Changing a few common kitchen habits can help you save on the utility bill. (Chicago Tribune/Bill Hogan)
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Mom may have taught us our first recipe, how to eyeball a cup of brown sugar and always to clean up after ourselves, but how green was her advice?
The experts from Whirlpool looked at a few common kitchen habits and how changing your ways could help save on your utility bill.
Old: Pre-rinse dishes before placing in the dishwasher.
New:
Don't bother. By pre-rinsing dishes, the detergent will not have any grease or grime to stick to. As a result, the detergents attacks dishes, making them appear cloudy, scratched or etched.
Old: There is no difference in energy-efficiency between gas and electric cooktops.
New:
Electric cooktops are about twice as energy-efficient as gas. Electric elements have high-efficiency insulation in the can surrounding the element, and the close proximity to the pot or pan allows efficient heat transfer.
Old: Hand-washing dishes is better for the environment than a dishwasher.
New:
Using an Energy Star dishwasher over hand-washing dishes saves nearly 5,000 gallons of water. Doing so also can cut your utility bills by $35 a year and save 230 hours annually.
Old: Any size pot or pan can be placed on a burner.
New:
Use pots and pans that fit the burners. A 6-inch pot on an 8-inch burner wastes more than 40 percent of that burner's heat. When cooking with gas, adjust the flame so it is under the pot and not flicking up the sides. Using the right size pot can save up to $36 annually for an electric range, and $18 for a gas range.
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(c) 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
The experts from Whirlpool looked at a few common kitchen habits and how changing your ways could help save on your utility bill.
Old: Pre-rinse dishes before placing in the dishwasher.
New:
Don't bother. By pre-rinsing dishes, the detergent will not have any grease or grime to stick to. As a result, the detergents attacks dishes, making them appear cloudy, scratched or etched.
Old: There is no difference in energy-efficiency between gas and electric cooktops.
New:
Electric cooktops are about twice as energy-efficient as gas. Electric elements have high-efficiency insulation in the can surrounding the element, and the close proximity to the pot or pan allows efficient heat transfer.
Old: Hand-washing dishes is better for the environment than a dishwasher.
New:
Using an Energy Star dishwasher over hand-washing dishes saves nearly 5,000 gallons of water. Doing so also can cut your utility bills by $35 a year and save 230 hours annually.
Old: Any size pot or pan can be placed on a burner.
New:
Use pots and pans that fit the burners. A 6-inch pot on an 8-inch burner wastes more than 40 percent of that burner's heat. When cooking with gas, adjust the flame so it is under the pot and not flicking up the sides. Using the right size pot can save up to $36 annually for an electric range, and $18 for a gas range.
------
(c) 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
