Boiling water for a tea or coffee cup doesn’t require much energy, but it is a small daily energy-consuming act that millions of people do up to several times a day. So, what is the greenest way to boil a couple of cups of water and get fresh water delivered straight into your NJ home?
The most common way to boil water has been to use a stove, either gas or electric for a long time now. The electric cordless kettle has been popular in Europa for some time now, and it is starting to come more and more in the U.S. as well.
Electricity or gas?
We will look at electricity first since two of the options use electricity as the power source. Electric power can come from many types of sources, some are good for the environment and some are bad. If we look at the net energy source for the USA in 2010 (see link below), coal (45%), nuclear (20%), and natural gas (22%) is the largest sources. A power station using coal has a carbon footprint of roughly 500 g/kWh while natural gas has only 200 g/kWh.
From the numbers, we can see that electricity has larger CO2 emissions per kWh. So, the obvious assumption would be that boiling water with a gas stove would be the greenest way, but it is not. Surprisingly, the electric cordless kettle has a lower carbon footprint when boiling water. You might ask why and the answer is that the electric kettle is much more efficient. The stove, both electric and gas, is not as efficient due to radiation and is not transporting the heat as well.
Convenient and fast
The electric kettle is also faster than the stove and a whole lot more convenient. You can turn on the electric kettle and not worry about over boiling or boiling dry since it will turn itself off when the water has come to a boil or the kettle for some reason is overheating. Be safe and green, get yourself an electric kettle!
If you are interested in an electric cordless water kettle have a look at our reviews.
Cooking Potential
One of the important things that you should pay attention to when buying microwave oven is its cooking potential. Of course, the main purpose of microwave oven is to cook or heat up your food. Hence, this is one of the main aspects of the microwave oven that you should consider. It bis important that your microwave has the ability to cook variety of dishes. You can check the best countertop microwave under $100 for the best microwave with great and limitless cooking potential.
Capacity and Size
The capacity and size of your microwave oven is another important factor that you need to take into consideration. Just like any appliances such as washing machine and refrigerator, microwave ovens in the market also come in different sizes and capacity. So apart from the features that allow you to cook the food, you should also pay attention to the capacity of the appliance. If you have a big family at home, then it is advisable to go for a microwave oven with larger capacity and size. But if you have a small family only, then you should go for a smaller size oven.
Power Wattage
Power wattage is also important to consider when buying microwave oven. Generally, the higher the wattage of your microwave the faster it will cook or heat up the food. Hence, if most of the recipe that you use for your food preparation are in raw form, then higher wattage of oven is advisable. Furthermore, you have to keep in mind that microwave in the market usually range from 600 to 1200 watts. Thus, it is advisable to invest in oven that has the optimum power to cook and heat up your food in the proper manner.
Additional Features
Microwave ovens also vary in terms of the available features. If you have some extra budget for microwave, then it is advisable to go for a model that has wide variety of additional features for your convenience. Some microwaves come with built in menu settings that make it easier for you to select the right choices for a gamut food items. Some features also include humidity sensor, defrost, and others. So before buying a microwave oven, it is important to assess your needs first and decide what model of microwave oven will provide you great quality features.
Check Reviews
Finally, before going to the market and making an actual purchase, it is important to do your research first. Yes, there are several brands and models in the market and they vary from one another. It may be confusing and daunting for you to choose the right microwave oven so it is smart to look for reviews and feedback from customers. There are now online forums and groups where you can join and where you can get good recommendation. You can also watch some videos online so you will be able to get more ideas and tips before buying your microwave oven.
Written on September 2, 2020 in
kitchen Choosing the best Air Fryer and Toaster Oven is a great way through which you can enhance your kitchen. These incredible kitchen appliances that can give you four toasts of bread at a time. The speed with which the toaster works is indeed a boon especially when you are running out of time in the morning while getting your kids ready for school, preparing yourself to reach the office in time, or making a quick breakfast for you and your kids. In the breakfast, most of us prefer taking crispy bread toasts. So a toaster becomes indispensable in most households. A 4 slice toaster can toast as many as 4 bread at a time, thereby finishing off the work of toasting bread as quickly as possible. The 4 slice toaster comes with 4 toasting slots. If you are to make only one or two toasts, you need not use all the four slots. What I mean to say is that you can also use the toaster for toasting bread less than four in number.
Here are some of the features of a good 4 slice toaster:
- It will have slots that can accommodate all bread sizes and you will not have to remove crusts prior to toasting
- It will give you evenly toasted bread
- It will have wide slots so that you can insert the bread without breaking it.
- It will have a time setting provision and the user will have to set the time within which the toasts will be ready.
- The automatic pop-up feature of a 4 slice toaster is indeed a lucrative one.
- It will also come with a customizable heat setting or temperature setting feature.
- In case of some 4 slice toasters, each slot can be operated individually
- Some come with sport preset features such as defrost or reheat.
- A good 4 slice toaster will also have a browning control feature; i.e. you can brown the bread as much or as less as you want.
- It will also have safety features like cool-touch exterior etc
The various benefits of a 4 slice toaster may be listed below:
- It will work speedily and save you a lot of time. Therefore your hungry family members will not be kept waiting.
- It will consume less power. So you don’t have to worry about your electricity bills.
- Not only do 4 slice toasters make bread toasts. Some come with additional features to give you yummy waffles, burgers, muffins, biscuits, and a number of egg preparations.
- A modern 4 slice toaster will look fabulous on your kitchen counter. They come in a variety of style, design, and color to suit your taste
The top 4 slice toaster selling brands are Argos, Dualit, Breville, and Delonghi. You can look for these branded toasters either in your nearby showroom or you can order them online. Before buying the toaster, make sure that it has all the features you want it to have. The price of the toaster will obviously depend on the number of features it offers. Also, see whether the size of the toaster you are buying is suitable in your kitchen or not.
Written on August 25, 2020 in
kitchen If you’re contemplating a kitchen remodel, you’ve probably spent a great deal of time picking out all the elements that will make your space easier and more comfortable to work in and more aesthetically appealing as well.
You may have even spent some time looking at new appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers to compliment your updated space. These power-hungry beasts churn away in the background, and make up a large portion of your home’s energy consumption. But for the eco-friendly consumer, there are many great energy star compliant appliances that will help reduce your carbon footprint and save a pretty penny on your utility bills.
One appliance upgrade that is rarely mentioned however is the range stovetop, and when you’re thinking green the question of whether to use gas or electric power is important in choosing an eco-friendly stove. Healthy cooking information is provided here at this page for the benefits of the person. While cooking the glass stove, some precautions should be taken through the chef. The use of the best cookware should be done in order to add taste in the food. All the information should be gathered for the selection of the cook ware.
Gas Powered Stoves: A Cook’s Friend
Many chefs, from gourmet professionals to “grilled cheese connoisseurs” prefer to use gas stoves because of their ability to quickly and accurately adjust the temperature. Because of this quick response, not only do you have more control over our cooking, but this also means less heat is wasted than in the process of heating and cooling an electric stove’s coiled element. Many newer gas models make use of an electric igniter rather than a pilot light. Using up to 40% less gas, models which use an igniter are a far more energy efficient stove than their older counterparts. .
Gas ranges still aren’t perfect though, because they need to be hooked up to natural gas line. Just remember that when you’re looking for an eco-friendly stove the lower its BTU output, the more environmentally friendly it will be.
Standard Electric Coil Stoves: Energy Wasters
The standard electric coil is probably the least energy-efficient stove on the market. The electric coil that warms your pots takes a long time to heat, and doesn’t respond quickly to temperature adjustments, so you’ll continue to waste heat after you’ve turned it off. The electricity to generate all this wasted heat in the first place most likely was burned in a coal-fired power plant, so the standard electric coil is about the least eco-friendly stove you could buy.
Halogen Element Stoves: A Better Electric Range
With a flat glass or ceramic surface, stoves that use halogen elements easily outperform their standard electric counterparts. Unlike the metal coil which can take a long time to heat up, halogen elements heat up quickly, and respond to a cook’s temperature adjustments quickly, too. Also, the flat surface makes them relatively easy to clean. The drawback is that they only work well when they have good surface contact will your cooking utensils. If the bottom of a pot or pan is rounded, or warped, the halogen stove can’t heat it effectively.
Induction Cooking: The Eco-Friendly Stove
The most energy efficient stove is the induction cooktop, which utilizes the properties of electromagnetism to heat your cookware directly, rather than using a heating element at all. This means that induction stoves have very little wasted heat, respond instantly to temperature adjustments, and are cool to the touch. This means a great deal less wasted energy. In fact, an induction stove can use as little as half of the energy of a standard coil stove.
Induction stoves can be initially expensive, though. Also, many seasoned chefs who are used to gas-powered cooking have a hard time adjusting to the speed with which an induction stove can heat its contents. Also, in order for the induction process to work, you’ll need cookware made from stainless steel or cast iron, which may mean an additional investment. If you already have the proper cookware, or don’t mind upgrading, an induction stove is the most energy-efficient stove on the market.
Decisions, Decisions
Ultimately, the best eco-friendly stove may or may not be the right choice for you, and your decision will likely depend on personal preferences. Whether or not you choose to install an energy-efficient stove, it’s still possible to minimize your carbon footprint by making intelligent choices. Consider your cooking needs and your budget, and make the best choice you can. Whether you choose gas powered, halogen, or induction, your new eco-friendly stove will serve you well.
