When it comes to using electricity and resources at home, our kitchens typically use the most. This is mainly because the home appliances we have here are the ones we use every day, consisting of the usual heating and cooling machines.
Our appliance experts here at Garner Appliance and Mattress have rounded up some tips you can easily adapt while doing your cooking chores that can help reduce your utility bills and save energy. You also might be surprised to learn that saving energy while cooking can help you save time and make your life easier, all while making a significant difference for our planet over time.
Keep your stovetops clean
Keeping any kitchen appliance clean ensures you’re able to use it longer. Cooking tasks that leave grease marks, spills, or stains that blacken your stove’s drip pans are not only unappealing, but they absorb more heat and reduce efficiency which leads to longer cooking times. When you need to cook food longer, this means you use up more gas or power and waste resources.
Use the proper cookware
Using the proper cooking tools when you prepare a meal makes a big difference in your kitchen. For instance, when you want to reheat last night’s dinner, consider microwaving lesser amounts of food instead of heating them in bulk in the oven. Because of the microwave’s compact size, it requires no preheating and can heat up your food much quicker.
Meanwhile, energy experts recommend covering your pots and pans when you cook. It might sound super simple, but by keeping the lid on, you’re trapping in the heat, so you can reduce cooking times with less energy. For baking, opt for ceramic or glass dishes instead of metal. They distribute heat more evenly, allowing you to cook food more efficiently.
Don’t overstuff your refrigerator
When you store food and drinks in your refrigerator’s fresh food compartment, make sure there is enough space so cool air can circulate properly. When the fresh food compartment is crowded it will create warm spots that lead to more spoiled food products and worse, catalyze bacterial growth and damage the entire fridge.
Defrost naturally
If you want to thaw frozen food, it’s best to put it in the refrigerator first thing in the morning or a couple of hours before you intend to cook it. Skip the microwave if you want to defrost food, because you’re only going to waste energy.
Together, let’s save energy, money, and our planet!
These kitchen hacks may sound simple, but by adding them to your routine, you can start to make a big and positive impact on your energy use and savings while helping our planet! Here at Garner Appliance and Mattress, we care for the environment as much as you do, and we’d love to be a part of your green kitchen journey!
If you’re in the market for a new kitchen appliance, we’d love to help you find the right one for your home. Check out our online kitchen appliances catalog and see our wide range of microwaves, refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, cooktops, and more! If you have any questions, give us a call, or simply visit any of our stores in the Garner, Clayton, or Raleigh areas.