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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1976-10-28, Page 50Page 8. a. frh4fl,.gQOd';la'ce One of the biggest energy - using rooms in your homeis the kitchen. It's a good place .to.look for ways to save. There are •many, many appliances on the market, all promising to make .kitchen work lighter. However, before you buy a new item or replace onethat's worn out, ask yourself- three simple questions: Do I really need this new, item? How o!ten will It be used? . Do my friends or neighbors have one?' Can I do the job manually orwith an appliance I alreadrown?'ls there an. • alternative that won't consume energy? Can I avoid those, energy - draining. frills? There's no doubt that I need the basic refrigerator and stove. But d6 I really need a butter war- tner, 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' thee :a`; more efficient unit with a lower operating cost? At a time when energy consumption is important and many people are questioning the value of gadgets, take a. thoughtful moment ' to honestly assess yourneeds. Will a host of. appliances really .liberate you from kitchen work? . Thes%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 Out delicious 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. Howabout a total oven meaI':• casserole, baked• potatoes and baked •apple dessert. If you have several items that usually cook at different temperatures, select the average ..tem- perature and remove each as it's done. Cook a larger -then -needed quantity of ppe meal. Freeze a portion of it for another day (as soon as it has cooled 'to room .temperature). You'll save energy and money. The more quickly you can putan 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't peek! If you're toasting o•"r broiling,_.use a smaller ap- pliance' such „as a toaster or VH. `THIS I fry pan. Remember ..that toasting bread in the oven takes three times more energy than in a pop-up toaster.-. Usually pre -heating is a waste of energy — except for cakes and pastries. Items that will be cooking for more than an hour do not need a pre -heated' oven. And setting the oven temperature higher than required won't make the oven heat up more quickly. Glass : or glass ceramic baking dishes transferheat moreefficiently thanmetal and let you set the tem- perature about 25 Fahrenheit degrees (14 Celsius degrees) lower. . . Most frozen foods, especially ,_,meat, slhouldbe thawed before cooking. (Do it i he refrigerator to avoid b cteria build-up.) Cooking frozen foodtakes longer' -and uses more energy: Take meat out .ofthe_refrigerator about an hoax before cooking time to warm`. 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• -Near and preferablymore 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 .towarm the kitchen.; If you need more 11-4.17a 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 battorn of the saucepan. should 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 have to cover all the vegetables with water ; the steam will cook them. You'll save energy, vitamins and' flavor. Once the water is boiling, turrt 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. 71. seei/if v SALT COUNTRY.A Ben .1L7Il UNDERCOAT NOW 7.0 N w ONLY ' 1 W RTHY'S SELF.SERVE'ESS. .. eric79 Victoria Sts. -I--r . \°S S2'i 86t2et • Use a double boiler for vegetables, • sauces and heating cold food. One element instead,of two! A pressure cooker is a good fuel -saver. 'Use it for stews, "soups; .pot roasts and almost all your vegetables. A vegetable steamer is another good idea. This. small, collapsible metal basket folds or expands to fit 'most .saucepans. Very little water — or energy —= is needed to steam food'. • Another way to save is to turn off electric burners 2 or 3' minutes before the end of the proper cooking time. The elements will stay" hot • and' food will continue to cook.. Many 'families have gas to start stoves, especially in western Canada. Most of the points above apply to both electric and gas stoves, but here are two special.•ppints for the gas people. A clear, blue flame is a sign of top efficiency. If the flame,. is yellow, • or has • yellow streaks in it, something is probably clogging the outlets. Turn off the gas, remove the burner and clean' the parts, with a wire pipe -cleaner. ,If this doesn't improve-. the flame, call your serviceman. When you have pots or pans on the burner elements, the flame should be just touching the bottom:' It's a waste oi.ggs to send the flame licking up the sides: Refrigerators are now an accepted part of Canadian life, and freezers are steadily growing in popularity. They are both large consumers of energy, so' it really pays to shop around when you.'re buying a new model. The first shopping decision you'll,. have to make is bet- ween a standard and a "frost free'' modeL If 'you take, the frost -free unit, you'll pay more when you buyit and up to 50 per cent more for the electrical energy to run it. Example: A standard.,, 12 cubic -foot model- that con- sumes 850 kilowatts a year adds about $20 to your electrical bill: A-similar1 rost- • (continued on page 16: For _Automobile Insurance GODERICH INSURANCE AGENCY LTD.. We Represent: - 3 -8 EAST ST. GODERICH 524=442 • DON M cEWAN' MALCOLM MATHERS Dominion of Canada Economical Mutual Guardian -Lumbermen Commercial Union Perth insurance... Royal . Insurance Shaw & Beat' Waterloo Mutual Wawanesa• Mutual Zurich Insurance It Takes Te'arnTeams Work to care for your car - YOUR LOCAL ' . Y` , o. . �■r MECHANIC AUTO SUPPLIER at H.G. Bradley & Sons your car is our only concern... that's why we work closely with local and 'area service stations and garages to keep them stocked with the best qualify brand lines available for your car. Neither rain, snow; nor dark of night can hinder you from completing your appointed rounds this Fall and: Winter, if you give your car the services it " requires • for safe and pleasant motoring. Come in and see us for all your bAutomo'bile Accessories. ' H.G. BRADLEY SONS LTD ESTABLISHED 1927