Cooking habits, along with energy-efficient appliances, impact energy use in the kitchen. Replacing old, inefficient appliances and changing how you cook can result in energy and cost savings in the kitchen. New appliances aside, several strategies can help you save energy in the kitchen:

• Use the oven only when cooking large dishes or batches. Conventional ovens are inherently inefficient because, in order to heat up food, they must first heat up about 35 pounds of steel and a large amount of air.
• If you have a convection setting on your oven, use it. Cooking with a convection setting uses up to 20% less energy than the bake setting.
• If you are in the market for a new cooktop, induction cooktops are 12% more efficient at heating food than a smooth-top electric cooktop or range, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
• Identify and unplug energy vampires, appliances that draw power even when turned off. Examples can include blenders, portable coffee makers, and toasters.
• Opt for a smaller appliance, such as a toaster oven, microwave or slow or pressure cooker, whenever possible.
• Turn the oven or stove burners off a few minutes before your food is ready. They will remain hot enough to finish cooking the food.
• When using your dishwasher, run it with a full load of dishes to conserve water and energy. Consider turning it off when it reaches the dry cycle and let the dishes air dry.
• Keep your refrigerator well-stocked. You’ll have plenty of food on hand, and the more items in your fridge, the less energy is needed to keep them cold.
• Refrigerators top the list of home appliances that use the most energy. If yours is older, check out the Energy Star Flip Your Fridge savings calculator to see how much energy your prehistoric fridge is costing you.
• Don’t preheat the oven unless you are baking or a recipe requires it.
• Bake with ceramic or glass pots and pans. This will allow you to lower the oven temperature by about 25 degrees.
• On electric or induction cooktops, consider copper pans. Copper is highly conductive, so it takes less time to heat up.
• If you have a self-cleaning oven, plan to clean it right after you’ve finished baking or cooking so it doesn’t have to heat up a second time. Try not to use this feature when it’s hot outside.
• Don’t peek. Opening the oven door can lower the internal temperature as much as 25%.
• Don’t cover oven racks with foil. This reduces heat flow and increases cooking time.
• Make sure your pan covers the coil or cooking area of your range. If you can see red past the sides of your pan, you need a smaller burner.
• Put a lid on it. Cover pans while cooking to prevent heat loss.
• In warmer months, grill outdoors when you can. The less energy used to heat food, the less work your air conditioner will have to do to keep your home cool.