Holiday Cooking Methods: How to Cut Energy Consumption

With the holidays coming up and unusually heavy cooking on the horizon, is there a significant difference energywise between using a conventional oven or a microwave for holiday meal prep? Are there any oven use techniques that will save precious and costly energy?

Arizona Public Service compared various cooking methods and published comparison cooking efficiency and energy factors. The cooking efficiency of each method is the percentage of the energy supplied that heats the food during a typical cooking cycle while the energy factor represents the ratio of energy used to effectively cook food to the total energy consumed.

Microwaves rated most effective, with a 57.5 percent cooking efficiency and 57.5 percent energy factor. Electric stoves came in second with self-cleaning convection models topping the list, followed by self-cleaning standards, and standards. Electric stove cooking efficiency ranged from 12.1 to 17.1 percent, with energy factors from 10.2 to 13.4 percent. Gas stoves performed the worst. With respect to both cooking efficiency and energy factor, models with electronic ignition outperformed those with pilot lights. Cooking efficiency ratings were between 5.9 and 8.7 percent. Energy factor ratings ranged from 3.4 to 7.4 percent.

Before abandoning the conventional oven in favor of the microwave, consider what Mr. Electricity has to say about the comparative benefits of microwave versus conventional cooking. While acknowledging that that both crockpots and microwaves are more energy efficient than conventional ovens, Mr. Electricity says cooking uses such a small fraction of total household energy that it makes more sense to look to heating, cooling and lighting to generate energy savings.

Mr. Electricity also points out the incongruity of changing cooking methods to reduce energy consumption without changing to a vegetarian diet. It takes 200 times the amount of energy to produce beef as to grow potatoes. This stems from cattle eating 14 times more grain than the amount of beef they produce. Producing the grain for the cattle to eat consumes energy. People who would change their cooking method without changing their diet are saving pennies while squandering dollars.

But since vegetarianism isn't for everyone and every little bit of energy savings helps, maximizing the use of microwaves will save energy.

Regardless of the oven you use, APS has these additional energy-saving tips: fill the oven, minimize pre-heating times, maintain the door seals, use ceramic or glass pans.

Mr. Electricity also reminds bakers to open the oven door only when necessary to avoid a 25 to 30 degree temperature drop that will force the oven to reheat when the door closes. He notes that foil should not be used in the bottom of a gas oven because it blocks the heat, and if used in an electric oven should remain clear of the heating element.

For gas stoves with pilot lights, Mr. Electricity recommends turning off the pilot lights by tightening the set screw (not blowing them out which would leave gas flowing out the hole) and relying on a lighter to light the stove.

These tips will save energy not only during the heavy holiday baking season but, to a lesser extent, year round.