How you prepare food can have a big impact on how much energy you consume in the kitchen. Here are some suggestions for how to cook up those meals while utilizing the least amount of energy.
* Defrost, defrost, defrost. Setting frozen food in the refrigerator the night before or out on the counter for a few hours will mean less time and energy spent cooking.* Steam those veggies. Put a minimum of water in your pot instead of filling it up to the brim. This will result in faster cooking and decreased water usage. And as an added benefit, your vegetables will retain more of their nutrition.
* Pick the proper burner. A small pan or pot should sit on a smaller burner. Flames or coils extending beyond your cooking vessel mean wasted heat.
* Put a lid on it. Covering your pot or pan reduces the amount of time it takes for water and other liquids to reach a full boil.
* Skip the preheat. Yes, every recipe recommends preheating your oven. But many modern ovens are so well insulated you can simply slip cold foods in and then turn the dial to the required temperature without such preparation.
* Turn off the heat. Experiment with shutting off burners or ovens five minutes before the food has fully cooked. Many ranges and ovens will retain sufficient heat to continue cooking your meal without the extra energy usage.
* Bake your whole meal at once. Some meals, such as chicken and vegetables, can be cooked in one dish, saving you time and money. If you can’t fit everything in with the bird, plan to cook dishes one right after the other.
* Don’t peek. Yes, we know it’s hard. But trust us—that bread is rising whether or not you are opening the oven door to look inside or not. In fact, such intrusion will actually lengthen your cooking time because it allows heat to escape. If you need to check for doneness or to see if food has reached a desired temperature, remove the dish from the oven and shut the door to keep heat trapped inside.
* Turn on the toaster oven. Small items such as personal pizzas or potatoes don’t need to be baked in a large oven. Toaster ovens cook food in the same amount of time and much more efficiently.
* Make it in the microwave. These are much faster than conventional ovens and also release less ambient heat into your kitchen, helping you keep your cool on those balmy summer evenings while still getting dinner done.
