Cooking with your children can become a fun and productive family hobby.
Children that know how to cook are more self-confident in the kitchen.
In addition, studies have shown that children who cook are more likely to try new foods, be interested in different options, and eat more vegetables compared with children who don’t help cook.
While the benefits of cooking with your children are clear, what about the safety concerns?
While some dangers, such as using knives or getting burnt at the stove, are well-known, other dangers are unexpected.
One of the most insidious dangers of cooking comes directly from the stove and oven that you are using.
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What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide is a gas produced when a carbon-based fuel burns incompletely.
Carbon-based fuels include wood, coal, natural gas, and propane.
Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, and doesn’t cause irritating symptoms like coughing. In other words, it’s undetectable by humans.
However, carbon monoxide is very toxic and poisons cells by taking the place of the oxygen they need.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is deadly and can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and other symptoms.
Children can experience the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning sooner and more acutely than adults because of their small body size and faster breathing rate.
Dangers of Cooking Without a Range Hood
Cooking without a range hood, or with an inefficient vent, can have several detrimental effects.
Quality range hoods can help prevent the buildup of grease on surfaces, decrease the effects of steam, and reduce or eliminate odors.
However, a properly vented and installed range hood can have more than cosmetic and aesthetic benefits.
Range hoods also decrease the amount of toxic gases that are found in your house by venting your stove directly outside.
Carbon Monoxide from Cooking Stoves
Studies have shown that carbon monoxide levels from gas cooking appliances are probably much higher than previously thought because in earlier studies ovens were not allowed to run long enough.
It was found that much higher levels of gases can occur when ovens are left on for time periods similar in length to typical cooking times- such as 20-60 minutes.
At these time intervals, many of the ovens which were tested released high levels of carbon monoxide.
Other Contaminates from Cooking Stoves
Cooking without vent hoods can also produce other contaminants and toxins.
Both gas and electric stoves can emit certain kinds of dangerous and irritating chemicals and substances, although gas stoves seem to produce more dangerous gasses from incompletely burned fuel.
Some of the contaminates from cookstoves and ovens include:
- Nitrogen dioxide
- Ultrafine Particles
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- Acrolein
Install Your Range Hood Properly
Find a qualified professional to help you select and install a quality range hood.
There may be various factors in an installation that you won’t be aware of until you talk to an installer.
For example, if you have an especially tall kitchen you may need to install a custom range hood so that it can be located at the correct height.
If your stove is located on an interior wall, you may need to open a wall or get into the attic in order to install the ductwork for the vent.
A professional can also help you select the correct vent hood for your stove so that you know it will be powerful enough to remove all the toxins and gases.
The larger or more powerful your stovetop is, the more powerful your range hood will need to be in order to be effective.
For a range hood to protect you and your family from dangerous gasses and other chemicals, it must be made and installed correctly.
Most importantly, the vent hood must vent outside.
Small filter-based recirculating fans don’t vent gases and chemicals out of your house. Instead, they recirculate the air after passing it through small filters.
While these filters might be helpful in removing some of the odors and grease from the air, they cannot remove toxins.
Features to Look For
Besides their basic function of cleaning your air and venting toxins out of your house, vent hoods can have a variety of other features.
Multiple fan speeds
If high and low are too basic for you, buy a vent hood with more than two levels of fan speed.
This is handy for those situations where you just want a few more options, or where the high and low never seem to be the correct setting.
Heat sensor
Heat sensors are great for cooking with your children, who are likely to forget about turning on a vent hood.
The heat sensor will automatically start the fan in the hood when it reaches a certain temperature, making your kitchen safer and cleaner without anyone having to remember to turn it on.
Exhaust timer
Studies have shown that leaving the exhaust fan running for a while after the cooking is over can help reduce the toxins in the air.
An exhaust timer allows you to leave the fan running after you’re finished without having to remember to come back and shut it off later.
Even better, it will eliminate having to remind your children to shut off the fan every time they cook.
In-line or external blower
We all know how loud range hood fans can be.
Especially when you are cooking with chattering children, the fan just adds to the noise.
If you hate the constant sound of a vent hood, consider purchasing a range hood with an in-line or external fan.
Because the blower is located farther away from the stove, the noise is lessened or eliminated.
