Whats the most environmental way to cook?

[Andy Hamilton]

Obviously solar ovens come out on top when it comes to cooking food the most environmental way. - Microwaves are possibly next, I used to shy away from them a bit in a kind of ludite fashion, but on a lazy cooking day it is far easier to throw in a potato and have a jacket spud in 10-15 mins. My microwave is about 850 w so I assume that means every hour it is used 850w of power is used.

What is the adverage electric oven, gas oven or aga or wood burning stove? I am thinking that an electric fan oven running on renewable energy (eco-tricity) is perhaps the next environmentally sound after the solar oven and then gas oven. Or is it a wood burning stove? - I guess if you grow your own wood and keep growing it or use only sustainable wood then you are cooking carbon neutrally.

Then comes hob cooking, for some things the microwave seems to be more eficient but just because it takes less time is it using less power?

[2steps]

not sure at all :s I have a range type cooker with a large and small oven and always use the one that's going to be most full rather than alway heating up the big one. the grill part has a door that shuts and if you take the grill pan out it works well as a mini-oven for reheating or browning a shepards pie top etc

I always used to use my microwave for just reheating and maybe the odd portion of veg or something, everyone I know does but I bought a cookbook for it and have made some really lovely casseroles and simular. Theres a cake my children really like and as you said jacket spuds are so much quicker too.

I also have a slow cooker but is that good on fuel use or not cos although its on for hours it's at a low temp so does it use less power?

[Andy Hamilton]

I did not think about slow cookers at all, I never use them. I would be tempted to use a haybox cooker instead and use no power.

Of course with a range the smaller the oven the less power is used, someone mentioned (on here I think) that if you are baking bread a bread machine is better than an oven as it works like a smaller oven. - Not had mine for long so have not used it for much else than cooking bread, but I wonder if you could cook other food in it and use less power? Can't change the temperature in it though.

[wulf]

The limitation of breadmachines is that you have very limited control over them. They probably work out a bit more effective than using a full oven for a single loaf of bread but part of that probably depends on how much power they use during the mixing process (compared to making the bread by hand).

One way to improve the effectiveness of an oven is not to leave it on longer than you need to - for example, find out how long it takes to get to temperature and switch it on an appropriate length of time beforehand (with the timer set to bring you back into the kitchen) rather than just putting it on ages in advance. Also, look for other things you can cook at the same time (even if you don't eat them immediately).

As we head into autumn, one ecologically friendly idea might be helping dry out herbs. As the plants are beginning to die off (or going into the garden to pick them becomes less pleasant) it can be good to preserve some of them to flavour food through the winter. In the UK, we rarely get good conditions for sun drying but a warm oven can be used; after you've cooked something else, turn off the oven and let it cool a bit and then pop in the herbs on trays to slowly dry; it's not exactly free energy but it makes the most of what you've already consumed.

Wulf

[shiney]

I use my slow cooker a lot in the autumn/winter. It doesn't use much energy and you can throw everything in it, switch on low and walk away until suppertime. I usually make a huge pot of something and then there's plenty for another day.

I steam the veggies to go with the stew in one stack and that takes about 15 mins.

With energy prices going up and up, I am becoming more inventive on how I cook meals.

[2steps]

I love the haybox cooker, what a smart idea. I use my slow cooker a lot in winter too. the idea of leaving the oven on all day, especially if I'm out has always bothered me a little but we all really like slow cook casserole type meals.

I have a wartime cook book that has a few tips in for using up heat left after you turn the oven off, small cakes and stuff I think.

These energy prices are really worrying, we haven't changed our electricity use at all and yet are spending quite a bit more a week. We have a key meter and pay as we go so I am really noticing it and am actually worried we won't be able to afford it if it carries on and we make a point of not wasting electricity so I hate to think what other people are paying

[PurpleDragon]

We were on one of these agreements with the oil company, where they made sure our tank was not running dry, and we paid acertain amouont by direct debit each month.

Well, they have managed to keep our tank SO filled up that we now have a huge surplus bill outstanding, are on 'stop' with the oil company, and at the current rate of payback, will take 18months to pay the debt.

We assumed that the amount we were paying was enough to cover the usage, and have been recently brought up to date by the company when they phoned to say "oh, by the way, can you giveus all this money before December, please".

So, although we have a full tank of oil right now, we are too scared to use any of it in case the winter is really bad and we end up not having any oil to heat the water or the house when the temperature is below freezing.

[Shirley]

Yikes PD!!!

I always thought that an aga or similar was a better idea as it was heating a house/hot water AND cooking - similar with a woodburning stove with a back boiler and/or a stove top bit to at least provide hot water in a kettle etc.

[2steps]

that's worrying purple dragon. At the moment I'm feeling simular about electric use. We aren't going to be able to keep up with these prices and ok, not having pc's, tv etc etc is no big deal but I can't use my oven without electricity or any lights. We had a powercut last winter and trying to keep children happy in the dark is not that easy. My son andI tried playngn board games by candle but it just didn't work and you'd need a hell of a lot of candles to light a room enough to read and candles make me feel really paranoid. Wish we could afford some alternative but don't have any disposible income right now

[Stonehead]

Direct debit for oil (and delivered gas) is a con. It's always worth phoning around to get a price from at least six different suppliers. When we bought ours a couple of weeks ago there was more than 5p a litre difference in price between the cheapest and most expensive. On our 1000-litre delivery, that was a £50 saving.

Things to bear in mind:

1. Get the price plus VAT - many companies don't tell you the price with VAT. Ask if there is a delivery charge.

2. Always buy at least 1,000 litres. Prices per litre jump hugely below that, you may be able to get further discounts for amounts of 2,500 litres and higher.

3. If at all possible, don't specify an exact day and ask if it will cost less if your delivery can be included as part of a regular runs. (Our last delivery was delivered within 24 hours as the truck was passing through Insch anyway. If we'd specified a day and time, we would have had to pay a delivery charge.)

4. Ask if there is a discount for cash and/or immediate payment. Bigger companies won't take cash, but if you settle the bill immediately instead of waiting for an invoice you may be able to get a discount.

5. Don't be afraid to haggle if you get two or three companies with the same price. Be honest, tell them who's quoted what prices and for what amount of oil, then ask if they can beat it. They'll either say no, or they'll call you back after they've checked the figure you gave and give you a better price.

6. Consider pooling resources with neighbours. If you can get four or five neighbouring households to buy 10,000 litres delivered at the same time, that's an easy and convenient sale for the oil company so you should get a good price.

7. Try to time your oil purchases so they're about a fortnight after a dip in world oil prices and phone around. You'll find a lot of variation depending on the stocks the companies hold and when they buy, but you should find at least one that's got a very competitive price. Conversely, when oil prices go up, they all put their prices up (funny that!).

[Andy Hamilton]

back on thread

Just did a google for wattage of ovens and found that they vairy quite a bit the range is from 800 watts to 2800 watts well that the price of the electrical element inside the oven. So if you cook something in the oven for 1 hour on 800 w it will be the same as cooking it in the microwave for 1 hour on 800w.

[Wombat]

Good point Andy,

I suppose the thing with microwaves is that they are so much quicker. Mind you i have read reports that cooking vege's in a microwave takes a heavy toll on vitamins etc. So who knows?

Nev