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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-11-10, Page 47Page 2 Kitchen good place to start One of the biggest energy - using rooms in your home is the kitchen. It's a good place to look for ways to save. There are many, many appliances.on„toe market, all promising to ake kitchen work lighter. However, before you buy a new item or replace one that's worn out, ask yourself three simple questions: Do I really need this new item? How often will it be used? Do my friends or neighbors have one? Can I do the job manually or with an appliance I already own? Is 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 do I 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 consumption 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 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. How about a total oven meal: 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 one 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 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't peek! If you're toasting or broiling, use a smaller ap- pliance such as a toaster or 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 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 longer and uses more energy. Take meat out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking time to warm u15',; 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 ite s — ns or plates — with ret need oven heat, after the SAVE ON THIS WINTER'S FUEL BILLS REKINDLE AN OLD FLAME HEAT WITH WOOD Carmor Downdraft Space Heaters A revolutionary new concept in wood burning space heaters. Air tight construction combined with the downdraft principle produces an extremely efficient heater. WOODBURNING CRR 1 R©R DOWNDRAFT SPACE HEATERS SOLD BY: HAROLDED WISE LIMIT 262 Bayfleld Road CLINTON 482-7062 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 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, 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. 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 stoves, especially in western Canada. Most of the points above apply to both electric and gas stoves, but here are two special points 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 LOW COST PERSONAL f�RM� 'flame should be just toil the bottom. It's a wasteo(” to send the flame licking the sides. ,, Refrigerators are now accepted part of Cal life, and freezers are st ag growing in Popularity are both large consumer' energy, so it really pays,' shop around when yea, buying a new model. h��. The first shopping dee,�,ti you'll have to make is ween a standard anda„ freemodel. If you take';, frost -"free unit, you'd more when you buy it and to 50 per cent more for electrical energy to run Example: A standard cubic -foot model that sumes 850 kilowatts a y" adds about $20 to electrical bill. A similank free model could use a 1,200 kilowatts and cost, The same holds true freezers, with the frost•rt model using a good dealm energy. Before you buy any m check the quality of sulation. In a cheaper that is poorly built, compressor will run a; Turn to page 5• st e: PE trig era ati am ci ew ray to pu rad an ucl ulal ata: S IF 1 2% PER ANNUM Be an eff BAC Conserving Energy is something every Canadian Should do. If your energy saving project is going to be expensive -- home insulation, home improvements, or a new car that will save on gas and oil -- come in and see us. Our low-cost loans can help save you money. Reminder! Clinton Community Credit Union ANNUAL MEETING in the Ministry of Agriculture Board Room, Clinton WEDNESDAY. NOV. 23 at 8:00 P.M. for the purpose of receiving reports and financial statements for the year ending on September 30th, 1977; electing Directors and Credit Committee officers, appointing auditors; for the purpose of amending Bx:Laws and of transacting all other business of an Annual Meeting. Lunch will follow the meeting. Door Prizes. 4 Clinton Community CREDIT UNION 25 Years of Service 70 ONTARIO ST. CLINTON 482-3467 235-0640 430 MAIN ST. S. EXETER