All our tips for saving energy in the kitchen

Avoid using the oven

In the kitchen, after the major appliances (fridge, freezer and dishwasher), the oven is number 4e biggest consumer of energy in the kitchen. So to save money, avoid turning it on every day and favor recipes without cooking or requiring only a pan. Same thing, if you are used to defrosting bread in the oven, reheat it in the microwave and then toast it in the toaster. The two devices combined always use less electricity than a gas or electric oven.
For cooking meat roasts, investing in a slow cooker or pressure cooker will also be a winning bet. This type of appliance requires little energy to operate and speeds up cooking times.

To read: 15 recipes for family meals without an oven

How to bake without an oven?

The use of an oven is a priori essential for preparing cakes and biscuits. Once again, the solution is to choose recipes to cook in the pan or in the microwave. Do you have a steam cooker? Bake your cakes and muffins there. This will give them incomparable softness. As for pies, the best option is to make a no-bake pie base, with crumbled biscuits and butter. Just take cheesecake as an example.

Adopt good reflexes with cooking plates

Size matters

The first mistake is placing a utensil on an unsuitable heat, too big or too small. As a result, the heat is lost or is insufficient, which forces us to prolong cooking longer than necessary. The next time you light your stove, remember to put the small pans on the small burners, and the larger pans on the bigger burners. It seems obvious like that, but often, in haste, we don’t pay attention to it.

We put the lid back on

Another good gesture in the kitchen, which should save you 30% to 70% on your bill** and time: using lids. As a demonstration, the site L’énergietoutcompris.fr explains “that it takes a power of 500 watts to maintain 1 liter of water at a temperature of 100°C without a lid, compared to only 150 watts needed if we add this one. this. » Whether it’s boiling pasta water, cooking soup or preparing a sauce, we think of the lid.

Fire extinction

Some time ago, an Italian physicist suggested in a Facebook post to cook pasta over low heat to save energy. The trick, far from being unanimous, then triggered a real outcry on the networks. However, the idea is far from stupid. Turning off the heat a few minutes before the end of cooking undoubtedly saves us a little energy. The residual heat from electric or induction hobs is more than sufficient. If you’re using gas, you obviously can’t turn off the hobs, but lowering the heat works too.
5 minutes here, 10 minutes there… You could well save several hours of consumption per month.

Note that this tip also applies to the oven, which retains heat for many minutes after being turned off. On the other hand, the recipe should not require a specific cooking time or temperature, as is the case for cakes. This works especially for lasagna, stews, gratins, vegetables and roasted vegetables.

Fridge and freezer: watch out for these mistakes

Leave the refrigerator door ajar, store dishes that are still hot, do not defrost the cold appliances… So many actions that use up electricity unnecessarily. However, the refrigerator and freezer are the biggest consumers of energy in a kitchen. Maintaining them, by defrosting and cleaning them regularly, allows them to function better. We also wait until the preparations have completely cooled before putting them in the refrigerator or freezer. This risks increasing the temperature of the device, which will then have to consume more to cool itself, but it also encourages condensation and the formation of frost. However, the latter makes devices less efficient and reduces their lifespan.
Also, if you have the possibility, try to place them far from heat sources (oven, heater, hotplates, etc.).

* SDES, December 2021.
** I put a lid on the pan when I cook, L’énergietoutcompris.fr.

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