Oven Energy-Saving Tips

Here are some tips that will help you save energy when you are using your oven.

1. Don’t place aluminum foil on the racks in your oven, as this interferes with heat circulation and reduces efficiency.
2. Check the gasket on your oven door for cracks or tears. Even a small tear or gap can allow heat to escape.
3. Minimize the number of times you open your oven to check on your food. Each time the oven is opened the temperature can drop 50-100°. Use a timer instead.
4. Consider using a pressure cooker instead of your oven. By cooking food at a higher temperature and pressure, cooking time is reduced dramatically and energy use is cut by 50-75%.
5. Both toaster ovens and microwaves use less energy than your oven, and should be used instead of your oven whenever possible, especially for cooking small or medium-sized meals.
6. The leftover heat after cooking something in your oven can be used to warm up other food.
7. Turn off your oven about 15 to 20 minutes before the end of cooking time. The leftover heat in the oven will finish the job if you don't open the oven door.
8. Preheat your oven as little as possible. For foods that require immediate heat, such as cakes, pies, and soufflés, preheat for 10 minutes only. If cooking something for more than an hour, it’s not necessary to preheat the oven.
9. Don’t cook with your oven door open. This common practice wastes energy and costs you money.
10. Take full advantage of the heat in your oven by cooking multiple foods together that bake at around the same temperature. If one food calls for 325 degrees F, another 350 and yet another 375, then set your oven for 350 and adjust cooking times accordingly.
11. For maximum efficiency, keep your oven’s heating element clean. Mineral deposits on the electric heating element can be cleaned with vinegar.
12. Stagger the placement of dishes on the upper and lower racks of your oven to allow increased heat circulation.
13. Your oven temperature can be lowered by 25° when cooking with a ceramic, glass, or stainless steel, since they retain the heat better than other materials.
14. Try to broil versus bake or roast, which are less efficient ways of cooking.
15. When cooking a big meal, use your oven instead of using several range-top burners. Your oven is more efficient for this because it is better-insulated than using individual burners.
16. The self-cleaning feature of an oven generates high heat and consumes significant energy. So try not to use the self-cleaning feature too often.
17. If planning to use your oven's self-cleaning cycle, then start it right after you’ve used your oven for cooking, to take advantage of residual heat.
18. Cook outdoors during the summer, as this will help to keep your home cooler and save energy on air conditioning.
19. If you have an older oven, you may want to consider purchasing a more energy-efficient oven.