Your current stove has had a good run but it’s come to the end of its lifespan. Time to trade it in for a new one. When you’re shopping around, consider looking at energy-efficient stoves.
These stoves will be better for the environment and will save you a few dollars on your power bill if you use them the way you should. What counts as energy-efficient stoves you ask? We’re about to tell you.
Check out this guide to find a stove that will save you both time and money while cooking every single one of your meals to perfection.
What to Look for When Choosing Your Stove
There are tons of stoves on the market that claim to be an efficiency stove. You’ve got to know what to look for in order to weed out your choices. Here are a few things to consider when you’re doing your shopping.
Your Fuel Source
Before you go shopping, find out what fuel source your home has a hookup for. The connections you have will determine if you should get a gas or an electric stove.
Gas Ovens
Gas vs electric stove, which one is better when it comes to energy efficiency? The answer is gas.
Gas stoves don’t use up near as much power during the heat-up process. Electric stoves are stylish to look at and they don’t cost as much to install but gas stoves will save you money on your power bill.
They also cook food much more evenly than electric stoves do so if you do a lot of cooking, a gas stove is going to be the way to go.
Self-Cleaning Ovens
Self-cleaning ovens have much more insulation than others so they can be quite energy-efficient if you use them right. When you activate the self-cleaning feature the oven will heat up.
That’s why you should wait to use this feature until right after you get done cooking a meal. The oven will still be warm so it won’t have to use up as much power getting hot during the cleaning process.
Convection Oven
Convection ovens have a handy fan and exhaust system that other ovens don’t have. This system helps hot hair blow around and over your food to help it cook faster and more evenly.
They excel at roasting meats because the hot air allows the outside to get brown and crispy while the inside stays nice and juicy. Convection ovens are also pretty energy-efficient because they cook food faster at a low temperature.
Induction Cooktop
Induction cooktops use electricity and magnetic coils to heat up pots and pans while leaving the cooking surface cool to the touch. It’s great if you have curious children with wondering fingers.
It’s also energy-efficient. You’ll be able to cook your meals faster so you won’t use up as much power. Since it doesn’t give off heat, your house and kitchen won’t get hot while you’re cooking.
You can kiss the days of turning on the AC to cool off your house after cooking a large meal goodbye. One thing to keep in mind before switching to an induction cooktop is you may have to buy new cookware.
Aluminum, glass, and ceramic cookware won’t work. It has to be made of ferrous metals.
If you’re not sure if your current pots and pans will work, hold a magnet up to them. If the magnet sticks then you’re good to go.
Energy Saving Tips
Buying an energy-efficient stove is all well and good but what if we told you that you could maximize your savings even further? Check out these neat tricks to try out with your new appliance.
Cook More Than One Dish at Once
You’re having a lot of people over for dinner so you need to cook three different casseroles. Each one takes about an hour to cook so you’ve got to set aside three hours.
That is unless you use your oven racks a little strategically. Adjust your oven racks so you can fit more than one casserole in the oven at once. This will cut down on your cooking time and save valuable energy.
Ceramic and Glass Cookware
Ceramic and glass cookware is the best you can use in terms of energy efficiency. They hold in heat better than other materials so you can cook your meals at a lower temperature.
Don’t Peek in the Oven
The more you open your oven, the more heat escapes from it. This causes it to have to work much harder to maintain the proper temperature to cook your food.
Do your best to keep your oven door closed until your meal has finished cooking all the way.
Thaw the Food Before You Cook it
Frozen food takes forever to cook. Thaw your food before you cook it so your stove doesn’t have to work as hard.
Clean Your Stove Often
You can have the most energy-efficient stove in the world but if you don’t clean the burners often enough, it won’t matter.
Dirty burners absorb heat and use up a lot of energy. Always wipe them down before you start cooking a big meal.
Finding Energy-Efficient Stoves
Cooking with energy-efficient stoves can help take a huge weight off your power bill while producing the best meals around. You’ll also be doing your part to reduce your carbon footprint and help the environment. It’s a win-win.
Buying a new stove isn’t the only way for you to do your part for the environment. Check out our blog daily for all the latest tips on going green.
