Saving Energy in the Kitchen: Your Appliances

The kitchen is the centre of most households. It’s where meals are prepared, eaten and enjoyed, and where much of the housework takes place. Of course this high level of activity tends to mean that a lot of energy is used to make things run smoothly in the kitchen. However like with anything else in the home, you can make your kitchen more energy efficient by becoming more aware of the way you’re using energy and by taking steps to reduce your levels of energy consumption.

The kitchen, with all its appliances, gadgets and heat, is a real hotspot for potential energy saving. Looking at your kitchen’s appliances, which all use varying levels of energy, is key when tackling energy efficiency in your kitchen. This includes the everyday items such as oven, fridge and freezer, which most of us rely on to cook and store food safely and effectively. It also means the more specialist electrical items like dishwashers, blenders and mixers etc. that help us get jobs in the kitchen done quickly and painlessly.

Luckily, there are a number of steps you can take to make your kitchen one of the most energy efficient zones in your home.

The Stove

Saving Energy in the Kitchen As the stove uses the most energy and creates a vast amount of heat while cooking foods, it is a good place to start.

While gas is more energy-efficient than electric, gas stoves generate combustion by-products, while electric ones don’t. No matter which range you have, use a hood that vents to the outside. Also keep the burners clean as this will help you use less energy when you’re cooking.

On gas stoves, it’s important to notice the color of your flame. If it’s burning more yellow than blue, your gas is not burning efficiently and it needs serviced. If you need to purchase a gas oven or range, look for one with an automatic, electric ignition system. An electric ignition saves gas because a pilot light is not burning continuously.

Also check out the new induction cook tops. These work by using electricity to create a magnetic field to cause molecular movement in your cookware, meaning that the stovetop stays cool while the cookware itself heats up.

An Alternative

Saving Energy in the Kitchen If you’re into casseroles, chunky soups and/or boiled meats it may alternatively be worth getting a slow cooker, also more energy-efficient than an oven or a stove top. And you have comforting, gorgeous-smelling food waiting for you when you get home.

The Refrigerator

The big energy culprit in the kitchen is the refrigerator. A great way to save power used by the refrigerator is to get a highly efficient refrigerator with a good efficiency number on the Energy Star Label. Over the last 20 years, the average refrigerator power usage dropped by over 50%. A highly efficient refrigerator can give you even greater saving.

Saving Energy in the Kitchen Kitchens, as we see them today, have come a long way. Constant development in the field of science and technology has resulted into various sophisticated appliances that have become an indispensable part of the present day kitchen.

If you’re replacing the appliances in your kitchen, make the effort to look for appliances that are as energy-efficient as possible, especially when it comes to the cook top, oven, fridge and dishwasher. The best way to see if your appliances make the grade when it comes to energy efficiency is to check the number of stars that it is. You also need to choose appliances that are the right size. If your fridge or dishwasher is too large, they will use more energy, or water, than they need to.

A great way to approach making your kitchen more ecologically friendly is to start at one corner and work your way around the room in a clockwise direction. Look at each area of the kitchen to identify sources of excessive energy use or waste. Eliminate them one at a time, and, before you know it, you will have a greener kitchen.

So if you’re looking to make your home more green, your kitchen is a good place to start.

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