HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1976-10-28, Page 39One of the biggest energy-
' ,sig rooms in r home is
the kitch n. It'Sr a goad place
to for ways to save.
are • arnany.., MAW
ices on the nttaltet. all
g to make kitchen
liter. However,
fou l uy a new item or
eplace one that's worn out,
ask yourself three simple
quests ;
Do. I really need this new
item? Row often will it be
used? Do my friends or
neighbours have one? Can I do
the job manually or with"an
appliance I already own? Is
there an, alternative that
won't consuni e energy?
Can I avoid those energy
draiiung frills? There's no
doubt that I need the basic
refrigerator and stove. But do
E really need a butter war-
mer, an ice -cube dispenser,
ora rotisserie?
What will the appliance
cost me in energy and cash to
operate? What's the power
requirement over a year? Is
there a more efficient unit
with a lower' operating cost?
At a time when energy
consumptions is important and
many people are questioning
the value of gadgets. take a
thoughtful moment to
honestly assess your needs,
Will a host of appliances
really liberate you from
kitchen work? -
These are all questions of
personal choice and only you
can answer them.
The biggest. user of energy
in the kitchen is usually the
stove -- electric or gas. You
can economize and still turn
• outdelicious meals.
Using the oven rather than
several elements saves
energy because once the oven
reaches ,the required heat it
shuts off and cooks with
stored heat. Elements, on the
other hand, are always on.
With little forethought,
meals can be planned to save
energy. How about .a total
oven meal: casserole, baked
pooatoes and baked apple
dessert. If you have several
items that usually cook at
different tet nperatures,
select the average tem-
perature and remove each as
it's done.
Cook a larger -then -needed
quantity •of one meal. Freeze
a portion otit for another day
(as soon as it has cooled to
room temperature). You'll
save energy and money.
The more quickly you can
put an item into a hot oven the
less heat will be lost. Did you
know that each time you -open
the door you lose about 20 per
cent of the heat that's inside?
Don'tpeek!
0 you're toasting or
broiling, use a smaller ap-
pliance such as a , toaster or
)ml
work
pan. Remen ber that
toting bread in r the oven
takes three times more
energy than in a pokup
toaster.
Usually pre -heating is a
waste of energy .. except for
cater and: pasties. Items
that will be cooking for more
than an how . do not need a
pre -heated oven. And setting.
the oven temperature higher
thaut required won't make the
oven heat up More quickly
Glass or glass ceramic
baking dishes transfer heat
more efficiently than metal
and let you set the tem-
perature about 25 Fahrenheit
degrees (14 Celsius degrees)
lower.
, Most frozen foods,
especially meat, should be
thawed before cooking. (Do it
in the refrigerator to avoid
bacteria build-up.) Cooking
frozen food takes lounger and
uses more energy. Take meat
out of the refrigerator about
an hour before cooking time
to warts up, but be sure to
keep it covered.
If you're cooking a roast
you can save energy by
turning off the heat about 30
minutes before it's finished.
The remaining heat should be
enough to finish the job.
At least once a year and
preferably more often, check
the temperature of your oven
with a . thermometer. You'll
make sure- that the dial is
accurate and that you're not
wasting energy.
You can easily warm some
items -- buns or plates — with
retained oven heat, after the
main meal is cooked. Now, do
you really need an electric '
bun warmer?
The oven is an expensive
and inefficient way to warm
the kitchen. If you need more
heat, a small space heater
makes more sense.
Here are some ways to save
on the top of the stove. .
Buy pots and pans that are
bright and shiny, with
straight sides and flat bot-
toms and tightly fitting lids.
Your foods will cook more
quickly, more evenly and
more economically.
The bottom of the saucepan
mould cover the element
entirely but not extend more
than one inch beyond the
outer ring of the element.
When you're cooking any
vegetable, use only a small
amount of water. You don't
even haveto cover all the
vegetable -with' water; the
--steam- will cook them. WWII
save energy. vitamins and
flavor. -
Once the water is boiling,:
turn the dial to the lowest
heat .that will keep it boiling.
A higher setting only creates
more steam and doesn't
speed up the cooking.
Me a double boiler for
vegetables, sauces, and
heating cold food. One
element insead.of two!
A pressure cooker i