Easy swaps to make mealtimes ‘more energy efficient’
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Kitchen appliances aren’t always the cheapest items to use in the house but they are essential for everyday tasks like boiling water and heating up food. Upgrading to more energy-efficient models is one long-term solution to use less energy, but it won’t make an immediate difference to your bills. However, a chef has highlighted the impressive savings that can be made by making simple swaps to the way you cook.
Footing the bill for energy usage is a frightening prospect for millions of Britons this winter, but with so many energy-guzzling appliances in the kitchen, there’s plenty of opportunity to cut costs.
According to Sophie Nahmad, Chef at food box service Gousto, it’s as easy as changing small tasks like the way you roast potatoes and boil pasta.
Before changing your cooking techniques, Sophie explained that it is crucial to use the right tools for the job.
She said: “If you’ve got an electric hob, flat-bottomed pans are a better choice because they’ll make full contact with the electric rings, and are therefore more energy efficient.”
For gas hobs, using a suitably sized ring is an effective way to minimise heat loss while also reducing the risk of burning the contents of your meal.
Other energy-saving pan hacks include reducing the amount of water used to fill your kettle and saucepans.
Sophie said: “There’s often no need to fill a pan all the way to the top.
“Using just enough water to cover your pasta or rice will still cook it to perfection, and it’ll also reduce the amount of water and time needed to bring to the boil.”
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Re-purpose water
Water used to boil pasta and vegetables is perfectly safe to re-purpose for other ingredients.
Sophie explained that using previously heated water is suitable for boiled eggs, hotdogs and other grains like rice.
She said: “Just place it in a heatproof container like a mug, saucepan or measuring jug and pour the boiling water over it, cover and wait for at least five minutes for it to heat all the way through.”
For an ultra-efficient cooking technique, the Gousto chef recommended using a tiered steamer for a range of foods.
For example, if you’re boiling rice, using a three-tiered steamer allows you to cook vegetables and even steamed fish at the top.
Make use of lids
Lids can be a nuisance when water spills out of the pan but they are incredibly useful for reducing energy output.
Sophie said: “Popping a lid on top of a pan boiling vegetables, pasta or rice will help it reach a higher temperature more quickly and then retain that heat.
“As a result, you can either cut down on cooking time or turn the hob down – just make sure you’re watching that it doesn’t boil over.”
If you don’t have the correct lid on hand, Nigella Lawson advised using one layer, or even a double layer of foil instead.
Fill your oven
If you are going to turn the oven on, Sophie said to “make sure to fill it up to make the most of the energy you’re using”.
She added “I’d recommend turning it off 10 minutes before cooking is complete. If you’re looking to use up oven space, you could use it to dry out stale bread to make croutons and breadcrumbs, or roast your vegetables that are past their best and use them to whip up a hearty soup or healthy pasta sauce.”
Use a slow cooker
It’s estimated that the average slow cooker uses roughly 1.3kWh over eight hours of cooking time, costing around £1.73 for the average direct debit energy customer.
Of course, using the appliance on a lower setting reduces the amount of power required to cook food, though it is generally an affordable way to cook good meals. Sophie recommended trying slow cooked dahl or mushroom ragu if you’re not a fan of stews.
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