Other Kitchen Energy Saving Ideas

Use low heat – Whether cooking on the stovetop or in the oven, using the lowest temperature setting possible can save energy. Lower heat also preserves nutrients, retards meat shrinkage, and preserves color.

Keep stovetops, ovens, fryers, broilers and griddles clean – If your stovetop has reflective pans below the burners, you’ll save by keeping them clean and shiny. The more reflective they are, the more heat will be directed to cookware. Tin foil can be used to provide a reflective surface also. If you have a stovetop with concealed burners, keeping the stovetop clean will help transfer heat to the cookware. The same is true of ovens, fryers, broilers and griddles – the more accumulated debris, the harder it is for the appliance to heat the food, and the more energy will be required to do the job.

Use the appropriate size of appliance for the task – In general, smaller appliances use less energy than their larger counterparts. For instance, if you can use a smaller oven for the task at hand, doing so will save energy. Electric frypans, woks and slow cookers are considerably more efficient than stovetop burners.

Use cold water to operate a food disposer – This saves water heating energy, is usually recommended for the disposer, and helps get rid of grease (grease solidifies in cold water and gets ground up and washed away).

Install an aerator on the kitchen sink faucet – Reducing the water flow saves hot water energy and the flow change isn’t noticeable.

Turn off electric burners several minutes before the allotted cooking time – Conventional electric resistance heating elements stay hot for awhile after they are turned off – usually enough to finish the cooking task without using more electricity.

Use a timer – Avoid continually opening an oven door to check food – use a timer instead. Every time the oven door is opened, heat escapes and energy is wasted.

More energy efficient commercial cooking answers