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There are a number of things that can be done to save energy while cooking without making the cooking more difficult or adversely affecting the quality of the food. When boiling water, such as for cooking pasta, the water can be made to boil faster, and therefore require less heat, by adding salt to it. It can also be made to boil faster by putting a lid on the pot. The least energy input and the fastest time can be achieved by both adding salt and using a lid. The energy required for cooking pasta can also be reduced by selecting thinner types of pasta. For example, vermicelli cooks faster than spagetthi. Although instructions for cooking frozen and other prepared foods in the oven typically call for preheating the oven, in many cases preheating is unnecessary. For example, depending on the specific type of food, it is often possible to lightly cover the food container with aluminum foil and put it into the oven as soon as the heat is turned on. Another way to reduce cooking times for frozen foods is to let them thaw before heating. Even partial thawing can result in a substantial reduction in time needed for cooking. In some cases, it is possible to save energy by cooking several foods together. For example, carrots can be boiled together with pasta or rice without adversely affecting the flavor of either. This has the added benefits of adding nutrition from the carrot to the pasta or rice and reducing the number of dishes that need to be washed. Created September 30, 2006. |