Saving Energy in the Kitchen
Greentips: February 2005
Reheating a slice of pizza or preparing dinner for your family? You might have several appliances available in your kitchen that can handle both of these tasks, but which one you choose—and how you use it—can have a significant impact on your energy consumption.
The energy consumed by electric appliances is measured in watts. The energy consumed by gas appliances is measured in British thermal units or Btus; one Btu is equal to approximately 0.293 watt-hour. Check the label on the back of each appliance to find its average wattage, and multiply that figure by the number of hours required for cooking to determine which appliance would be the most efficient for your needs. For example, heating water in a 900-watt microwave oven for five minutes (0.083 hour) uses much less energy (75 watt-hours) than an electric stovetop, which can use up to 2,000 watts (167 watt-hours) in the same amount of time on its “high” setting.
Here are some other ways to use less energy in the kitchen (no calculator required):
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Think small.
Ovens: In general, the smaller the oven, the less energy used in cooking, so choose the smallest appliance suited to the task.
Stovetops: With an electric stovetop, make sure your pan completely covers the heating element. With gas burners, make sure the flame is fully below the pan; otherwise, you’re paying to heat the air around the pan, not just the pan itself. Also, use the appropriate size pan for your meal. -
Keep appliances clean. Clean surfaces maximize the amount of energy reflected toward your food.
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Keep a lid on it! Covered pots retain heat and help cook food more quickly.
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Take advantage of residual heat. Turn off the oven or electric stovetop several minutes before the recipe indicates. Both will stay hot enough to complete the cooking process.
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Don’t preheat the oven unless a recipe requires it.
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Use the right cookware. Glass and ceramic cookware conducts and retains heat better than metal. If a recipe calls for a metal baking pan, switching to glass or ceramic allows you to lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
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Don’t peek. Opening the oven door can lower the internal temperature as much as 25 degrees. Use a timer to set the cooking time, and be sure your oven window is clean enough for you to see how your dish is progressing.
