Don't peek
Opening the oven door can lower the temperature inside by as much as 25 degrees, causing your stove to consume more energy to return to the desired cooking temperature.
For many of us, the best holidays involve home-cooked meals and wonderful aromas of turkey, stuffing and baked goods wafting throughout the house. It means a busy kitchen and a bustling house full of family and friends. If this rings true for you, follow these smart tips to save energy while you cook your way through the holidays.
Think small
In addition to being the “heart of your home,” your kitchen could pump savings back into your wallet. According to the Department of Energy, cooking accounts for 4.5 percent of total energy use in U.S. homes. This number, combined with the energy use associated with refrigeration, dishwashing and hot-water heating, means that as much as 15 percent of the energy in the average American home is used in the kitchen. So, saving energy here can have a significant impact on your household budget.
For example, when preparing side dishes, baked goods, soups and such, consider using small appliances like a slow cooker, toaster oven, microwave or warming plate instead of your conventional oven or stovetop. These small appliances are a smart, energy-saving alternative, typically using about half the energy of a stove.
Seal in efficiency
When using your oven, don’t peek! Opening the oven door can lower the temperature by as much as 25 degrees, and it causes your stove to consume more energy to return to the desired cooking temperature. If your recipe calls for baking the dish more than an hour, it’s not necessary to preheat the oven. If your oven is electric, you can likely turn the oven off for the last five to 10 minutes of cooking and allow the residual heat to complete the job. Clean burners and reflectors increase efficiency and offer better heating, so don’t neglect this small but important task.
Just as keeping the oven door closed seals in efficiency and enables the stove to operate more economically, the same rules apply to the refrigerator and freezer. Keep the doors closed as much as possible so cold air doesn't escape. However, leaving the door open for a longer period of time while you load groceries or remove items you need is more efficient than opening and closing it several times.
Clean up with energy savings
When it’s time to clean up, run the dishwasher with full loads only, and if possible, use the energy-saving cycle. Note that dishwashers that have overnight or air-power dry settings can save up to 10 percent of your dishwashing energy costs.
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