Energy Efficient Cooking
Most of the time spent in the kitchen is spent in cooking meals. There are a number of ways to ensure that cooking in the kitchen is carried out in a more energy efficient manner.
Selecting the right method to cook:
The first step in cooking efficiently is to match the right method of cooking with the dish to be prepared. Cooking methods that minimize the area to be heated helps in reducing the amount of heat required. For example, using a toaster is considered more efficient than toasting a slice of bread in an oven. The fine balance is selecting a method that is energy efficient and does not compromise on the quality of food being delivered. A microwave for example may be highly efficient but is considered at times to compromise on the quality of food that is being prepared.
Selecting the right sized dish to get the job done:
Selecting the right pan size for a dish and matching it accurately to the size of the cook top is also crucial in ensuring that there is no waste of energy. Using a small sized pan on an oversized burner can lead to as much as a 40% loss of energy. The pan shape and the mode of cooking also need to be taken into consideration. A slightly concave pan is ideal for a gas stovetop while a flat bottom pan that increases the contact area is essential for an electric stovetop.
The effect various cookware has on cooking:
Using cookware made of high conductivity materials will ensure that less time is taken to heat the pan and therefore proves to be more energy efficient in the process. Utensils made up of high conductivity materials ensure that food is cooked more evenly. Conductivity depends upon the mode of cooking. On a regular stove, copper pans conduct heat more efficiently than those made of other materials do. Glass and ceramic pans heat faster in ovens than metal ones. In fact, you can reduce heat requirements by 25°F.
Maintaining your stove’s burner:
Keeping the burner clean is crucial to ensure that it works efficiently and effectively. A blackened burner, which has lot of burnt food on it, can absorb heat reducing the burner efficiency in the process. When the burner is shiny, it is able to reflect heat onto the pans more easily.
Planning your meals:
Energy efficient cooking requires considerable preplanning. Frozen foods should be defrosted in the refrigerator by shifting the food article from the freezer to the main fresh food compartment. Try to reduce the amount of preheat time in conventional ovens. The self cleaning option available in some ovens should be used sparingly and only after a meal has been cooked so that residual heat can be utilized.
Selecting the right method to cook:
The first step in cooking efficiently is to match the right method of cooking with the dish to be prepared. Cooking methods that minimize the area to be heated helps in reducing the amount of heat required. For example, using a toaster is considered more efficient than toasting a slice of bread in an oven. The fine balance is selecting a method that is energy efficient and does not compromise on the quality of food being delivered. A microwave for example may be highly efficient but is considered at times to compromise on the quality of food that is being prepared.
Selecting the right sized dish to get the job done:
Selecting the right pan size for a dish and matching it accurately to the size of the cook top is also crucial in ensuring that there is no waste of energy. Using a small sized pan on an oversized burner can lead to as much as a 40% loss of energy. The pan shape and the mode of cooking also need to be taken into consideration. A slightly concave pan is ideal for a gas stovetop while a flat bottom pan that increases the contact area is essential for an electric stovetop.
The effect various cookware has on cooking:
Using cookware made of high conductivity materials will ensure that less time is taken to heat the pan and therefore proves to be more energy efficient in the process. Utensils made up of high conductivity materials ensure that food is cooked more evenly. Conductivity depends upon the mode of cooking. On a regular stove, copper pans conduct heat more efficiently than those made of other materials do. Glass and ceramic pans heat faster in ovens than metal ones. In fact, you can reduce heat requirements by 25°F.
Maintaining your stove’s burner:
Keeping the burner clean is crucial to ensure that it works efficiently and effectively. A blackened burner, which has lot of burnt food on it, can absorb heat reducing the burner efficiency in the process. When the burner is shiny, it is able to reflect heat onto the pans more easily.
Planning your meals:
Energy efficient cooking requires considerable preplanning. Frozen foods should be defrosted in the refrigerator by shifting the food article from the freezer to the main fresh food compartment. Try to reduce the amount of preheat time in conventional ovens. The self cleaning option available in some ovens should be used sparingly and only after a meal has been cooked so that residual heat can be utilized.
