Are you burning money and energy each time you make yourself a meal? Depending on the way we cook it could one of the largest impacts of your carbon footprint, not to mention putting a bigger dent than necessary in your pocket.
Small changes to your cooking habits can make a significant reduction in your carbon footprint. Depending on how you are cooking here are some straightforward, cost-effective strategies, and easy-to-follow tips to minimize greenhouse gas emissions produced when cooking you Sunday lunch (or any other meal).
Saving Energy When Boiling
Lots of variables affect the energy cost of boiling potatoes or other foods. Here are some notable factors you can easily change:
Reduce – More water requires more energy to heat, use less in the pan if you can.
Chop – If your potatoes are in large pieces they’ll need longer to cook (or any other food for that matter).
Simmer – Boiling furiously uses a lot of energy, but once at the boil the water temperature and therefore cooking speed will be exactly the same (never exceeds 100°C), so reduce to a gentle simmer.
Lid On – If your pan has no lid, the process will require more energy, as steam (and heat!) will escape into the air – remember, you can use that steam to cook other foods, such as soft veg and fish, if you have a steamer and a lid.
Kettle – Kettles are usually a more efficient way of heating water than the hob, so boil what you need and pour it into the pan.
Reuse – Once your potatoes are cooked, use the hot water to cook other things such as veg or eggs, rather than pouring it away.
Save Energy When Roasting or Baking
On average using an oven for 1 hour produces more than 1kg of greenhouse emissions.
Fill It Up – if you have multiple dishes to cook, put them in the oven at the same time, it will save time and money.
Plan ahead – again this is about making the most of the heat, if you are cooking a roast for today then, if there is space, put in a meal for later in the week that will just need a little re-heating. Tip: a one pot recipe that will improve when left for a day such as a stew or curry.
Preheat? – Preheating is essential for some recipes, but for many dishes, it’s not necessary. Assess whether your recipe truly requires preheating or if you can put the food in as the oven heats up.
Turn Off Early – For some dishes, you can turn off the oven a few minutes before the recommended cooking time. The residual heat will continue to cook the food, and you’ll save energy.
Oven Placement – When baking multiple items, place them on different racks rather than side by side. This allows hot air to circulate more freely, allows for even cooking while reducing the overall cooking time.
Enery Saving Alternatives to Baking and Roasting
These methods offer quicker cooking times and often require less energy compared to conventional oven cooking, making them more efficient options for certain dishes.
The Hob – Frying or grilling might be quicker and cheaper than baking, but that obviously depends on what you are cooking.
Microwave Ovens – A microwave uses a fraction of the energy compared to a traditional oven – you could even part cook a jacket potato in the microwave and then pop it in the oven if it’s on to finish. Microwaves are not just great for reheating food, they can also be used for cooking a variety of dishes, from steamed vegetables to quick desserts.
Pressure Cookers – Using steam and high pressure to cook food quickly, a pressure cooker will reduces the cooking time for various dishes, saving both time and energy. The sealed environment of a pressure cooker also helps retain more nutrients in the food