Saving Energy in the Kitchen

The kitchen with all its electric appliances and heat is a good place to start saving energy, money, and time as well. The microwave, blender, and pressure cooker are wonderful assets in the kitchen as they save both energy and cooking time.

Keeping the pot covered while cooking keeps the heat in and saves time.
Glass and ceramic ware conduct heat, keep the food warm, and reduce cooking time.
Use a timer to fix the cooking time rather than opening the oven door to check on the dish. Opening the oven door frequently lowers the temperature inside the oven.
Do not preheat the oven unless required, and turnoff the heat a few minutes earlier. The residual heat is sufficient to cook the food and keep it warm.
Ensure that the refrigerator coils are kept clean and do not overcrowd the fridge,
Keep things organized and remove everything you need once you open the fridge. Opening the fridge door frequently puts a heavier load on the compressor.
Thaw frozen food to room temperature before baking or cooking.
Serve salads more often, thus saving on money and energy. The fiber, vitamins and minerals in raw vegetables are good for health.
Dice food into smaller bits so it cooks faster, using less energy.
Avoid keeping food warm in the oven for one person, have meals together as a family.
Avoid roasting, baking and boiling wherever possible. Switch over to steaming and stir frying.
Reheating a pizza or any dish in a microwave is faster and uses less energy than when heated on an electric stove.
The smaller the oven the less energy consumed while cooking.
When using a gas burner, ensure the flame is completely below the pan, while with an electric cooker, the bottom of the pan should cover the whole heating coil
Stoves should be maintained by mopping up boil-overs and cleaning clogged pores of rings frequently.
Use energy efficient appliances and replace them if they are old. The energy savings from efficient appliances will soon offset the cost of the new appliances.
Install fluorescent lights in the kitchen and turn off lights when not needed
Cooking in the outdoor with a solar oven beats the heat in the kitchen, saves energy, and is environment friendly too.
Barbecuing with chemical free coconut shell charcoal briquettes is economical too. They are long lasting and maintain a consistently high temperature which means you use fewer briquettes than normal.