Based in Baltimore and also servicing Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Howard Counties, Thyme for You, LLC personal chef Beth Andresini offers these quick and easy tips for reducing energy consumption when cooking at home:
1. Do Your Prep Work First.
Instead of chopping, cutting, and dicing while a pre-heated oven remains idle, do your prep work first, then turn on the oven or stovetop.
2. Use the Microwave when Possible.
Granted the microwave is not the right appliance to use with most cooking, but it can quickly heat up water or other quick tasks without using much energy.
3. Use the Right Pots and Pans.
Cheap pots and pans don’t distribute heat as evenly as higher-quality ones. Also, if you’re using a gas stovetop and you see the blue flame surrounding the pot, it’s too small and you’re wasting energy.
4. Resist the Urge to Constantly Open the Oven Door.
You see that small window on your oven door? Well, looking through it to check a roast’s progress is a better idea that opening the door every 15 minutes, allowing heat to escape.
5. Put a Lid on It.
When possible, cover a pot on the stove – it will heat up quicker, allowing you to turn down the heat.
6. Revisit the ’70s.
Remember that crock pot Grandma used to make soups and casseroles? Well, crock pots are very efficient … not to mention a time saver.
7. Cut back on water.
Many times we fill a pot with way too much water, which not only wastes water but will also take longer for the water to boil, wasting energy.
Check out some of Beth’s yummy recipes at thymeforyou.com, or better yet, give Beth a call and leave the cooking to her.
There are no comments yet!