The war in Ukraine and the drastic drop in Russian gas exports to Europe have prompted the French government to bet on a strategy of energy sobriety, in order to avoid shortages and cuts.
The French, called upon to make efforts, track down superfluous energy expenditure.
With its many appliances, the kitchen is undoubtedly one of the most energy-intensive rooms in the house.
To avoid overheating, Karine Balzeau, founder of La
Coccinelle à 7 points
,
an agency specializing in playful eco-citizenship, gives us her advice.
To discover
Recipes, tips, chef's secrets... Download the Le Figaro Cuisine app
Know the energy consumption of your appliances
While some appliances require more consumption than others, Karine Balzeau says that it depends on the appliances you own.
"Everything is related to the model of the product, its size and its lifespan."
To be as fair as possible with our equipment, the specialist advises investing in a power meter.
“It's a very accessible tool that measures electrical power.
It costs on average 15 euros”.
On the other hand, if our equipment reaches the end of its life, we are recommended to invest in more economical equipment from an energy point of view: “Today, we are very well supported thanks to energy labels.
Even if the product is a little more expensive to buy, it allows you to make great savings in the long term”.
Prioritize energy-efficient appliances
In the kitchen, the oven wins first place: it is the most greedy appliance in terms of electricity.
“When you turn on an oven, there is a very significant increase in energy that you have to know how to optimize”.
In order to assess the energy difference between the oven and the hotplates, Karine Balzeau performs the test live, equipped with a wattmeter.
After some calculations, the verdict is in: “The oven consumes almost three times more”.
Regarding small appliances, such as the kettle, the microwave or the coffee machine: “These are appliances that consume a lot, of course, but over a short period, which is ideal”.
They are used without fear, provided you do not forget to put them on standby or unplug them once they have been used.
It is necessary to favor short cooking at high temperatures to save energy.
Adjust cooking temperatures
Behind our stoves, a question arises: should we favor long cooking at low temperature, or on the contrary, short cooking at high temperature?
Equipped with her wattmeter, Karine Balzeau carries out a new test: “I set my temperature to 4.5 on my hob, which is equivalent to 0.700 kWh.
In a previous test, we were at 0.811 kWh in high temperature.
We therefore gained about 0.100 kWh”.
However, everything depends on the cooking times, and the longer they are, the more expensive they will be.
“It is therefore necessary to favor short cooking at high temperatures to save energy”.
Maintain your refrigerator
To avoid any loss of energy, good maintenance of your refrigerator and freezer is essential.
"Like the boiler, the fridge is one of those devices that are on all year round."
Consumption that we obviously cannot exclude from our daily lives but which, on the other hand, can be optimized.
“Letting ice accumulate in the freezer consumes a lot of energy.
It is necessary to defrost it regularly for those who do not have automatic defrosting”.
Its location is also of great importance.
“Kitchen designers know that you never place a refrigerator near an oven”.
Because despite increasingly effective thermal insulation, sources of heat and sources of coolness are immiscible, “consumption then explodes”.
Finally,
A child who spends 10 minutes looking for a dessert is no longer possible.
Optimize the use of your refrigerator
“A child who spends 10 minutes looking for a dessert is no longer possible”.
To limit the opening time of the doors, Karine Balzeau recommends a sharp organization.
“Tidying up your refrigerator means you can always find things in the same place.
It's much easier to make a choice.
Placing hot food in the refrigerator is also prohibited.
“The refrigerator will require opposite energy to cool it, which will generate even greater consumption”.
Read alsoFive golden rules for tidying up your fridge
Optimize the use of the oven
"You can't cook everything on the hob, so you have to use the oven with awareness."
Namely, avoid too long preheating.
"Above all, don't let your oven heat up for thirty minutes without putting anything in it, it's a huge mess."
Second tip, favor grouped cooking: “You have to know how to organize yourself upstream.
Batch
cooking
is ideal for reducing energy consumption”.
A method based on the preparation, in a few hours, of dishes for the days to come.
Once the cooking has started, be careful not to open the oven door, in order to avoid any loss of heat.
It is also possible to turn off the oven five minutes before the end, the retained heat will be more than enough to complete the cooking.
Dishwasher or washing up by hand?
“As for daily use, we will always favor the dishwasher.
On the other hand, we avoid large bowls which take up a lot of space”.
A very economical solution, for little rinsing the dishes before putting them away: “many imagine that it is necessary to avoid damaging the machine, it's a shame, we lose all the benefits of economical washing.
Just scrape up the leftovers!”
The "eco" mode is also to be favored.
Optimize the use of your cooking plates
On the hob side, there are many tricks to regulate their use.
First of all, choosing a container adapted to the diameter of the plates is essential.
“You also have to cover the preparation when the cooking allows it”, so as to concentrate the heat and considerably shorten the cooking time.
Switching off your appliance before the end of cooking is also an option.
"To make sautéed zucchini, you can just cover the pan, turn off the heat, and let the residual heat do the rest of the work."
But beware, this technique is not suitable for all preparations.
Read alsoThe seven cooking mistakes not to make with your frying pan
“As for pasta, I know many people do it and find it works really well.
Despite the blasphemy that this represents for the Italians!” laughs Karine Balzeau.
“Only here, boiling is a guarantee of the quality of their cooking and we do not obtain the same result.
It's a question of taste."
Other appliances make it possible to limit the use of hotplates: “If you are preparing pasta, I recommend heating the water in the kettle.
It requires less time, therefore less energy”.
Clever ideas, to turn into habits without further delay.