Issue No. 12
13 June 2014
Energy-efficient kitchen
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aintaining an energy efficient kitchen is a hard task. Some people plan to have more energy improvements in this part of the house but there are some who still can’t afford to renovate. But, it should not stop families from having energy-efficient kitchen. Everyone can start from baby steps, simple steps like reducing the kitchen’s energy use. Here are some changes that you can start within your home: •
Cook with lid on your pans. It can take three times more energy when you cook without the lids. Whenever possible, pans should be covered while cooking because leaving pans uncovered results in more heat loss.
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Use the correct burner for the job. Using a large burner for a small pan wastes more energy. Use the appropriate pan for the certain burner. Also, make sure that burner pans are clean. Blackened burner pans absorb a lot of heat, reducing burner efficiency.
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When using the gas range, make sure that the gas burns blue. If the flame is yellow, the fuel is burning inefficiently and the range should be checked by the gas company.
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Use glass or ceramic pans. It allows you to reduce cooking temperature by 25°F with no extra time required. Use pressure cooker when possible. It can save energy and reduce cooking time especially when you are cooking large portions of meat. Pressure cookers, which are either stovetop or electric, raise the temperature of water before boiling and trap steam.
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Cook double portions of food when possible so you can refrigerate or freeze the food and reheat later. Less energy is required to reheat the dish than to cook over again.
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A cleaner microwave oven operates better. When the microwaves interior is clean, it can work better. Spills inside the appliance absorb energy waves just as readily as cooking the food.
Source: http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-homes/savingenergy-in-the-kitchen-zmaz93amztak.aspx http://www.wikihow.com/Reduce-Energy-Use-in-the-Kitchen
Published by the Trade and Industry Information Center (TIIC) for the DTI ENERCON Management Team in support of the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program. If you have Enercon tips to share, other suggestions or requested topics, please e-mail us at publications@dti.gov.ph.