Tech Brand Talk

[#1]

You can’t turn down your oven and expect your cake to bake properly.  And, other than putting a lid on your pot, there’s nothing you can do to save energy while boiling water on the range.

That’s why stoves are rarely talked about when discussing energy efficiency. But don’t fret; we have some tips, plus a new technology, that could help keep you cooking while using less energy.

ENERGY STAR? Nope.

Look at the ENERGY STAR web site and you’ll notice that stoves, ranges, and ovens are absent from the list of products sporting energy efficiency levels.  The Department of Energy in the U.S. estimates that cooking accounts for 4.5% of total household energy use, and yet there is no energy efficiency specification.

Is a gas stove a better option for you?

At the risk of touching off a carbon footprint debate, I wanted to bring up the topic of cooking with gas stoves. In general a gas burner provides instant heat and cooks have a greater control over the temperatures, making them more energy efficient then an electric range.

When you turn on a gas stove you instantly get a hot flame, while an electric stove has to slowly heat up and then slowly cool down.  Newer gas stoves also do away with a pilot light in favour of an electronic ignitor that helps reduce the gas consumption by up to 40%.

While I’m not advocating running out and installing a gas range, it’s another technology option to consider.  There will be a larger carbon footprint compared to an electric range, but if you’re willing to live with that and go through the process and cost of adding a gas connection, then it might be a good option to reduce some of your electricity consumption while improving your cooking environment.

Cooking habits help

Think about the way you cook and how you might change your routine to save electricity.

If you plan to use the oven to cook dinner, it might make sense to also do some baking before or after. This way the oven is heated once rather then letting it cool right down before cooking again.

Also, if you can, try to use the same element on the range to cook items one after another.

This next tip won’t work for bakers, but if you’re cooking a chicken or a roast, consider puttingt them in the oven before it is fully preheated.  Use a meat thermometer to ensure the meat is fully cooked.

For more ideas on how to save energy, see bchydro.com’s trim your cooking energy use  and  save water in the kitchen tips.

A look at new technologies

The Samsung Flex Duo range uses some interesting techniques to reduce energy consumption.  It’s called “Duo” because of a unique double oven.

 What looks like a standard oven from the outside actually has a divider inside to create two cavities.  This means you can heat a smaller cavity to cook food or even cook two different items at the same time.

The Flex Duo also sports a SteamQuick feature that cleans the cavity in about 20mins with just 10 ounces of water.

Another technology upgrade is the induction range.  These stoves “induce” heat into the pots sitting on top of the elements.  The pots and pans have to be specially-designed to be induction ready, but the time to boil water or cook on the range is significantly reduced. 

If you’re curious about how induction works, check out The Induction Site to get the nitty gritty details.

So, you can save energy while cooking

It might seem that without high efficiency rated ovens and ranges, options for reducing your cooking energy consumption are limited.  But by simply taking into consideration some of the steps outlined in this article, you might be able to reduce your electrical bill.

Finally, consider the season.  While it may not seem like it right now, it’s almost summer -  maybe it’s time to barbecue.  It not only rreduces your electricity consumption, but also keeps your house cooler.

------ 

Go to bchydro.com for Power Smart conservation tips  and energy saving rebates or join us on Facebook or Twitter.

NOTE: Do not include any personal information (name, email address, phone number, etc) in any comments in response to this article. It is up to you to determine the suitability for your purposes of any information provided in this article, and you bare all risks of using or r