Hello Partners!
Today we are wrapping up our 5-part series on energy efficient appliances and cooking for the Holidays. Although Thanksgiving is still very close in our rearview mirrors, many of us are gearing up for Christmas which can be even more eventful for our kitchens, as well as our pocketbooks.
We have discussed a lot of newer technology over the past few weeks, particularly, technology that is new to residential kitchens although it may be standard in many commercial kitchens. We have covered induction cooktops, 5-in-one ovens, convection ovens, and warming drawers in recent weeks. While these are all excellent technologies that will save energy and money, they all have one thing in common: they are all relatively expensive.
We are facing unprecedented times with inflation running rampant and with the holidays looming, there may not be a ton of extra room in the budget to update large-ticket appliances. Does that mean you can’t have an energy efficient kitchen? Absolutely, not! Here are some items you may have seen on Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and did not think to consider.
Microwaves
This may be instinctive but it’s always good as a reminder that microwaves are extremely energy efficient. Most microwaves are somewhere between 600 and 1,200 watts the energy efficiency does not come from the amount of energy they use but from the dramatically reduced cook times. A microwave can reheat a dish in a fraction of the time it takes your oven to do the save, thus saving as much as 80% on energy.
Toaster Ovens
This is not the most common appliance in a residential kitchen because many people would prefer to save the space. However, if you often find yourself reheating pizza and other similar smaller items, you may want to take this into consideration. A toast oven is, essentially, a miniature version or your large oven. However, they save a ton of energy because they are smaller and use less energy. Also, much like your microwave, they reduce the overall cook time.
Crockpots
Crockpots have made a resurgence in a major way and if you do not have one, I strongly encourage you make the investment. If you do have one, pull it out of the back of your cabinet and dust it off because it is a serious energy saver. Most dishes made in the crock pot are designed to cook at a very low temperature for a number of hours, sometimes all day. However, in all that time cooking, most crockpots use the equivalent amount of energy as that of a lightbulb.
Some other options that will serve you well for many of the same reasons as microwaves and toaster ovens are air fryers and pressure cookers. Both use less energy because they are smaller appliances, and both drastically reduce cooking times which will save tons of energy and money this holiday season as well as any other season.
Don’t forget about these energy efficient cooking appliances when you are preparing (or reheating) your dishes this holiday season!
The savings never stop!
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