How to Improve Energy Efficiency While Cooking: Guest Post

It is no secret that I love to save money. Every penny saved on things we need is another penny we can spend on the things we want and want to do. My energy bill is highest during the heat of the summer, so being more efficient and saving energy while doing something we have to do (everyone has to cook and eat, right?) equals saving money! Plus saving electricity and energy will help lessen our footprint, helping the environment, helping us all. Each person making one small change would equal big change, helping our planet and helping us all. 

Bringing me to introduce our Guest today, Kathleen. Kath is interested in living healthier and greener. She is one of the founders of CleanersLondon Camden Town,  and is sharing how we can Improve Energy Efficiency While Cooking. Thank you to all of you joining us today, and a big thank you to Kathleen for sharing this great information today!

How to Improve Energy Efficiency

While Cooking: Guest Post

Do you have any idea of how much energy you use to prepare the dinner? The modern kitchen has a wide range of cooking appliances, all marvelous and easy to work with. But most of them were designed to use lots of energy. If you cook every other day, you may find it convenient to improve your energy efficiency, both for nature's sake and for yours. Here is what to do to minimize heat loss and energy waste while cooking. Hope it helps.

Go with the Right Cooking Method

Use your appliances wisely. If you want to cook some fish, don't go using the entire oven. You will waste more energy than if you use the stovetop. If you toast bread using the grill instead of a toaster, you are in for more energy waste. Don't worry, there is no need to compromise the quality of your food; there are hundreds of options to prepare delicious and nutritious food. You just need to be more cautious of the methods you use.

Use Small Pans

Buy efficient cookware. If your pots, dishes and pans are of high quality, they will require less energy to heat. They are also more durable. The general rule is, use small pans or ones as big as the electric burner/hot plate itself because they will be heated faster. Hence, less energy will be spent to do the trick. 

Use ceramic or glass cookware. The latter usually preserves heat and is more efficient than other materials, allowing you to use less energy while cooking. You want to avoid metal pots and pans. Other appropriate equipment is copper-bottomed pots. 

Opt for energy-efficient appliances

Invest in energy-efficient cooking appliances. This is going to reduce the consumption of energy required while cooking. Such appliances are just as effective as their older counterparts. The only difference you will notice is lower energy bills. You can save about $55 per year by using energy-efficient kitchen appliances, such as ovens, electric burners, microwaves, range hoods. What is more, a modern electric oven can save as much as $200 on energy on a yearly basis. And as you watch your energy bills shrink, remember that your carbon footprint will be reduced too. Better for you, better for nature. After all, aren't we all striving to make our lives better? Note that when it comes to energy-efficient appliances the quality of performance remains the same and food preparation is piece of cake.

Maintain Your Appliances

Keep your kitchen appliances clean and provide yearly check-ups to make sure they function at maximum efficiency. Baked-on food and other debris inside your oven can reduce its efficiency. Food waste and dirt tend to absorb heat. So instead of heating the pan as burners should be, they heat up the waste, causing you to spend more time in the kitchen. If you have one of these self-cleaning ovens, resist the temptation to turn on that function – this will use more energy. Instead clean the appliance right after cooking. You'll see how easy it is to remove dirt while it is still hot. A little baking soda or white vinegar will get your appliance gleaming.

Other small tricks and tips

• While cooking in the oven or microwave, don't open the door unless necessary. If you want to check the progress of your meal, simply use a flashlight.  Tip: it will be easier to look through the windows if you keep your oven/microwave clean all the time. 

• Pre-heat the oven only when required.

• In order to prevent heat loss, make sure your oven door seals are in good condition. To check whether they are able to close the gap between the oven and its door, insert a piece of paper between the door and the seal. A surefire signal that the seal is no longer as effective as before is when the piece slips out. This means that you could be wasting energy. The best way to deal with this situation is to replace the seals. You will prevent heat loss and wasted money.

• Always turn off your kitchen appliances when not in use. This draws more power than you think it does. 

• When possible, use lids to prevent heat loss and to minimize cooking times. 

Be conscious and do whatever you can to reduce energy waste in the home.

The article is kindly presented by CleanersLondon Camden Town 

(All posts may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.)