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'''Electrical stove'''
'''Electrical stove'''
Always try to use smallest needed size of hotplate. If you can see any part of the hotplate outside the edge of the pot or pan you will waste a lot of heat and possibly burn your hands on the handle. If you use a much larger pan than the hotplate, you will only get efficient heat in the middle of the pan and slightly less around the edges which means longer cooking time. Some models of cheap, large frying pans can get its bottom warped/curved so it stands and jiggles slightly on the hot plate, if so stop using it for cooking, it means you are wasting a lot of heat and money in the gaps.
Always try to use smallest needed size of hotplate. If you can see any part of the hotplate outside the edge of the pot or pan you will waste a lot of heat and possibly burn your hands on the handle. If you use a much larger pan than the hotplate, you will only get efficient heat in the middle of the pan and slightly less around the edges which means longer cooking time. Some models of cheap, large frying pans can get its bottom warped/curved so it stands and jiggles slightly on the hot plate, if so stop using it for cooking, it means you are wasting a lot of heat and money in the gaps.


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'''Fridge & Freezer'''
'''Fridge & Freezer'''
Every time you open the doors you will release some cool air into the room, and make the fridge/freezer little warmer inside, and its compressor will need to start working to cool it back down again. So avoid keeping the doors open. Start to figure out small habits to keep the doors closed as much as possible, even during the times that you are cooking.  
Every time you open the doors you will release some cool air into the room, and make the fridge/freezer little warmer inside, and its compressor will need to start working to cool it back down again. So avoid keeping the doors open. Start to figure out small habits to keep the doors closed as much as possible, even during the times that you are cooking.  


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'''Ice, Ice, Baby'''  
'''Ice, Ice, Baby'''  
If you can remove chunks of ice from the inside walls or shelves of the freezer, for instance when you are defrosting it. Put this ice in a small container and place it into the fridge. The stored cold energy in the ice will spread in the air inside the fridge, causing the temperature to remain cold without the use of the compressor, and your fridge will not need to use any electricity at all until the frost/ice is completely melted.  
If you can remove chunks of ice from the inside walls or shelves of the freezer, for instance when you are defrosting it. Put this ice in a small container and place it into the fridge. The stored cold energy in the ice will spread in the air inside the fridge, causing the temperature to remain cold without the use of the compressor, and your fridge will not need to use any electricity at all until the frost/ice is completely melted.  


'''This method can conveniently be used when defrosting frozen food'''  
'''This method can conveniently be used when defrosting frozen food'''  
If you are going to cook something tomorrow, that is in the deep freezer now, place it in the fridge on the afternoon/evening before, making it start to defrost slowly over the night. The fridge will not need to use any energy at all during the time your frozen food is colder than the thermostat. And if you normally defrost frozen objects by putting them in the sink and pour hot water onto it or using the microwave, this electricity and hot water saved is [[Nega-watts]].
If you are going to cook something tomorrow, that is in the deep freezer now, place it in the fridge on the afternoon/evening before, making it start to defrost slowly over the night. The fridge will not need to use any energy at all during the time your frozen food is colder than the thermostat. And if you normally defrost frozen objects by putting them in the sink and pour hot water onto it or using the microwave, this electricity and hot water saved is [[Nega-watts]].


If your existing fridge/freezer breaks down and it will be too expensive to repair it, start to look for the most energy-efficient models. There can exist a couple of types of labelling in the shops for energy-use. Remember that a small difference in purchase price is not very important, it is more important that your electricity bill is going to be slightly smaller every day of the life-span if you choose model depending on lowest energy-use.
If your existing fridge/freezer breaks down and it will be too expensive to repair it, start to look for the most energy-efficient models. There can exist a couple of types of labelling in the shops for energy-use. Remember that a small difference in purchase price is not very important, it is more important that your electricity bill is going to be slightly smaller every day of the life-span if you choose model depending on lowest energy-use.


'''Electric water kettle'''Never boil too much water than your current needs!
'''Electric water kettle'''
 
Never boil too much water than your current needs!
However, if you have got a clean and empty thermos flask, you could fill it up with that extra boiled water and it can stay hot for hours. Handy if you normally would drink a cup of instant coffee a while later. You would not need to boil any new water for that.
However, if you have got a clean and empty thermos flask, you could fill it up with that extra boiled water and it can stay hot for hours. Handy if you normally would drink a cup of instant coffee a while later. You would not need to boil any new water for that.



Revision as of 15:27, 26 November 2010

Every home have got some standard electric appliances like a refrigerator, deep freezer (commonly named Fridge/Freezer) an electrical or gas powered oven/stove with 3-4 hotplates/burners on top. For learning about some quick and simple energysaving cooking methods that minimize the use of stove see Updated cooking methods in modern kitchens or Towel cooking

Electric water kettle Many different versions and sizes exist. You could sometimes benefit from having 2 different sizes on kettles in your home, one for occasions when you just want to have one or two cups of tea, and another one bigger for boiling water in larger over 1 litre.

The time needed and electricity used to boil in a kettle (or a saucepan) depends on the amount of water and the proportions between how much water to air it is inside the kettle.

Microwave oven

Maintenance

Try to keep all your appliances clean, both outside and inside. You are more likely to cook at home regularly if they look clean and fresh to use. The equipment will get a slightly longer life-span and you will not need to replace them as often. So you will save some money.

Defrost your freezer at least once a year, because if it got big chunks of ice and frost on the interior walls and shelves it will need to run its compressor more often and that is using more electricity than it needs to. If your fridge or freezer have got a manual defrost button, do not push it! That is on many models just a built-in heater that uses a lot of electricity to warm it up and then more electricity to cool it down again.

To defrost most efficiently: turn the fridge/freezer off, remove all groceries and place them in pick-nick-coolers or styrofoam-boxes with lids, or even outside if it is winter and there is snow in your backyard. Keep the doors to the fridge/freezer open and place a bucket with low rims on the floor in front of it. Melted water will drip out. Try to pry away large chunks of ice, place those in plastic containers. those can be later placed in the fridge when you restart it, ice and defrosting frozen food is helping to cool down your fridge faster and to save electricity.

When all frost and ice has cleared away from the walls and shelves, wipe all the walls and details inside meticulously until clean and dry. Turn the fridge/freezer back on and put your groceries back. If they are still cool or cold it will help with cooling down the fridge/freezer back to working temperature.


Tips & Tricks to save electricity

Electrical stove

Always try to use smallest needed size of hotplate. If you can see any part of the hotplate outside the edge of the pot or pan you will waste a lot of heat and possibly burn your hands on the handle. If you use a much larger pan than the hotplate, you will only get efficient heat in the middle of the pan and slightly less around the edges which means longer cooking time. Some models of cheap, large frying pans can get its bottom warped/curved so it stands and jiggles slightly on the hot plate, if so stop using it for cooking, it means you are wasting a lot of heat and money in the gaps.

For updated and energysaving cooking methods see Updated cooking methods in modern kitchens or Towel cooking

Fridge & Freezer

Every time you open the doors you will release some cool air into the room, and make the fridge/freezer little warmer inside, and its compressor will need to start working to cool it back down again. So avoid keeping the doors open. Start to figure out small habits to keep the doors closed as much as possible, even during the times that you are cooking.

To prevent you from standing and browse around on what you have got, with the doors open, try to start some kind of inventory list of what is inside, and you can combine this with a shopping list. If you have some decorative fridge-magnets, just take a blank sheet of paper and put at the center of the door, held up with 1-4 magnets. When you come home from grocery shopping just add and change on the lists with pencil and eraser. Other simple methods: postit-notes, whiteboard, noticeboard.

Check the doors on your fridge/freezer and oven at least once a year to make sure that the rubber/plastic insulation strips around the edges are clean, undamaged and closes air tight, any amount of air that is released out from any gaps is wasted energy. Fridge/freezers is a large portion of the energy costs in private homes.

Ice, Ice, Baby

If you can remove chunks of ice from the inside walls or shelves of the freezer, for instance when you are defrosting it. Put this ice in a small container and place it into the fridge. The stored cold energy in the ice will spread in the air inside the fridge, causing the temperature to remain cold without the use of the compressor, and your fridge will not need to use any electricity at all until the frost/ice is completely melted.

This method can conveniently be used when defrosting frozen food

If you are going to cook something tomorrow, that is in the deep freezer now, place it in the fridge on the afternoon/evening before, making it start to defrost slowly over the night. The fridge will not need to use any energy at all during the time your frozen food is colder than the thermostat. And if you normally defrost frozen objects by putting them in the sink and pour hot water onto it or using the microwave, this electricity and hot water saved is Nega-watts.

If your existing fridge/freezer breaks down and it will be too expensive to repair it, start to look for the most energy-efficient models. There can exist a couple of types of labelling in the shops for energy-use. Remember that a small difference in purchase price is not very important, it is more important that your electricity bill is going to be slightly smaller every day of the life-span if you choose model depending on lowest energy-use.

Electric water kettle

Never boil too much water than your current needs! However, if you have got a clean and empty thermos flask, you could fill it up with that extra boiled water and it can stay hot for hours. Handy if you normally would drink a cup of instant coffee a while later. You would not need to boil any new water for that.

Never save and reuse water that you have boiled any type of food in!

Notes


See Also

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