When baking or cooking food, you use up some kind of energy, specifically heat, in order to complete the process. This energy would come from different sources, like gas, electricity, or burnt wood. If you’re using the first two, then you’re probably paying higher bills every month. Some families who decide to save money try to use wood or coal as alternatives or just utilize their home living appliances to a minimum. Here are 5 tips on how you can save energy while baking and cooking.
5 Tips On How to Save Energy while Baking and Cooking
If you are also planning to minimize your monthly bills, you can follow this list of easy-to-do tips. It does not matter whether you’re using an electric, coal-powered, or gas stove, these tips are just what you need.
Preparing the Ingredients
Instead of cramming about the ingredients that needed to be chopped during cooking, you can prepare all of them first. Make a list of the things you need for the food you’re cooking so you will not forget anything afterward. Preparing your ingredients can help you use less gas or electricity. Double-check your ingredient list, slice those that needed to be sliced and open up cans and packs. Once you turn on the heat, you can easily put those ingredients as you cook.
Fast Heating Methods
There are proven methods at home where the speed of cooking and boiling can drastically increase. If you want to go cooking, all you need to do is simply cover the food that you’re cooking. A higher temperature is being generated whenever the pot or frying pan gets closed. You can even lower the heat on the stove if this is done.
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When boiling water, the best way for you to do it is with a microwave. Using the stove will just make you waste a lot of time. Using a microwave is more effective as it provides higher levels of heat. You can purchase a microwave thermos where all you need to do is to fill it with water, plug it up, and wait for it to boil in just two minutes or less. This can effectively help you save a lot of gas or electricity.
Heating Off
Heating the food after you put all the ingredients and cook the meat is used in order to blend the flavors well. However,if you want to save energy, you can turn off the stove once you notice that the spices are fully blended into the dish. This is especially true for some soup. Once you turn it off, then you can add the leafy vegetables. It will not affect the quality of the food in any way. When baking, you need to do this 15 minutes before the procedure ends – the remaining heat can help cook the food.
Try Raw Dishes
There are a lot of raw dishes that are not bad at all when eaten. Most salads only need you to add vinegar, or create a dressing using some ingredients you already have in the fridge. Carrots are perfect to eat when raw. If you like, you can use mayonnaise as a dip as well. Then, there’s the famous Japanese raw fish— sushi. Studies show that raw food has more nutrients in it than getting it cooked. It’s not at all a bad idea to try it once or twice.
High Quality Utensils
It might be wise at first to purchase cheap utensils and kitchenware. However, their quality fades quickly to the point of breakage. In the end, you will only purchase more and more products over time. If you go for high-quality utensils right away, you will never have to spend again and again as long as you properly care for them. High-quality cookware is also better at heat distribution. If you’re planning to purchase a new oven, aim to get the best quality there is. Learn how to canvass products for you to get great deals in exchange for excellent quality.
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Conclusion:
Baking and cooking can be a great way to save money on food, as long as you do it efficiently. By preparing your ingredients ahead of time, using fast heating methods, and turning off the oven when you’re done cooking, you can easily cut your energy bill in half. And if that’s not incentive enough, consider trying some raw dishes – they taste delicious and are much healthier for you! With a few simple changes to the way you cook, you can save yourself some serious money on electricity this year. Have any tips of your own to share? Let us know in the comments below!
