Tausi Insider

Photo : Anatoliy Eremin ( Shutterstock ) In the colder weather, especially when the days get shorter , lighting a fire indoors can be a cozy relief from the elements. If you have a wood stove, you could be using it as your primary or secondary source of heat, so keeping a fire burning is not only pleasant but necessary. But all that dry heat from the fire can dry out the air around you. A nd k eeping the air from drying out isn’t just a matter of comfort—it can also affect your health. According to the National Institute of Health , the healthiest humidity levels are between 40 and 60%. Luckily, there are some simple ways to manage the humidity in your home and keep your air healthy, whatever the weather outside. Invest in a hygrometer If you’re going for optimal humidity, getting a hygrometer to monitor your indoor humidity will help. While some HVAC systems have built-in hygrometer displays, not all units will have one. If your unit does have a hygrometer component, it might ...

Photo : Andrey_Popov ( Shutterstock ) Between spatchcocking birds and air frying cheesecakes this holiday season, I haven’t had much time to think about anything other than putting food inside a hot-maker, and taking it out again. It was only during a recent air frying session that I became very aware of my inability to face a kitchen disaster should one arise. Not only did it make me nearly crap my pants, but afterward, it got me thinking. As holiday parties hit full tilt, take these small kitchen safety measures to ensure 2022 ends without you soiling yourself. (Unless it’s from uncontrollable laughter.) Get a fire extinguisher Full disclosure: It was fire. My boyfriend and I nearly set our air fryer ablaze, and although it probably took four seconds to sort out, nothing slows down time like flames you can’t control. I realized that my small Brooklyn apartment would be better with a fire extinguisher. Even professionals overlook these things sometimes. Regardless of your comfo...

On Monday, Bloomberg reported the Consumer Product Safety Commission would consider a ban on gas stoves , causing everyone from Republican politicians to cooks on Twitter to promptly lose their minds and begin insulting electric stoves.   If you were among them, don’t panic: A gas stove ban is unlikely, especially in the immediate future. Here’s the thing, though: Maybe we should ban gas stoves. A growing body of research suggests gas stoves can be dangerous to live and breathe around, while electric stoves aren’t. Plus, electric stoves are pretty great, actually, and wholly undeserving of their crappy reputation. Here are four reasons why. Electric stoves don’t leak methane or nitrogen dioxide into your house A huge benefit to electric stoves is that they don’t use gas and therefore can’t leak it into your house. More and more research shows that gas stoves do exactly this: In 2022, researchers from Stanford University found that gas stoves emit methane gas via “post-meter lea...

Photo : Africa Studio ( Shutterstock ) Politicians and social media can’t get enough of the gas versus electric stove debate (at TausiInsider, we think Electric Stoves Are Good, Actually ) —but regardless of where you stand on it, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) federal legislation that was passed last year can essentially score you a free electric range in the hopes of incentivizing people to make the switch. Who qualifies for a rebate for a new electric range The rebate amount you’ll qualify for will depend on how your income compares to the Area Median Income in your area. (You can calculate your AMI with this tool by entering your address.) If your income falls between 80% and 150% of your local AMI , you’re eligible for a rebate of 50% of the price of your electric range, cooktop, or wall oven   (up to a maximum credit of $840). If your income falls below 80% of the AMI, you’ll qualify for a rebate of 100% of the price (up to $840) . (If your i ncomes is above 15...

Photo : PandaStudio ( Shutterstock ) Gas stoves are the latest innocuous item to turn into a culture war symbol, due to rumors that they might, at some point in the future, be banned . But are gas stoves really that bad for us? Are government agents going to come and take them away? And if the health concerns are real, are we doomed? The government is not coming to take your gas stove If you’ve been paying attention to the political controversy, you may have noticed conservative figures yelling about how they are prepared to physically defend their gas ranges from government intervention. I guess some folks like the hero fantasy, where they get to imagine grabbing their guns to engage in a glorious battle over the honor of their old Maytag. But realistically, even if gas stoves were to be banned, this is not how banning works. G/O Media may get a commission Up to $100 credit Samsung Reserve Reserve the next gen Samsung device All you need to do is sign up with your email and boom...

Photo : Pegasene ( Shutterstock ) If you are a clean-as-you-go type of cook, or you simply cannot handle mess in the kitchen, you may be in the habit of wiping up spills on your stove as soon as they happen. While that may seem like the best move to prevent food from drying (and therefore harder to get off later), it’s actually not great for you or your cooktop. Here’s why you should wait until the surface has cooled before cleaning—and how to go about it. Why wait until the stove cools? Trying to clean on or around burners that are on or still hot obviously puts you at risk of burning yourself or catching a rag, sponge, or paper towel on fire. Plus, cleaning solutions sprayed on hot surfaces may vaporize , which isn’t great for your lungs and honestly may not get the job done as well. Cleaning products can damage the finish on glass stovetops if burned, leaving permanent marks, and synthetic rag fibers may melt onto the surface. There’s also a higher risk of cracking the glass w...

Photo : Andrey_Popov ( Shutterstock ) Have you ever dropped something behind the stove or fridge and gone to get it, only to realize in the process that somehow, there is a huge mess under there? You might think a massive appliance taking up space on the floor would dust from collecting beneath it, but you would be wrong. Underneath your biggest appliances, there is a ton of dust and grime—and it’s not only gross, but extremely hard to clean. Short of hauling it all away from the wall—not an easy task, especially for one person—here are three methods you can try instead. One step before you clean Before you can clean under an appliance, you need to be able to get under them. Dishwashers (and some stoves) have a kickplate you’ll need to unscrew to gain unobstructed access to the area underneath, so check your manufacturer’s instructions if it isn’t immediately apparent where yours is or how to remove it. If you have a stove with a drawer underneath, pull that sucker out to get at ...