Saving Energy
Don’t waste energy in the kitchen
Energy costs are for many people one of the largest costs of running a home – and these costs are set to continue increasing – so it is better to develop good habits earlier rather than later. As cooking not only uses huge amounts of heat energy – that is radiated and conducted into and through the air it also comes full of moisture. Together with moisture-laden air sneaking out from your washer and drier as well as those outdoor clothes drying off after the rain you can end up (and many do) with a major problem of condensation. The warm moisture-laden air condenses onto every cold surface (marble is particularly cold) and steams up the windows, and leads to black mould on your walls and ceilings and anywhere the moisture collects. My friend tries to solve the problem by keeping the windows open – which leads to loos of heat a cold kitchen and a raised thermostat.
Firstly you can try to reduce the moisture going into the air. Put your washing machine and dryer in the garage or porch. Use a pressure cooker which cooks much faster and release slightly less moisture, Cook all your vegetables in one pan so there is only one lot of water going into the air. Use tight fitting lids.
There is one excellent way of sorting the problem – fit an extractor fan – if you have no wall space you can get them fitted in a double glazed unit. If you haven’t got modern units its worthwhile getting double glazing quotes that will include the new energy efficient glass and an extractor fan.
Saving Money
Tips to save money on food
It is pretty easy, one would think, to save money on food, but as a society we have got into such profligate and wasteful ways that we often don’t really think about how much money we throw away with our waste – or how much healthier we would be if we ate more thoughtfully. Even [...]
Save money with the Slow Cooker
The slow cooker is a brilliant way to make large savings on your energy bills as well as inviting you to make delicious and wholesome stews and soups for your family. The cooker is a one-pot ceramic dish that sits in a metal cover plugged into the electric mains. The cook prepares meat and vegetables, [...]
Save money with the Halogen Oven
When we first saw these smallish tabletop glass ovens on the shopping channels we wondered if they would live up to the hype – but they certainly have moved into a mainstream purchase for many. The halogen heating bulbs convert electricity into heat energy to cook the food –and a powerful fan circulates the heat [...]
Save money in the kitchen with the Pressure Cooker
Pressure cookers have been around for a long time – the first one was made in the 1600s but domestic pressure cookers were not really on sale until the 1920s. The fashion of using a pressure cooker has waxed and waned since then. Because this is a pressure vessel the metal has to be strong [...]
