12 tips to save energy when cooking on the hob

Cooking is an energy-intensive activity so it makes sense to try and save yourself time and money with these simple ideas when cooking on the hob:

1. Use the correct size pan for the amount of food you are cooking to help cook food evenly and save energy.
2. You only need just enough water in the pan to cover vegetables.
3. Boil your cooking water in the kettle first to save time and money.
4. Cook more than you need so you freeze extra portions. Less energy is needed to reheat a dish than to cook the same meal again.
5. Burnt foodstuff absorbs heat making an electric ring less efficient so keep your hob clean.
6. If you're using an electric hob, use flat-bottomed pans so the pan is in full contact with the ring.
7. Choose the right size of burner or ring for the pan. If you can see the ring, you are wasting energy and need a bigger pan or use a smaller ring or burner.
8. Always use lids on the pans to keep the heat in and energy consumption down as you'll be able to turn down the ring.
9. Once the correct cooking temperature or state is reached, turn down the ring or burner so that you're simmering food rather than boiling it.
10. Cook vegetables using a steamer so that can layer a number of vegetables on top of each other and still use just one ring, or use a pan with a divider.
11. Use a pressure cooker to speed up the cooking process when cooking pulses, and even joints of meat, whole meals, or stews.
12. Certain pan types are better at conducting and retaining heat – copper-bottomed pans heat up quicker than stainless steel and cast-iron pans retain heat more efficiently , so you won't need the heat to be turned up so high.

What are your top tips?

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