Hot Tips for a Cooler Kitchen

The warm kitchen that felt so snug when there was snow on the ground can rapidly become a sweltering oven in Edmonton's summer. The saving grace is that many of the tricks to keeping a kitchen comfortable in warm weather are also energy efficient and benefit the environment too. Sometimes you can kill two birds with one stone.

• Energy saving kitchen appliances such as electric skillets, slo-cookers, and toaster ovens can be used to make meals instead of firing up your large range top or broiler.
• Microwave ovens and pressure cookers can cook an item quickly, using less energy and saving a significant amount of time as well. Use them in place of your large oven.
• Foods cook more quickly when they are chopped into smaller pieces. Reduced cooking time results in less energy use and a more comfortable kitchen.
• Foods will cook in less time and save energy if you put lids on the pans and make sure that the burner size matches.
• The kitchen will remain cooler if you preheat the oven only when the recipe calls for it.
• Heating a second item in the oven at the same time also saves energy.
• Opening the oven door unnecessarily can cause an oven's temperature to fall by 50F (25C) or more. It is better to look through the oven window.
• Use the dishwasher only when packed with a full load and allow the contents to air-dry the old-fashioned way.