there\u2019s a lot that goes into it.\u201d<\/p>\n