Opportunities for improving the energy efficiency of stovetop operations include:
  

Use pressure cookers – For a given burner setting, pressure cookers cook at higher temperatures because the pressure they produce raises the boiling point. The higher temperature allows the cooking to be completed faster, reducing energy costs by about two thirds. Compared to a warped bottom pan, a pressure cooker may use only 25 percent of the energy.

Use flat-bottomed cookware on electric elements and closed-top cooktops – The contact between cookware and the cooktop or electric element is important for efficiency. Flat-bottomed cookware on an electric element will use only about two thirds of the energy as a warped piece of cookware.²

Use equipment that fits the burner – Pots and pans should be one inch larger in diameter than the burner they are resting on. Matching pots and pans to burners will save energy dollars since more of the burner’s heat will be absorbed by the cookware.

Use lids –  Lids keep heat in cooking equipment. It is estimated that cooking with a lid increases efficiency by 8 – 14 percent .² Using lids can produce big savings for no additional investment.

Choose an efficient stovetop – The tables below provide efficiency and relative cost information for the most commonly available stovetops.² If you’re in the market for a new stovetop, take a minute to consider the energy impacts of your decision. You will pay for that energy for the life of the stove.

Consider induction stovetops – Induction stovetops have many advantages over conventional stovetops including efficiency, controllability and safety. They heat the pan directly by creating a strong magnetic field, which in turn induces a current in any ferrous (magnetic) pan. The current causes the pan to heat and cook the food. The stovetop stays relatively cool and it is nearly impossible to start a fire by leaving the burner on. No special cookware is required - any magnetic pan will work, although there are pots and pans designed specifically for use with induction stovetops.