•  If you have both a large and a small oven, use the smaller one whenever possible.
  • Save time and energy by using one oven to prepare the entire meal. A pie or cake can go into the oven as the main dish is removed.
  • Consider using a microwave oven, small portable electric frying pan, grill, or toaster/broiler instead of the oven. Cook outdoors, or prepare cold meals to avoid heating up the kitchen and adding moisture to the air. Microwaves use less than half the power of a conventional oven and cook food in about one-fourth the time.
  • Cook by time and temperature. Precise timing eliminates repeated opening of the oven door to check on cooking progress. Each time the door is opened, the temperature drops 25@F to 50@F.
  • Don’t line oven racks with foil. It blocks heat flow and makes the oven work harder to cook food.
  • Choose pots and pans that evenly cover the heating elements. Use pans with flat bottoms, straight sides and tight-fitting lids that hold heat and permit lower settings.
  • Make use of crock pots, outdoor grills or one-pot-meal recipes to minimize the use of your stove top burners and oven.
  • Use only enough water to produce steam and prevent sticking when cooking fresh or frozen vegetables.
  • Make sure reflector pans beneath the stove’s heating elements are bright and clean. They reflect heat onto the bottom of the cookware.
  • Covered pots or pans will boil or steam faster, allowing lower temperature settings.
  • On a surface unit, start with high heat and lower the setting when the food starts to bubble or boil. Turn off the surface element or oven a few minutes before cooking time is up. Electric stoves stay hot for a few minutes after they’re turned off.
  • Do your heavy summer cooking in the cooler early morning or evening hours. Try to use the range top more, the oven less.
  • It takes energy to heat water, so use as little as possible. Most frozen or fresh vegetables can be cooked in a quarter cup of water. Even eggs will cook in this reduced amount if the pan has a tight-fitting lid.
  • Use a pressure cooker. It cuts cooking time to one-third that of conventional methods.