Cooking

Energy Saving Tips for Cooking

  • When cooking on an electric range, use pots and pans that are properly sized to fit the burners. Using the right sized pot on stove burners can save about $36 annually for an electric range, or $18 for gas.
  • Cook food and boil water in a covered container whenever possible; it's faster and uses less energy.
  • Begin cooking on a higher heat setting until liquid begins to boil. Then, lower the temperature and simmer the food until fully cooked. A fast boil doesn’t cook faster than a slow boil, but it does use more energy.
  • Turn off cook tops or ovens a few minutes before food has completed cooking. Retained heat finishes the job using less energy.
  • Use small electric pans, toaster ovens, or convection ovens for small meals rather than your large stove or oven. A toaster or convection oven uses one-third to one-half as much energy as a full-sized oven.
  • Try to avoid peeking at the food you are baking in the oven. Each time you open the door, the oven temperature is lowered 25 degrees.
  • Use cold water when operating your food / waste disposal. Cold water saves energy and solidifies grease so that it will move through the drainpipes easier.
  • Place the faucet lever on the kitchen sink in the cold position when using small amounts of water; placing the lever in the hot position draws hot water even though it may never reach the faucet.
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