Use optimum quantity of water

The quantity of water used differs for various dishes.  And even for the same dish, different housewives use varying quantities of water.  Since water is extensively used in cooking, you should remember that surplus water wastes fuel.  Besides, when the excess water is drained subsequently, precious nutrients are lost.  An experiment on cooking rice with double the required quantity of water has revealed that fuel consumption increased by 65% So use only the optimum quantity of water for cooking.

Remember
Surplus water consumes additional fuel
which could otherwise be saved.

Reduce the flame
when boiling starts

When a vessel’s contents reach boiling point, a low flame is enough to keep them boiling. Addition of more heat at the boiling stage causes further evaporation of the liquid without serving any useful purpose. Hence, when water or any other liquid is boiling, reduction in the flame will reduce wastage.  This is possible in a gas stove by turning the knob to ‘simmer’ position or in a kerosene stove by lowering the wicks.  Experiments conducted have revealed a saving of 25% fuel when the flame was reduced after boiling had started.  Try it yourself. You will find that the time taken to cook is just the same.

Remember
Always reduce the flame once boiling starts.

Soak before cooking

Experiments have shown that soaking ingredients such as dal and rice for various intervals of time before cooking saves fuel.  250 gms of kabuli chana (chick peas) when soaked overnight in water consumed 22% less fuel as compared to the fuel required for the same quantity of unsoaked kabuli chana.

Remember
Sizeable savings in fuel are possible
if you soak cereals in water before cooking.

Shallow, wide vessels save fuel

A visible flame touching the sides of vessel wastes fuel since it gives out heat to the surroundings.  But if you cover the flame as much as possible by using a broad vessel, you will save fuel.  Our tests have established that for most stoves, a vessel of 25 cm diameter is ideal for cooking.  A vessel of this diameter tends to cover the flame completely.  Where a narrower vessel cannot be avoided, try and reduce the flame so that it does not creep up on the sides of the vessel.

Remember
Hide the flame with broad bottomed,
vessel. Do not use vessels which
are narrow as they allow the flame to
creep up on the sides.

Put the lid on to reduce
heat losses

It is a good practice to cover cooking vessels and pans with a lid, as an open vessel looses heat to the atmosphere, which means a waste of fuel.

A vessel of 100sq.cm. opening, containing hot water at 96°C would waste 7.2 gms of gas per hour.  The heat loss would increase by 2-1/2 times if there is wind blowing through the kitchen. If the vessel is covered by a lid, the heat loss would drop appreciably to 1.45 gm of gas per hour as heat is retained within the vessel.

Remember
Always place a lid on an open cooking
vessel or pan.

The small burner saves fuel

A cooking gas stove has a big burner and a small burner. The small burner consumes 6% to 10% less gas than the big burner! An experiment on cooking 250 gms of potatoes revealed that the small burner consumed 6.5% less gas but look 7 minutes more than the big burner. Similarly in a kerosene stove, by cooking at lower flame you will use less fuel.  You can now imagine how much fuel is being avoidably wasted.

True, the small burner of the lower flame takes a little more time to complete cooking, but then you are not always in such a hurry that you can afford to waste fuel.

Remember
Use the small burner or lower flame
more often, as the case may be
especially when you have time to spare.

A  clean burner helps save fuel

It is important to clean the burner of your gas range regularly and trim or replace the wicks of the kerosene stove.  Soot clogged gas burners and charred wick-ends of a kerosene stove increase fuel consumption.  Regular maintenance of your stove helps you save fuel.  In case stove knobs do not move freely, get them attended to.

Remember
A bright, steady blue flame means
efficient burning.  If you see an orange,
yellow on non-uniform flame, clean the
burner or wick as the case may be.

For additional saving

The use of ‘ISI’ marked kerosene wick stoves in place of non-‘ISI’ marked stove saves upto 25% of kerosene and the use of higher efficiency ‘ISI’ marked LPG stove (the thermal efficiency level of which is 68%+) saves upto 15% of gas.

Clean vessels help too

A coating of undissolved salts is usually found on the insides of kettles and cookers.  Even a millimeter thick coating can reduce the flow of heat to the vessel’s contents.  This increases your fuel consumption by as much as 10%.

Remember
Cooking vessels should always
be scrubbed clean.

Allow frozen food to reach room temperature before cooking

Cold milk, frozen meal or any other cold foodstuff from the refrigerator should not be taken straight to the cooking pot.  Keep it out  of the refrigerator for some time before putting it on the stove.  Very cold food consumes a larger amount of fuel.

Plan your meal timings

If all members of the family eat together, which signifies togetherness and increases joy, frequent reheating of food before serving can be avoided.  If eating together is not possible, store cooked, hot food in insulated containers to serve it hot later.

 

Source:
Petroleum Conservation
Research Association - New Delhi.