The holidays are traditionally a time to enjoy great food and to spend with those we love. This year consider paying tribute to the energy sources we need to make it all come together. From microwaves to refrigerators, and even garage door openers, there are energy-efficient varieties of everything.
The kitchen appliances of today are twice as efficient as those of a decade ago, yet many people are not taking advantage. When the holidays are here and you are overusing the dishwasher, oven, and stove, this is when you’ll notice the extra cost you are incurring. Not to mention the kids standing in front of the refrigerator with the door open for 10 minutes at a time as they search for a treat.
Thankfully, there are things you can do to reduce your costs, and here are some tips:
- The turkey is going to take forever to cook anyway, so there is no need to waste electricity by preheating the oven. The same holds true for a ham.
- Everyone is tempted to keep opening the oven door while the turkey cooks, but each time you do so, you drop the temperature by 25 degrees or more, requiring more energy to regain that heat.
- Most of us cook one item at a time in the oven. Cook multiple items in the oven at once. Time the bread to go in the oven for the last 10 minutes while the turkey is finishing up.
- If you are using an electric oven, you can turn it off at least 10 minutes before you are done cooking. The stored heat will finish cooking your meat and save you some energy. The same applies to electric stovetop burners.
- If using ceramic or glass cookware, you can lower the temperature by 25 degrees and get the same results.
- Self-cleaning stoves have a higher insulation level and use less energy.
- Match your pan size to your heating element. Surprisingly, a pan that is two inches smaller than its burner is wasting over 40 percent of the burner’s energy.
- Keeping the reflectors and burners clean saves energy and helps them to heat more efficiently. High-quality reflectors will save 30 percent of the burner’s energy usage.
Other cooking Alternatives
Don’t underestimate the other appliances in your kitchen. Microwave ovens use half the energy and won’t heat your kitchen to 1,000 degrees. It may not work for your turkey, but a microwave is ideal for heating leftover gravy and turkey, steaming your fresh vegetables, or baking your yams.
- The easiest way to save money on dishwasher usage is to not use it. Make a family event out of it, with a few people washing, others rinsing, and a few to dry.
- If you do use the dishwasher, be sure to only run it when you have a full load. If dishes need to be rinsed before loading them, use only cold water.
Saving energy and money in the kitchen is something you can do throughout the year, and there’s no better time to start than now! Make it a New Year’s resolution and watch your bills drop significantly in 2012.
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