Although the energy used for cooking is usually a very small percentage of the total energy used in the home, cooking energy can be used efficiently. Here are some tips to help you save energy when using your cooking product: l Use pans with flat bottoms, straight sides and tight-fitting lids. l Cook with a minimum of liquid or fat to help shorten cooking time. l Preheat pans only when recommended and for the shortest time possible. l Start food on higher heat settings, then set surface burner control on low to finish cooking. l Use the more efficient surface burners instead of the oven when possible.
l
l
l
l
Turn on the surface burner only after placing filled pan on the burner grate. �Oven peeking� may cause heat loss, longer cooking times and unsatisfactory baking results. Rely on your timer to keep track of the cooking time. Bake cakes, pies or cookies when oven is warm. Best time to bake is right after a meal has been cooked in oven. Preheat the oven no longer than necessary. Plan your meals for the most efficient use of the range. When using the oven to cook one food, try to cook the rest of the meal in it also. Do not preheat when broiling, roasting or cooking items such as casseroles.
The oven vent
Hot air and moisture escape from the oven through a vent located in lower part of backauard. The vent is needed for air circulation. bo not block the vent. Poor baking/ roasting will result. NOTE: Never store plastics, paper or other items that could melt or burn near the oven vent, or any of the surface burners.
.
Oven vent
I
Burn Hazard When the oven is ON, pans and pan handles left near the oven vent could become hot enough to burn the user and to melt plastics. Use potholders to move pans.
