When it comes to heating food, ovens are typically the most commonly used cooking appliance, but they are also the least energy efficient. Being more mindful of your cooking processes can significantly reduce the amount of energy you use, but research suggests, cooking in an electric oven costs up to five times more than cooking in an air fryer or electric pressure cooker.
As the nation is looking for ways to cut down on energy spend, we saw supermarket chain Iceland challenge its customers to switch off their ovens for an entire week in 2022 – encouraging them to use the most energy-efficient cooking appliances instead.
In the list below, we’ve highlighted some “quiet cooking” hacks that can help reduce your energy spend, all while giving you some well-deserved peace and quiet. Bon appétit!
Air fryers are some of the most talked about kitchen appliances, with sales up 3,000% in a year. It is therefore no wonder that bbcgoodfood.com reported a year-on-year growth of over 2,000% across their air fryer recipes in the first two weeks of September 2022 alone.
Air Fryers
According to research by Utilita, annual savings of using an air fryer could be up to £279.66 per year. Air fryers on average were found to run at £55.91 per year, versus gas cookers at £121.06 per year and electric cookers at £335.57 per year.
Using hot air rather than oil, air fryers are not just more energy efficient, they are also a healthier alternative to deep-fat frying. The Quiet Mark certified Instant™ Vortex® Plus for example, has a ton of useful features, but top of the list has to be the ClearCook window. The see-through window works with a perfectly placed light inside so you can check on cooking progress without opening the basket. The EvenCrisp™ air flow technology delivers crispy, tender results every time with 95% less oil. 6 cooking programs give you one-touch access to easy recipes, but let you customize for yourself.
You can find a selection of Quiet Mark certified Air Fryers on www.QuietMark.com from brands including Lakeland, Instant Brands and Sage Appliances.
Microwaves
According to Uswitch, microwaves are generally the most efficient way to heat up and cook food. They recommend examining the cost per unit of energy used to judge the energy efficiency of an appliance. Uswitch research using a smart meter indicates that a microwave costs 21p per hour of use, but as it’s highly unlikely that you would use it for a full hour, the cost is actually much lower.
When it comes to cooking your Christmas vegetables, you might want to consider doing so in the microwave as the Microwave Technologies Association suggests more nutrients are retained in microwaved cooked veggies than by any other cooking method.
The Quiet Mark certified Sage Combi Wave™ 3 in 1 – Air Fryer, Convection Oven & Microwave lets you prepare delicious family favourites with Air Fryer, Convection Oven and Inverter Microwave. The Element iQ™ system steers power to where and when it’s needed to create the ideal cooking environment, for perfect results. The Combi Wave 3 in 1 also features Fast Combi and Cook from Frozen presets along with clever shortcuts, all designed to make life easier in the kitchen.
The convection oven in the Sage Combi Wave will also come in handy when looking for energy efficient ways to cook your food. It uses fans to circulate heat around the food as it cooks, which provides a more energy-efficient way of cooking because it means the heat doesn’t have to be turned up as high as it would in a conventional oven.
Pressure Cookers
According to a recent independent study conducted by Unconventional Connections, cooking in a Pressure Cooker can save up to 80% energy and cost compared to an electric oven.
The Quiet Mark certified Instant Pot® Duo™ Plus is designed to make cooking simple, easy and convenient. With 9 separate cooking functions, including pressure cooking, slow cooking and sous vide, this one appliance does it all in the kitchen. Pressure cooking is worry-free, with the quietest steam release available, a handy alert when it’s safe to open the lid, and a remote release button to keep your hands safe.
You can find a selection of Quiet Mark certified Pressure Cookers on www.QuietMark.com by Instant Brands.
Kettles
You can save energy, time and money by changing the way you boil water for cooking. According to UK Power Networks, using the kettle instead of heating a pot on the electric hob will be more energywise and will also take less time. Once done, quickly transfer to a pot on the hob for steaming or boiling your food.
However, one of the most common forms of energy wastage is the energy it takes to boil water you don’t need, so make sure to only fill it up to the level required.
The multi-patented, Quiet Mark certified Classic Kettle by Dualit, features a ground-breaking replaceable element that lengthens the lifespan considerably, whilst the Whisper Boil™ drastically reduces unwanted boiling noise. The Dualit Classic Kettle is available in a selection of finishes and is fitted with a superfast 3Kw element, making for quick boiling time. Two measuring windows with cup level and litre indicators help you to only boil the amount of water required from one cup to 1.7 litres.
You can find a selection of Quiet Mark certified kettles on www.QuietMark.com from brands including Breville, Dualit, Lakeland and Sage Appliances.
Fridge Freezers
Utilita recommends batch cooking when possible as defrosting frozen food in the fridge overnight does not only typically halve your cooking time but also means you don’t need to use the energy of a microwave to defrost more quickly. This could save you around £112 a year.
The Quiet Mark certified LG NatureFRESH™ GBB62PZGCC Fridge Freezer ensures that produce maintains its freshness for longer. LG’s DoorCooling+™ ensures that cold air spreads more evenly as Linear Cooling™ technology reduces temperature fluctuation. With a premium usable interior including Wine Rack and FRESHConverter™ drawer to adjust temperature for all your storage needs. The Inverter Linear Compressor emits less noise, but also helps you save as it consumes less energy than competing compressors.
You can find a selection of Quiet Mark certified fridge freezers on www.QuietMark.com from brands including Bush, Fisher & Paykel, LG Electronics, Liebherr and Miele.
https://www.quietmark.com/
See also: A Greener Way to Start A Fire
