-
Step 1
Try a solar oven if it is appropriate for what you are cooking. Keep in mind that solar ovens take a long time to cook and are not good for foods that require a precise temperature in order to cook properly. They are great for cooking rice and beans.
-
Step 2
When boiling foods, turn down the heat after the water comes to a boil. If possible, use a lid and turn down the heat even more.
-
Step 3
Use energy-saving pasta cooking methods. Some pastas will turn out just as well if you only boil them for three or four minutes and then let them sit in the hot water for about 20 minutes. Rice noodles turn out especially well with this method. If you buy pre-cooked noodles, you can heat them up by running them under hot water instead of cooking them. If you don't need your noodles hot but just want them softer, try soaking them in sauce for 20-30 minutes before serving.
-
Step 4
When you are cooking, cook enough for two or more meals. Try to bake more than one thing at once if possible. If you are making roasted vegetables or a casserole, stick some sweet potatoes in at the same time. You can always eat the sweet potatoes another time and they are good cold as well.
-
Step 5
Try pickling foods instead of cooking them. Pickling doesn't require a huge barrel and a sackful of cabbage. Quick pickles can be made in as little as half an hour with small quantities of vegetables.
-
Step 6
Try to fit the size of your pot or pan to the size of the burner so that all the heat from the burner goes into the pot or pan and none of it is wasted.
-
Step 7
Use a pressure cooker whenever possible. Pressure cookers cook more quickly and on lower heat setting.
-
Step 8
Use a toaster oven instead of a regular oven when possible for cooking small amounts or reheating.
-
Step 9
Thaw frozen foods before cooking them.
Comments
LilacGirl said
on 2/2/2009 Excellent suggestions for saving money in the kitchen!
ethoslogos said
on 12/5/2008 Great ways to save money on cooking costs. Well done! Quite rare! 5*