Another energy efficiency/ frugality tip re: cooking

[annethcz]

I hadn't realized how energy efficient it is to use the microwave vs. the oven/stovetop. I tend to heat up the oven to make quesadillas or heat water for tea on the stovetop. We use a gas range and heat with propane, which isn't cheap. I think that I'll be using the microwave more often from now on. According to this site, using the microwave for 15 minutes each day will add only $1 to your monthly electric bill! I honestly thought that using the stove was simpler and more energy efficient, but I was WRONG!

8. Myth: Microwaves use a lot of electricity.
The simple explanation to this energy myth is that in the past microwaves used a whole lot of electricity - when they were first produced as giant appliances that took up a whole kitchen counter. Today’s technology makes microwaves the most efficient way of heating food or beverages costing approximately $1.00 per month for every fifteen minutes of daily use.

[artemis33]

While this may be true....it is also true that using a microwave for food changes the chemical structure in an unhealthy way Just another thing to consider - for me the trade off isn't worth it.

I do use a microwave for heating water for tea (though I would happily get rid of it altogether if DH would consent....), but that's about it. I think a good compromise is to use the stove top or the toaster oven instead of the big oven when you are able.

[shelbell]

I forgot where I got the info from, but I calculated the per/hr cost of using our oven a year or two ago (based on the then-current electric prices, now is higher) to be $.35/hr to use the oven at 350. I don't know how much the burners are for a tea kettle and the like, though. I do try to use the toaster oven whenever possible as it is much less than the oven to operate. But.... Now that it's winter, I try to cook a couple of things in the oven on cold mornings or evenings to heat up the house - cheaper than running the heater and yummy food, to boot!

[Pogonia]

We abandoned our microwave at least three years ago, and only missed it for heating up tea water, too. lol

So our solution was to use a small Mr. Coffee and just run water through it. Voila! Hot water nearly as fast as the microwave!