I blogged recently about how you can use your cooker and hob more efficiently to reduce energy when cooking and so save you money. There are also various kitchen utensils that can also help reduce energy costs although these do come with a word of caution ...
Most are expensive to buy new and so will not save you money if you rush out and buy them all today and then they sit unused in your cupboards because you didn’t get on with them. If you can, borrow one from a friend before buying and then if you feel you’ll use the utensil, see if you can get one by any of the following means:
- Try your local Freecycle/Freegle etc
- Look on Ebay (or leboncoin if you are in France)
- Try bartering for one
- Search the small ads of your local paper
- Look in charity shops
If however, you have to buy new, I recommend spending out that little bit more and buying a quality product. It will last longer and save you money in the long run especially if you use it a lot. This also goes for pans – when you need to replace you cooking pots and pans go for the best quality you can afford and also chose those best suited to your cooker. I bought my pans over 20 years ago and whilst they cost me a lot of money they are still going strong and there is not a wobbly handle or uneven base to be seen.
So, what kitchen utensils could save you money?
- A pressure cooker – great for one pot meals and stocks that normally take a long time to cook. I would recommend buying the biggest you can afford so even if you want small meals you can freeze extra portions for later.
- A slow cooker – again, one pot meals cooked slowly this time but with minimal energy. I have also just discovered you can bake cakes in slow cooker! This Slow Cooker Chocolate and Mint Aero Bubble Cake sounds wonderful!
- A wok – high temperature cooking but very fast.
- A steamer – all your veg etc on one ring.
- Haybox or Wonderbag - and finally something a bit different. In the past people would heat up a meal such as a stew until it was boiling and then place it in a box filled with hay. The hay would retain the heat and the meal would cook gently through the day, in exactly the same way an electric slow cooker does ... but with no electricity at all being used after the initial heating. It is now possible to buy a modern equivalent called a Wonderbag.
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| Wonderbags |
Oh and don't forget, if you have a woodburner with a hot plate you can cook meals on there too!
Have you any kitchen utensils you would recommend to reduce energy costs when cooking?
That was an informative post. Thank you for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteWell I have never heard of a wonderbag! With electricity expensive in Spain we tend to not use the electric oven very often, we do however use a plancher a lot (yes electric but doesn't take long to cook on it) after buying a BBQ over here in UK we really must start using one in Spain!
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of the wonderbag. In these days of economic decline, the less energy we use, the less we spend.
ReplyDeleteI use the first 4 but have never heard of the wonderbag; sounds intriguing.
ReplyDeleteSame here and they are quite expensive. For slow cooking I either use a slow cooker or the top of pour woodburner ... and one day I may make a haybox and try that.
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