Growing up, our mother tried desperately to teach us how to cook. Back then, even scrambled eggs were a challenge. Now that we're all grown up, we're finally catching on. (Mom's so proud.) Recently, we realized that heeding two of her tips have actually been saving us energy and money. These two stovetop tips can be employed every time you cook, so while they may not do much on their own, their aggregate green value is definitely worth it. Are you ready?
First, remember to cook with the right size pot for the burner you're using. Most stovetops have two sizes, and matching large pots to large burners and small pots to small, you'll save energy. If you put a small pot on a large burner, the exposed coils or flame will push heat into the air... and more importantly (this is why our mom cautioned against it), exposed heat can be dangerous to your hands and arms if you misjudge a movement.
Second, remember to "simmer down now." We're not trying to eliminate any boisterous kitchen dallying, because we're quite fond of that; but remember to turn the heat down once your pot has reached a rolling boil. No need for the coils to continue to glow hot orange; once liquid has hit the boiling point, it takes very little to keep it at that temperature (even if it's not bubbling quite so fiercely).
There you have it: two small but smart ways to save energy every time you cook on the stove.
Originally published 2009-04-07 - CB
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
And because every little bit counts, bring your water to a boil with a lid on the pot. That lid redirects the heat back into the pot of water, instead of letting the heat escape all over your kitchen.
view Daffodil's profile
i was always shocked at the way that some (very smart) former roommates would cook in our tiniest saucepan with the flame on the highest setting, with the flames WAY outside of the base of the pan, then whine that water "takes so long to boil!" come on!
view akostalas's profile
I've found the fastest way to really boil water is to pour the water in an electric kettle and get it to boiling there, then pour it in the pot. Perhaps it's just that I have a really bad cooktop, or a really good kettle, but the water seems to get to boiling twice as fast.
view Kaete's profile
I love the SNL reference! Thanks for the tips.
view Jim L.'s profile
I also use the leftover heat from the burners to warm my plates so that what i've just cooked, doesn't get cold too quickly. I just wait a few minutes until the burner has cooled a little and set my plate on top. Then switch up plates after a few minutes.
I also so this when using my oven. Either set my plate inside for a few minutes or place them over top of the release burner on the stove.
view truenic's profile