Energy saving cooking

[dinah gale]

With fuel prices going through the roof I wonder if anyone can recommend a cooker/gadget that uses little energy.

Am not keen on the microwave for cooking but am thinking of getting a pressure cooker. Having bust the proverbial growing wonderful organic food I don't want to lose too many nutrients so is this a good idea?

Anyone tried the Remoska cooker? Have heard that this takes little energy and gives good results - too expensive for an experiment though.

Stir fry would be good for quick food I guess.

I know that the ultimate energy saving diet would be a raw-food one but for those of us who enjoy cooking it would certainly be a step too far!

Not sure if this ought to be on this thread or the cooking one. If the latter I'm sure someone will move it over (or copy it?)

[Capsid]

BBQs? Burn logs and wood/scraps which are free too.

[lynda66]

get yourself a steamer, in 20 mins or less you can cook all your veg in one go, if you have 4 veg that saves 3 extra pans, also the veg keeps its flavour, and vitamins, and there is no need to add salt ....... i wouldn't be without mine now. and there are some inexpensive ones out there Argos - www.argos.co.uk

[MaureenHall]

There's also the "Dutch oven" (I think that's what it's called). Think it's basically a box filled with straw, and after you've started off the cooking (stew / casserole) on the top of the cooker and it's boiling hot, put it into the box, cover with more hay/straw and leave it for required length of time. Not too sure about all my facts here, but I've seen it on a Victorian Garden programme and read it in some wartime recipe book.

[Alison]

The best way to save is to make sure that you fill then oven when you use it eg batch cook. Always do a massive casserole and then freeze the remainder. Also, cook pots in a pan with green veg on top, steaming. Also, make sure you put lids on pans. All pretty simple stuff and loads better utilising what you already have than spending a fortune (in money and carbon) on something new.

[Hilary B]

The Dutch Oven is different (I think) but the haybox (as described by Maureen) DOES have its uses. Pressure cooker is great if you use it properly. 'Efficiency' approaches (like batch-baking etc) will make more difference than most gadgets, but I love my slow-cooker. Microwave is fine if you use it wisely, in particular for re-heating those batch-cooked casseroles!

[borage]

I wouldn't be without my pressure cooker have been using one for the last 23 years.

I used a Remoska a couple of times on a self catering holiday where they didn't have an oven, it was quite good but not good enough for me to feel the need to go out and buy one.

[Alice]

Dinah, the oven runs away with fuel. Lots of things can be cooked on top of the cooker, rather than in the oven.
I had a pressure cooker, many years ago, I didn't like the results and wouldn't recommend it.

[Sanjo]

Have had a Remoska for about 5 years. Use it a lot, even camping where I can serve up all sorts of meals. Powered by 500watts. Yes the outlay is expensive but it would depend on what you are using it for. If you are thinking to use is as your main source of energy efficient cooking it would be worth it in the long run. If it's a flash in the pan novelty (sorry about that!) then it isn't. It roasts a chop or chicken pieces beautifully. It will roast potatoes or cook a quick crumble (not all at the same time of course).
I wouldn't be without mine. They now do bigger sizes for the larger family but really it's only something that you could tell for yourself and it's an expensive mistake if you don't get on with it so I wouldn't say go for it - just say I'm very pleased with mine.
The other thing about it is that especially when camping - I just plug it in outside the tent (or even the house) and there isn't the heat or smell inside. Sanjo

[di]

A book I've borrowed has a section about hayboxes(Victory Oven).You can get a factsheet fromThe Centre for Alternative Technology~Centre for Alternative Technology Home Page.
Looks interesting but food takes up to 4x longer to cook than normal.~also you have to start off the dish on the hob.

[Kristen]

If you don;t have gas might be wroth thinking about replacing halogen-style hobs with Induction hobs - provided your saucepans will work them an Induction hob. I forget the exact figures, but I think they use about half the electricity compared to older electric hobs.

I expect all hobs have such facilities nowadays, but on most of the induction hobs I've seen there is a timer which can be used on the rings - saves burning a pan if you get distracted!

[dinah gale]

Thanks for all your thoughts folks.

With yet another price increase for fuel I'll certainly be looking at using mine efficiently. I'll look out for a second hand pressure cooker for sure.

Do you know, I've been meaning to visit the Centre for Alternative Energy for absolutely years. Have admired what they have been doing from afar. I'll organise a trip now that I've been reminded.

[Earthbabe]

And don't forget to look at capped prices and switching.

Personally our oven is so crap that batch cooking just results in using more for longer so less efficient.

I'm a fan of stir fries and raw food but if the weather is cold a slow cooker is a real boon.

[Matt.]

I thought a dutch oven was a fart under the duvet!

[number 1 suspect]

Listening to LBC radio today and one piece of advice was to switch the oven off 10 min prior to the food being ready. Any residue heat in the oven will continue to cook the food for the alloted time.

using the oven 3 times a week would mean a saving of over 26hours of electric used to heat the oven over a 12 month period!! Rough figure only as some will use it more than others.

Any brainy ones out there want to work out how much cash you could save??? My brain wont take it :-)