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Thanksgiving Energy-Saving Tips
Stove Top
When cooking on top of your range, match the size of the pan to the heating element. More heat will get to the pan and less will be lost to the surrounding air. Believe it or not, a six-inch pan on an eight-inch burner will waste more than 40 percent of the energy!
Use the smallest pan that will get the job done (requires less energy) and flat bottom pans will transfer the heat more efficiently.
Use lids on your pots when cooking, the captured heat value can save you up to 3 times the necessary energy utilized by an open pot. Glass lids will allow you to view the cooking progress.
Minimize the amount of water used in each pot. The less liquid you use, the less energy required to raise its temperature to the boiling point (or whatever temperature is necessary for recipe).
Once the pot comes to a boil, reduce to simmer. Higher heat doesn’t cook faster. Reduce to simmer once the boiling point is reached for the balance of the cooking time.
With most heating elements, you may turn off the burner a couple of minutes prior to the final cooking time and the retained heat will finish the process.
Clean stove top reflectors to save energy. They will reflect heat more efficiently and can save as much as one third of the energy necessary to heat a pot or kettle to temperature.
Oven
Defrost frozen items in your refrigerator, allowing the times recommended. Defrosting an item (such as a turkey) reduces the cooling time.
The turkey is traditionally stuffed early in the morning and roasted for hours. Since it’s a long, slow cook, there’s no need to preheat your oven, even when the recipe suggests it. This also holds true for a holiday ham. In fact, unless you’re baking breads or pastries, you may not need to preheat the oven at all.
Cook with as full of an oven as possible. Keep in mind that it is advantageous to allow heat to circulate between items and arrange them accordingly. Just make sure you leave enough room for the heat to circulate around each casserole and pie plate.
In an electric oven, you can turn the heat off several minutes before your food is fully cooked. As long as the oven door remains closed, enough heat will be stored inside to finish cooking your meal. The same principle applies to your electric range-top - the metal heating elements stay hot even after the electricity is turned off.
Use glass or ceramic pans, they heat faster than metal pans and the cooking temperature may be lowered by 25°F. The benefit is the foods will cook in the same time with less energy utilized.
Turn the oven off approximately 10 minutes prior to the end of cooking time. The residual heat will continue to cook until the finish of the allotted cooking time. Do not open door.
Do not put aluminum foil in the bottom of your oven to catch “spills”, etc. This blocks the heat that the oven elements are trying to radiate.
Keep the inside surfaces of your oven (and all other cooking appliances, including microwaves) clean to assist in the reflection of heat to the food being cooked.
Don’t look: Oven temperature drops every time the oven door is opened. Keep in mind: If you’re lookin” you ain’t cookin” Keep the door closed whenever possible. Instead, turn on the oven light and check the cooking status through the oven window. Opening the oven door lowers the temperature inside - by as much as 25 degrees - which increases cooking time and wastes energy.
Self-cleaning ovens use less energy for normal cooking because of the higher insulation levels built into them. (However, if you use the self-cleaning feature more than once a month, you’ll end up using more energy than you will save.) Consider using the self-cleaning feature immediately after using your oven to take advantage of the residual heat.
Other Ways to Cook
Microwave ovens cook much more efficiently, when applicable. Uses up to 75% less energy
Use and old fashion potato masher in lieu of an electrical mixer.
Don’t overlook the other cooking appliances at Thanksgiving. Fast and efficient microwave ovens use around 50 percent less energy than conventional ovens, and they don’t heat up your kitchen. Consider using them to bake yams, steam your favorite fresh vegetables, or heat up leftover turkey and gravy for a midnight snack. They’re especially efficient for smaller portions or items, but when it comes to the turkey or large items, your oven or stovetop are usually more efficient.
Remember your small appliances, great energy savers that can save you money all year long. Slow cookers (crock-pots) are perfect for busy families. On average, they will cook a whole meal for about 17 cents worth of electricity. Electric skillets can steam, fry, saute’, stew, bake, or roast a variety of food items - and some can double as serving dishes. If you’re baking or broiling small food items, a toaster oven is ideal because they use one-third the energy of a bigger oven.
If you’re truly adventurous, don’t confine your cooking to the kitchen. Most Californians live where the climate is mild enough to cook outdoors even in November. If you haven’t tried roasting your Thanksgiving turkey on a charcoal grill, you’re in for a treat. You might save a little on your utility bill, and you’ll have plenty to talk about over dinner.
Refrigerator Tips
In addition to your stove, your refrigerator and freezer also get a real workout over the holidays. While newer refrigerators are much more energy efficient than older ones, they remain one of the largest energy consumers in your house, often accounting for as much as 15 percent of your home’s total energy usage.
Help your refrigerator and freezer operate efficiently and economically by keeping the doors closed as much as possible so the cold air doesn’t escape. However, leaving the door open for a longer period of time while you take out the items you need is more efficient than opening and closing it several times.
It’s easy to keep your refrigerator and freezer full at Thanksgiving. It’s also energy efficient, because the mass of cold items inside will help your refrigerator recover each time the door is opened. Don’t cram it so full, however, that cool air can’t circulate properly around your food.
Dishwasher Tips
One simple, fun, and cost-effective way to save energy at holiday time is to gather everyone together in the kitchen and wash and dry your dishes by hand. But don’t keep a steady stream of hot water flowing, or you’ll waste more energy than you’ll save.
According to research, a load of dishes cleaned in a dishwasher requires 37 percent less water than washing dishes by hand. However, if you fill the wash and rinse basins instead of letting the water run, you’ll use half as much water as a dishwasher.
If you opt to use the dishwasher, wash full loads only. If you must rinse your dishes before loading them, use only cold water so you’re not running up your energy bill by heating water unnecessarily.
Don’t forget to use the energy-saving cycles whenever possible. Dishwashers that feature air power or overnight dry settings can save up to 10 percent of your dishwashing energy costs.
Saving energy in the kitchen is a habit you should practice all year long - why not begin this Thanksgiving? Throughout the holiday season and into the New Year, you’ll watch your energy bills drop even as you use less of our precious energy resources - just one more thing to be thankful for this holiday season.
Buy Local or Organic Food
Buy your turkey from a local farm and also look for Michigan grown produce and products for your holiday meal. You will save energy in fuel by buying products that travel a shorter distance.
Lighting
Use candles for table settings in lieu of lighting to reduce electricity
ENJOY your Thanksgiving Dinner!!!!
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