Monthly Energy Saving Tip: Cooking

• USE TOASTER OVENS, CROCKPOTS, AND MICROWAVES. When you are cooking small-to-medium-sized meals, they use less energy than the stove or oven.
• KEEP THE INSIDE SURFACE OF YOUR MICROWAVE CLEAN. It will cook your food more efficiently.
• USE THE SMALLEST PANS POSSIBLE. It takes less energy to heat them.
• USE LIDS. They help the food cook more quickly by keeping the steam in the pot or pan.
• CLEAN THE BURNER PANS ON YOUR STOVE. When clean, they will reflect heat back up to pots and pans.
• KEEP CONVENTIONAL OVEN-PREHEATING TIME TO A MINIMUM. Only preheat if you are baking bread or pastries.
• DON'T PEEK! You lose heat every time you open the door of lift the lid.
• KEEP RACKS CLEAR. Foil on oven shelves blocks heat and costs money.
• USE CLASS OR CERAMIC PANS ON OVENS. They heat faster than metal pans - that's why brownie recipes call for 350 degrees Fahrenheit, but 325 degrees Fahrenheit for a glass pan.
• REMEMBER: ALWAYS TAKE CARE WHEN COOKING. It is the number-one cause of home fires in the United States.

First Published by Lake Country Power