| Home cooks of all skill levels can save money by | | | | Chinese steamer, can cook different dishes on |
| using their kitchens more efficiently. By modifying | | | | different tiers simultaneously and inexpensively. |
| cooking habits, making better use of existing | | | | 10. Choose your cookware carefully. Glass and |
| appliances and purchasing new appliances that are | | | | ceramic cookware conduct and retain heat better |
| energy-efficient, home cooks can save money, | | | | than metal. If a recipe calls for a metal baking |
| extend the working life of cookware and lessen | | | | pan, you can usually switch to glass or ceramic |
| the time spent cooking. These tactics are part of | | | | which will allow you to lower the cooking |
| Green Cooking, which is about reducing waste, | | | | temperature by 25 degrees. |
| using less energy, less water and making less | | | | 11. By warming food first (either on the counter |
| noise during the cooking process. Incorporating | | | | or in the microwave-it uses less energy than an |
| Green Cooking principles, the average household | | | | oven) you can cut down on the amount of time |
| can minimize their home's energy consumption | | | | your oven is on. |
| and save hundreds of dollars per year on utility | | | | 12. Take Cover! Water boils more quickly and |
| bills. | | | | foods cook faster if there is a lid on the pan, |
| Using the following tips, you can maximize the | | | | keeping the heat in. Also, don't boil more water |
| efficiencies of your kitchen's appliances and refine | | | | than you will be using. |
| your cooking habits to save energy, save money | | | | 13. Cooking frozen foods uses more energy - |
| and "cook green." | | | | thaw them out first. Thawing in the refrigerator is |
| 1. Full-size ovens are not very efficient when | | | | best because it helps the efficiency of the |
| cooking small quantities of food. When cooking | | | | refrigerator, cooling it down and reducing the |
| small-to medium-sized meals, use a smaller | | | | energy required to keep it at its working |
| toaster oven. In general, the smaller the appliance, | | | | temperature. |
| the less energy used, so choose the smallest | | | | 14. Cook with a microwave when possible. |
| appliance suited to your cooking task. The more | | | | Microwaves use between one-fifth and one-half |
| energy-efficient an appliance is, the less it costs to | | | | as much energy as conventional stoves. They are |
| run. | | | | most efficient at cooking small portions and for |
| 2. Keep kitchen appliances and cookware clean. | | | | defrosting. To cook food in the microwave faster, |
| When surfaces are clean, you maximize the | | | | place it on the outer edges of a rotating tray |
| amount of energy reflected toward your food, | | | | rather than in the center, allowing more |
| cooking more quickly and evenly. | | | | microwaves to interact with the food. Food cooks |
| 3. Utilize residual heat. Turn off the oven or | | | | faster as the surface-to-volume ratio increases. |
| electric stove top a few minutes before the end | | | | When cooking potatoes, for example, thinner |
| cooking time. The appliance will remain hot enough | | | | slices will cook faster than cubed or quartered |
| to complete the cooking process. | | | | sections. During warm weather when air |
| 4. Energy-efficient appliances may sometimes | | | | conditioning is in use, microwaves generate less |
| cost more to purchase, but savings on utility bills | | | | radiant heat reducing the energy load on your air |
| will be realized in the long run. Try to gradually | | | | conditioner. |
| replace your old appliances with more | | | | 15. Use pressure cookers. They use 50-75 |
| energy-efficient models. Look for appliances with | | | | percent less energy than ordinary cookware and |
| the Energy Star designation indicating that the | | | | it's the easiest and fastest method of cooking.. |
| appliance is up to current energy-efficiency | | | | 16. Induction cooking uses 90% of the energy |
| standards. New and better appliances continue to | | | | produced compared to only 55% for a gas burner |
| be developed, cooking food faster and with | | | | and 65% for traditional electric ranges. Induction |
| greater convenience. And faster cooking times | | | | cook tops have the same instant control as gas |
| mean less energy use. | | | | and are the fastest of all cook top types to heat |
| 5. If you have an electric stove top, make sure | | | | and cook food. |
| your pan completely covers the heating element | | | | 17. Use electric kettles to boil water. They |
| and is the same size as the burner. Use | | | | consume half the energy needed to boil water on |
| flat-bottomed pans that make full contact with | | | | the stove. |
| the elements. For example, a six-inch pan on an | | | | 18. Turn down the heat after water boils. Lightly |
| eight-inch element wastes 40 percent of the | | | | boiling water is the same temperature as a |
| element's heat output. With gas burners, make | | | | roaring boil. |
| sure the flame is fully below the pan; otherwise, | | | | 19. Toaster ovens, although generally not very |
| heat is lost and energy is wasted. The moral is, if | | | | well insulated are good choices for small to |
| you use a small pan, use a small burner and vice | | | | medium portions of food that cook relatively |
| versa. | | | | quickly. For baking and broiling, they use about |
| 6. Don't preheat the oven unless a recipe (such as | | | | one-third the energy of a regular oven. |
| bread or pastry) requires it. A good rule of thumb | | | | 20. Slow cookers also reduce energy use in |
| is that any food with a cooking time of more | | | | cooking. Slow cookers such as crock-pots will |
| than 60 minutes can be started in a cold oven. | | | | cook an entire meal for about 17 cents worth of |
| 7. No peeking. Every time you open the oven | | | | electricity. |
| door, it can lower the internal temperature as | | | | 21. Convection ovens consume up to one-third |
| much as 25 degrees. Use a timer to set the | | | | less energy than standard ovens. Heated air is |
| cooking time, and be sure your oven window is | | | | continuously circulated by the oven's fan, for |
| clean enough for you to see how your dish is | | | | more even heat and reduced cooking times. |
| progressing. Be sure to check the seal on your | | | | 22. Pressure-cooking is the easiest and fastest |
| oven door to make sure it is working properly. | | | | green cooking method. A new pressure cooker |
| 8. In the oven, stagger dishes at different rack | | | | can reduce your energy consumption for cooking |
| levels to ensure proper air flow. Good air flow | | | | by more than 50%. |
| helps the oven work more quickly and efficiently. | | | | 23. Electric skillets, like a deep griddle with walls, |
| Rearrange oven shelves before you turn the | | | | can steam, fry, saute, stew, bake, or roast a |
| oven on. Doing it after the oven is hot not only | | | | variety of food items - some can even double as |
| wastes heat, but is an easy way to burn yourself. | | | | serving dishes. |
| 9. Piggyback dishes on top of each other, either | | | | 24. Soak dinnerware and cooking utensils that are |
| by using the same heat source for two or more | | | | heavily caked with dried food in cold water with a |
| chores, or by baking such items as cookies using | | | | small amount of soap. This eliminates the need for |
| retained heat from prior baking or roasting. | | | | prolonged scrubbing and using large amounts of |
| Multitask wherever possible. Cookware such as a | | | | water. |