How to Use Your Environmentally Friendly Kitchen the Right Way

ByGroovy Green May 21, 2015

When it comes to environmentally friendly kitchen design, most cabinet makers understand that newer appliances, natural lighting and no or low VOC finishes all add up. However, it is still up to the users to develop habits that are also environmentally friendly to get the most out of their kitchens.

Here are some tips to help you use your kitchen in ways that are environmentally friendly.

You may have chosen a refrigerator that has all the stars coloured in so you know it won’t gobble up electricity like the old-fashioned monsters of yesteryear. But if you are going to stand in front of it with the door wide open all the time wondering what to snack on, then you might be in for a shock when the power bill arrives.
The same goes for the dishwasher. You might have carefully chosen a dishwasher that takes the least amount of power and water, but if you use it before it is full, you will certainly waste both.
Cooking can often be done in a way that saves power too. Consider using a steamer that has additional stack-able containers. This will allow you to steam several different kinds of food using the same source of steam and only one element.
Even if you boil vegetables, you can place potatoes, pumpkin and carrots in the same saucepan together, while things like broccoli or cauliflower can go on top of peas or beans.

Making use of the microwave to cook some food will save on costs because it does the job so much more quickly. While it seems to make some foods tough, peas, potatoes, pumpkin and carrots all seem to be fine.
Thinking ahead can save you money and make using the kitchen more environmentally friendly. If you need to defrost meat for the evening meal, take it out ahead of time and leave it to thaw naturally rather than using the microwave.
If you are making just one mug of tea or coffee, don’t fill the kettle up to max, but have it half full or less. Another trick is to boil the full kettle and then tip what’s left over into a thermos for use later on.

Once you get into these easy habits, you’ll find that the power bill can really go down and this not only saves your costs, it helps to conserve the earth’s resources.

Another way to ensure your kitchen design is eco friendly is to make sure the finishes are easy to clean. This will also save you a lot of effort and the cost of stronger cleaning products – that may well contain toxic elements. The good news is that saving the earth also saves you money and makes you and your family a lot healthier as well.