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Mon, Nov. 16, 2009

Fully-baked Tips for Saving Energy in the Kitchen

Posted by
the Inkslinger
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Eco StovetopThe scent of stuffing and gravy hangs heavy in the air, and with the holidays about to get cooking, I think it's a good time to add some energy-savings to the menu.

The Department of Energy tells us that 15% of the energy we use in our homes flows through our kitchens. So if we can make a big dent in our energy consumption there, we can make a big dent in our energy consumption period. Here's a side order of kitchen conservation tips:

  • When making a multi-dish meal, try to cook as much as you can at the same time, then reheat individual dishes as needed in the more efficient microwave or toaster oven (or in the regular oven if you happen to be cooking something else).
  • Resist the temptation to open the oven door to check your food. That can lower temperatures inside by 25°-50°. Turn the oven off a few minutes before the timer sounds and let residual heat finish the job.
  • Use the microwave whenever possible. Cooking a typical casserole in an electric oven uses about two kWh worth of electricity. The same dish in a microwave oven uses just 0.36 kWh. Toaster ovens are another efficient option.
  • Cover stove-top pots to stop heat from escaping. This can reduce the energy required for cooking by up to two-thirds.
  • Unplug your refrigerator and vacuum or dust its condenser coils. Dirty coils can reduce a fridge's efficiency by up to 30%! Make sure there are a couple of inches of air space between the coils and the wall so air can efficiently carry heat away.
  • Clean the rubber gaskets around your refrigerator's doors and their contact points on the unit itself to make sure your fridge seals tightly when it's closed. If your gaskets are worn or ripped, get new ones.
  • Don't put leftovers in the refrigerator while they're still warm. Your fridge will work a lot harder and warm newcomers might increase the temperature to levels that aren't safe for the foods already there.
  • Run your dishwasher only when it's full. Use the energy-saving setting to dry the dishes or let them air dry. And avoid the water heating option if your dishwasher has one.

photo: docentjoyce

Comments (6)

Mon, Dec. 07, 2009 Posted by: mrsrevmeg

Pathogens

While I do understand the logic behind wanting to conserve energy, it is not a good idea to leave out leftovers and wait for them to cool off before refrigerating them. Most foods need to be refrigerated in two hours or less of being cooked to avoid pathogens multiplying at a rate to make people sick.

Tue, Nov. 24, 2009 Posted by: MrsEssBee

Saving energy and time while enjoying family and friends!

I have gotten into the following habits mostly because they are easy and I like to take the easy route when cooking. I collect old etiquette and cook book, and one of the best tips I gleaned was that you only really need to have ONE part of your meal piping hot -- the rest can be room temp. I often host meals for as many as 40 people, and sometimes EVERYTHING is room temp, and sometimes only one part is hot. Those that really want it hot can use the Magic Box if they like. :) Enjoy!

PASTA
I only heat up enough water to cover the pasta by a couple of inches and after a minute I TURN OFF THE HEAT and just let the pasta cook in the water. I set the timer to the cooking time recommended by the pasta maker. When it goes off, I check pasta until I like it, maybe a minute or two more at most. No one has ever questioned how the pasta tastes, and I cook for a lot of foodies amongst our family and friends.

STEEL CUT OATMEAL/WHEAT BERRIES, BROWN RICE, ETC.
Soak them overnight, and cooking only takes a minutes in the morning. While it might seem obvious to some cooks, it wasn't to me until a friend pointed it out when I lamented about not starting the oatmeal early enough. Also, I make large quantities at a time, and nuke it in the morning (since my family does not avoid the Magic Box.) The time I leave Rice soaking will depend on the variety -- I usually soak it in the day so I can make sure it doesn't risk getting mushy/ I use it a couple times in the week, and freeze some for meals when I have even less time.

If my large oven is on -- I put anything I can into it at the same time -- roast veggies, roast garlic, bake potatoes, make quick bread. Small lasagnas in 8x8 pans. (oh, and I never cook the pasta for lasagna -- you just need to make sure you have sauce next to the noodle, and this isn't even so important on the bottom.)

I rarely cook every day. Grilled veggies and meat if we are having it, and rice, can be tex mex one day, chinese another, and w/o the rice lasagna the last!

Tue, Nov. 24, 2009 Posted by: CK123

Microwave 2

I echo rtl88 on wondering why you promote microwave use. The long term effect of all that radiation is not worth the short term energy savings.

I'm thinking the biggest energy hog in the kitchen is the fridge. We could aim for using SMALLER fridges, using that space just for perishables like milk and veggies and short term leftovers. Condiments don't always require chilling. For large families consider a separate freezer for storage of bulk meats and frozen veggies.

When cooking on the stovetop always use lids over pots--even when boiling water for pastas--to conserve the energy generated and heat foods quicker.

Tue, Nov. 24, 2009 Posted by: rtl88

Microwave

Although I understand microwaves use less energy, I'm a bit surprised you're promoting using them. What about the energy that went into making them? Or the radiation and possible energy guzzling adverse affects?

Tue, Nov. 24, 2009 Posted by: lminney

Another way to save energy

...is by using a crock pot instead of an oven or stovetop. I use mine several times a week for things like soup, roasts, mashed potatoes, etc. Plus it saves me time standing over the stovetop!!!

Fri, Nov. 20, 2009 Posted by: BrighterPlanet_CB

Sharing your kitchen conservation savvy

This is a great list! The climate change impact of food (growing, transporting, cooking...) is actually on par with driving and home energy use. Your post would be a perfect fit to do a little copy/paste into the Mastering the Art of Sustainable Cooking Contest over at brighterplanet.com. There's a conversation going on about ways to reduce your "foodprint." There are a number of different categories for submitting posts and pictures, prizes to be won with sustainable kitchen like the Amazon Kindle DX, and a judging panel including Alice Waters, Gary Hirshberg and Bill McKibben.

It'd be great to have you join in and help inspire others to make these changes in their kitchen. Here's the link to the Sustainable Cooking Contest.

Cheers!

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