When making noodles, the size of the pot and when the heat is turned off make a difference. Photo: Shutterstock.
Rate increases such as those coming up, with percentages up to three figures, are encouraging people to look for ways to spend less energy. And on that mission, place the magnifying glass offers interesting possibilities for saving gas and electricity.
Whether you’re cooking pizza, cooking, preparing noodles, cooking steak, frying an egg or heating water for a partner, the as this is important.
Food can be cooked as sparingly as possible; or, as is often the case, spending more than double. which is more dependent on than artifacts Y what containers is used, and also of cooking habits.
An investigation conducted by experts from the National University of San Martín (UNSAM) and the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) concludes that saves of energy cooking can “easily exceed 50%“in homes by simply taking a few simple steps. Reductions of more than 80% have even been achieved in some cases.
But specifically,how to achieve this? then a Practical Guide included 6 and keys based on the results of that study, as well as advice from the National Gas Regulatory Entity (Enargas) and other specialists.
Since June, strong reductions in subsidies are expected for more than 760,000 users, and energy savings will be key. Image: File.
1. Select the most appropriate artifact for each need
When comparing the energy efficiency of different cooking technology, One that was effectively more economical in the INTI and UNSAM tests was the gas stove, followed by electric stoves; and the not very good is microwave.
However, as they clarified, if it is only for heat a plate cooked or one small quantity of food, the microwave is imposed in front of the oven or on the burner, as it will work less time and direct heat to the food only, without heating the container.
Also, if you just search to heat waterfor example drink partner, the electric kettle This is a better option than the standard turkey and the other options. Not only because it minimizes heat loss to the atmosphere, but also because it simplifies measure the value of water and why auto cut avoid overheating.
furnacesfrom Enargas recommends using them in moderation, for the right amount of time and never for heating. “Consume it as if you were wearing it two burners“, they compare. And every time the door is opened while cooking, there is a lot of garbage.
With thermostat and automatic cut-off, kettles are the most recommended option for heating water. Image: File.
2. Select the most appropriate container for each need
You also need to choose carefully. where it will be placed every food or every liquid to be heated. How to choose perfect saucepan, pan or jug?
It is the one that fulfills them at the same time two required:
- That it is not lacking in width. The diameter should always be equal to or greater than the flame of the burner, so that the heat does not escape to the edges.
- Do not over capacity. A very large container will take time to pick up the temperature and transfer the heat to the food. Also, a lot of the energy is wasted air heating within the country.
3. Always use a cap
something as simple as cover the container used in cooking has a difference. As verified in the experiments, it saves almost 30%of energy.
The reason is to reduce evaporative energy loss. And, accordingly, cooking is completed faster.
4. Before cooking, defrost
Direct cooking of frozen food is sometimes a practical solution, but it leads to spend more energy of what is needed.
If it has been removed from the freezer hours before, when the time comes it will room temperature. And you can cook in less time, with less use of electricity or gas.
A common mistake is to choose burners that are too large for what you want to heat. Photo: AFP/File.
5. Extinguish the fire before
An widespread bad habit is waiting for cooking to complete before turning off the oven, gas burner or electric stove. Much better, according to experts, is cut earlier the passage of gas or electricity to the “will waste heat“complete the process Free.
When cooking, for example, a stew, the fire can be put out maximum at the beginning, and then lower it. “Turn off or reduce the burner flame when it is reached boiling point“, recommended by Enargas.
In this sense, a typical example of waste This is the one promoted in the instructions of some brands of dry pasta, which suggests to put 500 grams of noodles at 4 o 5 liters of boiling water and cook them for 7 minutes on maximum heat.
According to INTI and UNSAM scientists, on the other hand, it is better to use a smaller saucepan with Only 1.5 to 2.1 liters of water boiling, put the noodles, wait for the water boil again and immediately turn off the burner.
“With the residual heat finished cooking on 10 to 15 minutes, cover the pot and stir occasionally. So one is achieved 50% energy savings“, they describe.
From Longviea manufacturer of gas appliances, provided another type of savings: “do not add the salt before boilingbecause it increases the boiling.
About kilnthe indication is to kill it when food is scarce 10 minutes be ready. “Thank you for insulation of equipment, the temperature I know remains stable and allows you to continue cooking without using energy”, they explained on Toptenargentina.org, a site that highlights the best kitchens on the market.
When buying a kitchen it is key to know what its energy efficiency level is. Photo: Orlando Pelichotti/Los Andes.
6. Invest in a leap in efficiency
Finally, there is today technologies which allows you to further reduce energy costs when cooking, but requires some investment to take them home.
-Kitchen, oven and stove class “A”. Buying appliances with that letter on their reliability label guarantees savings, especially if they reach A ++ either A +++ (the highest). “The ovens with thermostat adjust the burner flame to maintain the temperature required for cooking evenly, without having to always keep the flame at maximum power ”, for example in Longvie.
-High efficiency of pots. According to Salvador Gil, a doctor of Physics, an energy expert and a professor at UNSAM, the pots with grooves or fins Their bases are the most recommended to buy because they improve around 30% the transmission of heat from fire.
-Thermal pot or “witches”. These are thermal enclosures for cooking without wasting energy. Inside was the usual pot with food that was hot, boiling; and how heat is retained detainedinside the thermos, continue cooking until 6 or 7 hours.
The “witch pot” that allows you to cook for several hours without spending energy.
“Pot sorcerers” achieve, for example, as Gil has proven, energy savings from 80% when making jam 70% to cook vegetable soup 42%
MDG
Source: Clarin
