The Appliance Whisperer

Chef Boucher is a celebrated national cooking appliance trainer, influencer and event expert with over 20+ years experience in the culinary arts industry. She creates custom training programs, activities and hands-on workshops for appliance brands, architects, designers, developers and end-users to help them choose, use and enjoy modern cooking appliances and technology. As a corporate chef, trainer, and consultant with Monark Home, Sub-Zero & Wolf, Miele U.S.A. and many others, Chef Boucher makes an effort to showcase the latest cooking technologies such as convection, induction, speed cooking, steam cooking, etc., whenever possible.

An Electric Revolution

“Our mission is to: elevate the electric kitchens conversation, educate stakeholders about today’s remarkable cooking options and facilitate the adoption and enjoyment of electric kitchens for performance, people and planet,” said Rachelle. Chef Boucher is working hard to correct the misconception that electric kitchens are “somehow inferior to more traditional gas-centric setups” and suggests that the truth about #electrickitchens is much more nuanced.

There is a perception that electric stove-tops are a “second-class” option when in fact many of the most innovative (and pricey!) kitchen appliances are already electric in your home. Think about that gorgeous steam oven from Miele that guarantees meals are prepared in a healthy way. Food is cooked particularly gently in steam. The hot steam flows directly over the food to be cooked and surrounds it on all sides. The natural aroma of the food is intensified and the color and vitamins are retained. Pretty nifty, huh? No wonder why electric cooking options are becoming so popular!

Awesome gadgets and gizmos aren’t the only reason, however, to explore adopting an electric kitchen lifestyle. The electric mission is evolving at a rapid pace because of the increased demand for net-zero housing, and yet still most homebuyers prefer that crackling flame cooking. So why even bother incentivizing electric kitchens at all when we all have come to love our gas ranges?

Well first, induction stoves are twice as energy efficient. Secondly, there are studies that link gas stoves to poor indoor air quality and health issues, including higher risks of childhood asthma. 

In fact, the state of California is working to create new industry standards that make electric kitchens the way of the future. Last July, Berkeley became the first U.S. municipality to sign a law banning the installation of natural gas lines in new buildings. Since then, more than 20 other California cities have passed similar laws, and local and state governments across the country have begun considering similar laws as part of their strategies to cut building emissions. Maine passed a bill last June providing funding to install new electric heat pumps in place of furnaces across the state, and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said her city will unveil a plan in 2021 to make all new civic buildings fully electric.

Seems like Chef Boucher might be on to something here… Still we all love a good charred bbq now and then (sadly the one thing you can’t do on an electric stove) so don’t take our word for it. Explore the gas/electric comparison yourself with this fun Consumer Reports article, and then go drool over Chef Boucher’s Instagram feed.