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Issue Date: April 22, 2008
Green tips for your kitchen
Appliances with Energy Star labels are just the start. Here are myriad ways you can conserve energy and help save the Earth in the kitchen.
All those appliances that make our daily lives easier also suck up a whole lot of energy. The good news is you don't have to give up convenience for the sake of the environment. The bad news is you may need to spend a few bucks upfront to save money (and the environment) in the long run.
Look beyond Energy Star.
The "Energy Star" label means the product is energy-efficient. David Gottfried, co-founder of the U.S. Green Building Council and founder of the firm WorldBuild, says not all Energy Star appliances are created equal. "I want to know more than that," he says. "I want to know the annual energy and water budgets." To find that out, Gottfried relies on the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy's consumer guide at aceee.org/consumerguide. There you can find, for example, that a good dishwasher will have an energy factor (the number of cycles per kilowatt hour of electricity) of approximately 0.65 -- 40% better than federal standards.
Pay attention to daylight.
"Having countertops and work surfaces near windows will make a big difference," says Willem Maas, founder of GreenHomeGuide.com. "It means you don't have to use lights during the day." That said, keep refrigerators out of direct sunlight, where they wind up working overtime to keep cool.
Get a new fridge.
The fridge gobbles up almost 14% of the entire home's energy use. Pre-1993 models might be costing you $140 per year, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). (Even if yours dates from 1993 to 2001, it's still probably not as efficient as the ones on the market today.) The best have the freezer on top and fridge on the bottom. And forgo the automatic icemaker in the door -- it demands about 10% to 20% more energy.
Be a "loca-vore."
Eating foods that are produced or grown nearby reduces transportation fuel four to 17 times, according to the RMI. That means four to 17 times less carbon dioxide pollution. Plus, every dollar spent in your community adds about twice as much value to the local economy than it would if it were spent at a chain store.
Think small.
This applies throughout the kitchen. Big appliances are energy hogs. Think toaster oven instead of regular oven for heating small dishes. And use the smallest pot possible -- with the smallest flame -- for any job. If the flame extends beyond the pan, it's essentially heating the air.
Recycle more than just plastic bottles.
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Recycle.
Yes, recycle cans and glass, but also appliances and cabinetry. "When I pulled out my cabinets, I posted them on Craigslist.org," says green lifestyle blogger Celia Canfield (ecovertex.blogspot.com). "My cabinets got reused in a home for disadvantaged people."
Say "yes" to linoleum and "no" to vinyl.
Linoleum is made from wood flour, resins and linseed oil. "But vinyl is one of the most toxic building materials," says Eric Corey Freed, author of "Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies" and principal at the firm Organic Architect. "Its production is bad for our health and the environment [because it contains PVC, a controversial type of plastic]."
Cook from scratch.
Even though microwaves are more energy-efficient than regular ovens, a frozen microwaveable meal comes from the store already dripping with energy waste. All the energy it takes to prepare, pre-cook, package and transport the frozen dinners more than negates anything you'd save in the microwave.
TY's Take:
Standing with the fridge door open while you decide what to eat not only wastes energy, but also lets in humidity, which takes more energy to cool than dry air. And it contributes to food spoilage unless you're using airtight containers.
BONUS TIPS from Iron Chef Cat Cora
"We fill the dishwasher to capacity before using it," says Cat Cora of Iron Chef America and executive chef of Bon Appétit magazine. Also, "I use a mortar and pestle instead of a food processor when I have more time. And we check through the oven glass, instead of opening it and letting the heat escape."
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