Recipe for Energy-Efficient Cooking

Cooking can really eat into your energy budget. Here's your recipe for savings.

Ingredients

• Clean oven and rangetop
• Correctly sized pots and pans with covers
• Glass and ceramic baking dishes
• ENERGY STAR^® certified kitchen appliances
• Microwave, slow cooker and toaster oven

Directions

1. Make sure your oven and rangetop are clean. A well-maintained appliance will cook more efficiently.

2. Use the lowest temperature settings possible.

3. Preheat the oven to the exact temperature required. Preheating isn't necessary for foods that cook for several hours.

4. Use glass or ceramic baking dishes whenever possible. They retain heat better than metal.

5. Limit the number of times the oven door is opened. Opening the door lowers the temperature as much as 25°F.

6. Turn the oven off 15 minutes before the cooking time is complete. Food will continue cooking at the set temperature as long as the door remains closed.

7. For rangetops, match the size of the pot to the size of the burner. A 6-inch pot on an 8-inch burner wastes over 40 percent of the burner's heat.

8. Cover pots and pans; foods will cook more efficiently. The kitchen will stay cooler in the summer.

9. Microwaves, slow cookers and toaster ovens are great for simple meals or heating leftovers. They use less energy than a conventional oven and rangetop.

10. Upgrade older kitchen appliances to ENERGY STAR certified models. They're more efficient than standard units.