4 Ways to Save Energy in the Kitchen

Whether the reasons are environmentally- or economically-based, people across the country are trying to reduce their energy consumption. One place that leaves a great amount of room for improvement is the kitchen. Every day, we go through our cooking routines much in the same way that we have been for our whole lives – usually without second-guessing our actions. These routines that we inherited from our parents or developed on our own are often not as environmentally-friendly as they could be. Here are four quick, easy, and free ways to reduce the amount of energy that you and your kitchen consume.

Be mindful of pots and pans on the stove top.

When cooking on the stove top, use a burner that is the same size of the pot or pan you will be using. Placing a 6” pan on a 8” burner may sound harmless, but the truth is that almost 50% of the heat generated by your stove top will be wasted. Keeping lids on these will further increase heat retention, and thus save energy. You can also turn the heat down when your water reaches a boil.

Turn off the oven early.

If you are cooking a meal in the oven for 25 minutes at 400°, you can turn the oven off after 20 and let the existing heat cook your food for the remainder of the period. This works even better if you refrain from opening the oven door to check on your food and instead look through the glass with the oven light on. This lesson can also be applied to boiling pasta on the stove top – just make sure you have a lid on the pot.

Only use the water you need.

When cooking food which requires you to boil water – such as potatoes, pasta, or eggs – use only as much water as you will need. Many of us put in much more water than is necessary just to “be safe”, but that hurts the energy-efficiency of your appliances. Simple physics will tell you that more time and energy is required to boil one gallon of water on your stove than one pint.

Bigger is not always better.

When trying to save energy, think small. This is especially true in the kitchen. When making a personal-sized meal, opt for the microwave or toaster oven over your conventional oven. Is the food processor really necessary, or will the blender suffice? These are the kinds of decisions you should be making in your daily life to cut down on energy consumption around the house.

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