Follow these 4 steps towards a more energy efficient kitchen
By Jen Taylor on Feb 09, 2016
A sustainable and energy efficient kitchen is about more than simply installing a composter or shopping with reusable bags. These are important steps to reducing the amount of waste we put back into our earth, but there are still a ton of ways to make sure your kitchen isn’t wasting energy and valuable natural resources.
Your kitchen appliances and even your utensils might be eating up more energy than you think. Fortunately “going green” in the kitchen doesn’t require you to change your lifestyle significantly. In fact, just a few small changes can save you energy and money in the long run.
1) Keeping food cool
Via digitaltrends.com
The first stop for half of your food is the fridge. It’s a good place to get started when looking for ways to make your kitchen more energy efficient.
If you’re looking for a new fridge, aim for a smaller model. Storing less food and shopping more frequently will reduce the amount of energy you need to keep your food fresh (and might improve your diet too!).
When buying a fridge, try not to be tempted by the bells and whistles like icemakers and water dispensers. These can be handy but also use more energy. It’s also important to consider that top freezer models are more energy efficient than side-by-side models.
If your fridge is over 10 years old, it’s time to start thinking about replacing it. According to House & Home, replacing a 1984 model with one from 2004 onwards can save you up to $82 per year. Even fridges produced as recently as 2001 use up to 40% more energy than models that adhere to the ENERGY STAR standard.
It’s also important to consult the EnergyGuide and compare how much electricity in kilowatt-hours a model uses in one year. The smaller the number, the better the fridge is for the environment (and your wallet). If you’re feeling overwhelmed or lost, don’t worry, ENERGY STAR just released their list of the most efficient refrigerators of 2016.
In the meantime, there are a few ways to make your existing fridge as energy efficient as possible. Start by ensuring any liquids or foods are sealed in a tupperware container before storing them in the fridge. Foods naturally release moisture and gasses that force your compressor to work harder. You can also adjust the temperature of your fridge to a lower setting. Experts recommend keeping your fridge anywhere between 35°F and 38°F, and setting your freezer to 0°F.
Your appliances will also run more efficiently for longer if you perform proper maintenance. Set a reminder in your calendar to clean your fridge’s condenser coils every three months. Clearing out dust, pet hair, and food particles means the motor won’t have to work so hard and your fridge will use less electricity.
2) Stovetop cooking
If you’re shopping for a gas oven, look for models that have an automatic electric ignition system. If your pilot light isn’t burning continuously, then you’re saving precious natural resources. You should also do an in-store test to look for blue flames (yellow flames indicate that gas is burning inefficiently) and look for a model that has a lower BTU output. The lower the BTU output, the more energy-efficient the appliance will be. It’s also important to remember that gas stoves are harmful to the environment because they add 25% to 39% more NO2 and CO into the air in your home.
If you’re shopping for an electric stove, look for induction elements. These appliances transfer electromagnetic energy directly to the pan, meaning the cooktop is cool and using half of the energy of a coil element. Whatever you do, try to avoid an oven with standard electric coils. They’re the least efficient method for stovetop cooking and waste a ton of energy.
You can easily make your existing stove and oven more energy efficient. Turn your oven off five or 10 minutes earlier than the recipe calls for and let the dish cook in the residual heat. Also, when using the stove, make sure the size of your pot matches the size of the burner. A small pot on a large burner wastes over 40% of the burner’s heat!
3) Dishwasher strategy
Most of the energy used by a dishwasher goes towards heating the water. If you’re shopping for a new dishwasher be sure to check out the EnergyGuide label to learn how much power is necessary to run your dishwasher every year. You should also look for ENERGY STAR models to make sure the dishwasher is using 4.35 gallons of water per cycle or less (old dishwashers use up to 10 gallons).
If you’re stuck with your current model for a little longer, don't worry, there are a few ways you can cut back on its energy use. Newer models might have an internal switch that allow you to turn down the water temperature (if not - you can always set your home’s overall water temperature to a lower setting). Also, try to avoid rinsing dishes before you put them in the dishwasher (simply scrape off any extra food residue) and make sure your dishwasher is always full before starting a cycle. Finally, turn off the automatic dry after the final rinse or stop the cycle before the drying stage and let your dishes air-dry.
4) Choosing kitchen tools
Though your utensils and cookware don’t use energy, it might take a lot of energy to produce them. Try choosing kitchen tools that have a long lifespan and won’t have to be replaced regularly. The first step is to ditch the Teflon says treehugger.com. Teflon is affordable in the short term, but it’s lifespan is much shorter than stainless steel or cast iron. Invest in a good cast iron skillet and rest assured that you’ll have it for the rest of your life.
Next, open your drawer and take a look at your spoons, knives, and spatulas. Cheap plastic utensils easily melt and low-quality wooden spoons can rot. Again, invest in high-quality materials, reducing the number of utensils you’ll have to buy to re-stock your kitchen. This seems simple, but it will reduce the number of manufactured plastics you’ll bring into your home over the course of your life.
