Has anyone actually monitored kitchen energy usage.
I have done bits and pieces, currently monitoring the fridge, basically it is on a third of the time and draws between 110 and 130W, the light is 8W.

I don't think that kitchen energy usage, apart from fridge/freezer and washing machine, will make a noticeable difference.
The main reason that I boil a small amount of water is that it is quicker (my old lodgers Mother thought that a kettle always takes 5 minutes to boil, regardless of what was in it), not that it saves energy.

Posted By: markocosicIf you're truly the opposite extreme (batchelor in a flat) then the soviet approach might justify washing up by hand: Kitchens in the former USSR are tiny because you'd only ever have a quick coffee or breakfast there: cooking is far more efficient when done communally and they'd all be so rich under the communist system that they'd always eat in restaurants. They were only half wrong...

I am a bachelor in a flat, well a house. My kitchen is small, I use about 0.74 m^2 for all my prep and some 'to hand' tools and ingredients. About the same for washing up and draining. I have a 'proper' cooker, but use the single induction, plonked on top the normal hob.
Kitchens really do not need to be big, they are sold to us as a lifestyle choice. As a general rule, the more room you have the more junk you will collect, and probably cook less effectively as well.

Posted By: markocosicBring domestic science back to the curriculum perhaps?

No, just associate science with cooking. I have known about the Maillard Reaction since the 1970's, but a 'chef' I worked with had never heard of it until recently. And he still thinks it is rubbish, all wrong, what does science know, cooking is an art...
Ben Miller made a better cake than Gordon Ramsey when it was judges.

Tony,

Was that ALL water from the hot tap, or just the hot water?

Following on from the hay box and cooking pasta in the thermos suggestions, what about deliberately making use of residual heat?
For example, I often turn the heat off on the hob when cooking rice after it's been on for 9 mins, and then put the timer on again for the remaining 2 mins. I expect the cooking time could go down further, haven't tried it yet. Obviously the rice doesn't need stirring anyway so you get to keep the heat in.
You could do the same when cooking other things; veg, lentils, etc. When cooking dried lentils or beans, I soak them overnight, rinse then boil for 10 mins in the morning, then turn off the heat and leave it there until evening - they're usually cooked 30 mins later, or close enough to being cooked that they don't take very much more cooking when it comes to making the curry later.
I got a copy of "The Green Kitchen" by Richard Ehrlich as a present a couple of years ago; it's got the odd interesting idea and is worth a quick read if your library has it. He's quite enthusiastic about pressure cookers, which I've never used but perhaps that's another worthy topic?

Hi,
I always have a cooked breakfast - and often go the rest of the day until teatime without eating. I had not had poached eggs for years. My better half gave me some egg poacher "cups" for christmas. Coddled eggs cooked in butter - delicious. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coddled_egg). Basically 1 1/2 cm of water in a pan - poachers in then eggs. Bring to boil then lid on and very low heat for 5 minutes.Uses a lot less water and is quicker than boiled eggs. (eggs from own chickens). I think any cup/ramakin would do.

Richard

Hi Paul,
That sounds a good idea. I will give that a try next time. It will have to pass the delicious taste test. Butter makes a big difference and poaching seems to do something that boiling in the shell does not.

Richard

I would expect heat up time/energy to be included, as often it is a long as the "cooking" time.

I can't decide if the size of the oven should be a factor...

Please feel free to publish, yes, it will go on ReadingSustainabilityCentre.co.uk sometime soon once agreed by the group.

no, it seems to have stalled

Reading first please, Abingdon is raising funds and Oxford has taken 14 years to get to the point of about to switch on generation, well done Osney!

Posted By: haplessDiyerIf you have to use the oven then don't prewarm

Would like to agree but easier said than done with automatic programmes ... (and manufacturers who won't provide manual instructions!)