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Given this logic, it is hard to believe that a burner element on an
electric stovetop would be any better, but an analysis by Home
Energy Magazine found otherwise. The magazine’s researchers
discovered that an electric burner uses about 25 percent less
electricity than a microwave in boiling a cup of water.
That said, the difference in energy saved by using one method over
another is negligible: Choosing the most efficient process might
save a heavy tea drinker a dollar or so a year. “You’d save more
energy over the year by replacing one light bulb with a CFL [compact
fluorescent lightbulb] or turning off the air conditioner for an
hour—not an hour a day, one hour at some point over the whole year,”
says consumer advocate Michael Bluejay.
Although a microwave may not save much energy or money over a stove
burner when heating water, it can be much more energy-efficient than
a traditional full-size oven when it comes to cooking food. For
starters, because their heat waves are concentrated on the food,
microwaves cook and heat much faster than traditional ovens.
According to the federal government’s Energy Star program, which
rates appliances based on their energy-efficiency, cooking or
re-heating small portions of food in the microwave can save as much
as 80 percent of the energy used to cook or warm them up in the
oven.
The website Treehugger.com reports that there are other things you
can do to optimize your energy efficiency around the kitchen when
cooking. For starters, make sure to keep the inside surfaces of your
microwave oven clean so as to maximize the amount of energy
reflected toward your food. On a gas stovetop, make sure the flame
is fully below the cookware; likewise, on an electric stovetop, make
sure the pan or kettle completely covers the heating element to
minimize wasted heat. Also, use the appropriate size pan for the job
at hand, as smaller pans are cheaper and more energy-efficient to
heat up.
Despite these tips for cooking greener, Bluejay reiterates that most
of us will hardly put a dent in our overall energy use just by
choosing one appliance over another. According to his analysis, for
someone who bakes three hours a week the cheapest cooking method
saves only an estimated $2.06/month compared to the most expensive
method.
“Focusing on cooking methods is not the way to save electricity [at
home],” says Bluejay. “You should look at heating, cooling, lighting
and laundry instead.”
SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098,
Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at:
www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk is now a book!
Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.
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