Ethical Cookers

Cookers are energy-intensive appliances used daily in almost every household, meaning their environmental and ethical impact is considerable. Some cooker brands are owned by companies involved in controversial practices, including links to the defence industry, human rights abuses, and animal welfare concerns. Consulting The Good Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table is a practical first step towards identifying the best cooker brand for consumers who care about the ethics behind their kitchen appliances.

Gas cookers have a significant carbon footprint due to the fossil fuels involved in the production of natural gas. According to Forbes, gas stoves can also leak toxic substances into the home, posing health risks for occupants. As awareness of these impacts grows, consumers are increasingly seeking cleaner alternatives. An electric cooker powered by a renewable energy tariff is widely considered the most environmentally responsible option currently available for home cooking.

Induction hobs are considerably more efficient than traditional gas or electric alternatives. According to Appliances Connection, they convert up to 90% of their heat output into cooking energy, compared to just 60–75% for gas or conventional electric hobs. Pairing an induction hob with a renewable energy tariff further reduces your carbon footprint, making it the most environmentally sound option. An additional benefit is the absence of harmful fumes associated with gas cookers.

To find an energy-efficient cooker, check the energy efficiency label displayed on the product. These labels rate appliances from A+++ to D or A to G depending on the labelling system in use, with the highest grade indicating the least energy waste. Once you have identified an ethical cooker brand using The Good Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, comparing energy labels within that brand’s range is the practical next step to minimise both environmental impact and running costs.

The Good Shopping Guide’s research found that 58% of assessed cooker brands received less than a top rating for Human Rights, indicating some degree of involvement in human rights issues either directly or through their supply chains. Six brands also received a bottom rating for their Code of Conduct, suggesting a lack of commitment to fair treatment of workers. Consumers concerned about these issues should consult The Good Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table to identify brands with top ratings in these areas.

The Good Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table places CDA at the top, making it the first kitchen appliance brand to achieve Ethical Accreditation from The GOOD Shopping Guide. Amica, Logik, and Miele also score strongly, sitting comfortably above the benchmark. These brands have demonstrated greater commitment to ethical practices across areas including environmental reporting, human rights, and codes of conduct. Consumers can consult the full table to compare all brands and make a more informed purchasing decision.

CDA sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well across most assessed categories, though its Environmental Report and Brand/Product Ethics both receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Holding Ethical Accreditation reflects the brand’s recognised commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices — CDA is notably the first kitchen appliance brand to achieve this accreditation from The GOOD Shopping Guide.

Amica sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Code of Conduct, Animal Welfare, and Human Rights credentials, though it falls short in its Environmental Report. As a brand without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could provide a meaningful and recognised way to formally demonstrate Amica’s commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.

Logik sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well across most assessed categories including its Environmental Report, Code of Conduct, and Human Rights credentials, though it has attracted Other Criticisms. As a brand without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer Logik a recognised way to formally demonstrate its commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices.

Miele sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well across most assessed categories including its Environmental Report, Code of Conduct, and Human Rights credentials, though it falls short in its Political Donations rating. Without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer Miele a meaningful and recognised means of formally validating its commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.

Belling sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Code of Conduct, Animal Welfare, and Fossil Fuels credentials, though its Environmental Report and Human Rights ratings are both acceptable rather than top. As a brand without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could provide a recognised way to formally demonstrate Belling’s commitment to ethical and responsible business practices.

Kenwood sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well across most assessed categories including its Environmental Report, Animal Welfare, and Human Rights credentials, though its Code of Conduct receives an acceptable rating and it has attracted Other Criticisms. Without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer Kenwood a recognised means of formally demonstrating its commitment to responsible and sustainable practices.

Smeg sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Animal Welfare, Fossil Fuels, and Human Rights credentials, though it falls short in its Environmental Report and its Code of Conduct receives an acceptable rather than top rating. As a brand without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could provide Smeg with a meaningful and recognised way to formally validate its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.

Stoves sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Code of Conduct, Animal Welfare, and Fossil Fuels credentials, though its Environmental Report and Human Rights ratings are both acceptable rather than top. Without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer Stoves a recognised means of formally demonstrating its commitment to responsible and ethical business practices.

AEG sits at the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in its Environmental Report, Animal Welfare, and Human Rights credentials, though its Code of Conduct, Political Donations, and Other Criticisms all receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer AEG a recognised means of formally validating its commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.

Electrolux sits at the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in its Environmental Report, Animal Welfare, and Human Rights credentials, though its Code of Conduct, Political Donations, and Other Criticisms all receive acceptable rather than top ratings. As a brand without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could provide Electrolux with a recognised way to formally demonstrate its commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices.

Prima sits at the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Animal Welfare and Human Rights credentials, though it falls short in both its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct ratings. Without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer Prima a recognised means of formally demonstrating its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.

Swan sits at the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Animal Welfare and Human Rights credentials, though it falls short in both its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct ratings. As a brand without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could provide Swan with a recognised means of formally validating its commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.

Zanussi sits at the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in its Environmental Report, Animal Welfare, and Human Rights credentials, though its Code of Conduct, Political Donations, and Other Criticisms all receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer Zanussi a recognised means of formally demonstrating its commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices.

Rangemaster falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Environmental Report and Political Donations ratings, and its Code of Conduct receives an acceptable rather than top rating, though it performs well in its Animal Welfare and Human Rights credentials. Consumers seeking cooker brands that do reach the ethical benchmark can consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.

Hisense falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Environmental Report and Human Rights credentials, and its Code of Conduct receives an acceptable rating, though it performs well in its Animal Welfare and Fossil Fuels ratings. Those seeking cooker brands that do meet the ethical benchmark are encouraged to explore The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for better-rated alternatives.

Bosch falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. While its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct both receive top ratings, the brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, with its Human Rights credentials receiving an acceptable rating. Consumers seeking cooker brands that do reach the ethical benchmark can consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.

Gaggenau falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. While its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct both receive top ratings, the brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, with its Human Rights credentials receiving an acceptable rating. Shoppers seeking cooker brands that do meet the ethical benchmark can explore The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible options.

Hotpoint falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Fossil Fuels and Armaments ratings and has attracted Other Criticisms, while its Human Rights credentials receive an acceptable rating, though it performs well in its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct. Those seeking cooker brands that do reach the ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for better-rated alternatives.

Indesit falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Fossil Fuels and Armaments ratings and has attracted Other Criticisms, while its Human Rights credentials receive an acceptable rating, though it performs well in its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct. Consumers seeking cooker brands that do reach the ethical benchmark can consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.

Neff falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. While its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct both receive top ratings, the brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, with its Human Rights credentials receiving an acceptable rating. Shoppers seeking cooker brands that do meet the ethical benchmark can explore The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.

Siemens falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. While its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct both receive top ratings, the brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, with its Human Rights credentials receiving an acceptable rating. Consumers wishing to find cooker brands that reach the ethical benchmark can refer to The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for higher-rated alternatives.

Whirlpool falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Fossil Fuels and Armaments ratings and has attracted Other Criticisms, while its Human Rights credentials receive an acceptable rating, though it performs well in its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct. Those seeking cooker brands that do meet the ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for better-rated alternatives.

Candy falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, while its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct receive acceptable ratings, though it performs well in its Animal Welfare and Human Rights credentials. Consumers seeking cooker brands that do reach the ethical benchmark can consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.

Hoover falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, while its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct receive acceptable ratings, though it performs well in its Animal Welfare and Human Rights credentials. Shoppers looking for cooker brands that do meet the ethical benchmark can explore The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible options.

Beko falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Fossil Fuels and Armaments ratings and has attracted Other Criticisms, while its Code of Conduct and Human Rights credentials receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Those seeking cooker brands that do reach the ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for better-rated alternatives.

Leisure falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Fossil Fuels and Armaments ratings and has attracted Other Criticisms, while its Code of Conduct and Human Rights credentials receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Consumers seeking cooker brands that do reach the ethical benchmark can consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.

Samsung falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short across multiple areas, including its Fossil Fuels, Armaments, Political Donations, and Human Rights credentials, and has attracted Other Criticisms. Those seeking cooker brands that do meet the ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Cookers Ethical Ratings Table for better-rated alternatives.