Being smart can save money in the kitchen

Your Path to Energy Savings
By Shawn Lindabury, Special to The Ithaca Journal
April 4, 2011

Keep in mind a few no-cost energy saving tips next time you cook dinner.  While there isn't much you can do about the efficiency of an oven or range top, being a smart user can result in big energy savings.  When using the stovetop, the cooking pan and the burner or heating element should be roughly the same size.  Using a flame or electric burner that's larger than the pan does not cook the food any faster and wastes energy.  Placing a lid on the pan will cook the food faster or get water to boil sooner.  For small meals or reheating try using the microwave or toaster oven. Microwaves use about 20 percentage of the energy required by a full-sized oven. 

After you've eaten your delicious energy efficient meal, there are even more ways to save doing the dishes.  Scrape any leftover food into the compost or garbage to make it easier to wash. If you wash by hand use a dishpan or fill the sink to create a bath for washing then rinsing dishes. 

If you use a dishwasher and avoid pre-rinsing, running a full load in your dishwasher can use 30 percent less water than washing by hand.  Using less hot water saves you energy and money.  Select a cycle that lets dishes air dry rather than using the automatic drying cycle to save even more energy.

Having problems with your dishwasher?  Try cleaning the spray arm nozzles, water jets, and filter to be sure water and soap are reaching the dishes and dirty water is draining fast enough so it doesn't dirty the dishes during the rinse cycle.  When replacing your dishwasher, look for an Energy Star model with soil sensors that tell the dishwasher to stop once your dishes are clean.

Last Updated: May 25, 2011