can I still save while using an electric cooker??

manulike

Just moved into a new flat with only electric never cooked with electric before and was wondering :
1/. Am I using the same amount of power when cooking on low/medium/high temps - so can i save money by switching the thing off now and again ?
2/. I have four plates on it - do i only use a quarter of the electricity when cooking on one of them - or am i better off using three or four rings at once ?

Many thanks

crossleydd42

You use less electricity on low, more in medium and most on high. NO point in switching on and off in between cooking. You could save by switching off just before the end. Use a ring slightly smaller than the pan/kettle on it. Try and use the least number of rings at a time.
Better still, use a steamer, which is like cooking with several saucepans, on one ring. Use an electric kettle with no more water in it than you need. Also, boil water in a kettle for putting into saucepans; it's more efficient. Keep lids on saucepans as much as possible. You can then keep the ring lower. Use a slow cooker, too.

Pink.

Hi manulike,

Welcome to MSE.

When cooking, the higher the temperature, the more energy (ie electricity or gas) you will use. In the same way, using more rings will consume more energy.

To save energy when making meals, where possible,I try to cook at least double quantities, so that I can put some in the freezer for another day.

Pink

anguk

I've got an electric cooker and it drives me mad! It takes so long to heat the rings up and they're still hot long after you've finished cooking. If I'm boiling veg I tend to switch the ring off about 5 mins or so before the end of the cooking time and leave the lid on the pan, the veg continues cooking. One advantage to electric rings in the winter is they heat the kitchen up but it's a nightmare in the summer!

ffym

Electricity is like everything else, the more you use the more you pay. High temps mean more electricity is used so it costs more. So in practice, if your boiling something there is no point in having the plate set high, set it to the minimum needed to maintain the boil.
There is no point in switching the plate on and off yourself, that is what the setting knob does. On a gas cooker the control knob throttles the flame down to a low level or up to a high flame, on an electric cooker the thermostat just switches the power full on / full off..on.off..on..off..on..off - to maintain the temperature. The time it is full on depends on what you have set it to.
On most 4 plate electric cookers there are two larger rings and two smaller rings. The larger rings use more electricity. You should try to match the size of the saucepan to the size of the plate (ring). eg. putting a small saucepan on the larger ring is a waste as you are warming the saucepan and the air around it.
IF all rings were the same size then:
Four rings full on = 4
Four rings on half = 2
Four rings 1/4 on = 1
1 ring full on = 1
If you could get a perfect fit of 2 saucepans on one ring then it may work out a bit cheaper, not by much though as the ring would need to be turned up higher to put the same amount of energy (heat) into the two pans as two seperate rings would.
To summarise the cheapest way is to match the pan size the ring size (1 on each) and keep the thermostat (control knob) at the minimum to allow boiling / frying / simmering etc.

manulike

many thanks ffym for a wonderfully clear explanation. And thanks again to crossleydd42 of course, for the tip about steaming. I have just put my bamboo steamer try on top of my brown rice for the last eight minutes or so... saving using a new ring and even one pot less to wash-up ;-)

Rebob

I use glass pans. once they are warm they hold the heat a long time so the temprature can be turned to low and then off ten minutes from the end of the cooking time.

manulike

Hi Rebob,
Where can I buy those glass pans and how much are they - was just about to go out and buy a couple of CAST IRON pots and a wok - how do these compare econony-wise?

Ken68

My power bills combined are £250 a year, normal semi detached house, and I put this low price down to NOT having an electric cooker.I do have a microwave, and a steamer and a slow cooker and a toaster. Safer too. all auto cut-offs. Microwave musn't be left on standby. as this uses up electric.
Do miss the roasts tho.

skintchick

I have always had leccy as gas scares me (!) and I often cook more then one thing int he same pan. EG last night I did potatoes and green beans and I cooked them together, drained them. left the beans in the colander, picked the pots back out into the saucepan and made mash. So only one ring used. I also have an electric steamer that I can do whole meals in.

calleyw

skintchick wrote:

I have always had leccy as gas scares me (!) and I often cook more then one thing int he same pan. EG last night I did potatoes and green beans and I cooked them together, drained them. left the beans in the colander, picked the pots back out into the saucepan and made mash. So only one ring used. I also have an electric steamer that I can do whole meals in.

It scares me too Skintchick but have no choice as it was already installed when we moved in.

At least one thing I can't gas myself using the hob as it has a lid and if I did leave the gas on lit or unlit when you put the lid down it cuts off the supply.

I use to have a solid electric hob and electric cooker and have a steamer so I rarely used the hobs and the oven as it was too expensive.

I had a one bed flat gas CH and still had electric bills every quarter of about £43. And I use to go around switching everything off in sight and had a savaplug on the fridge freezer.

As has been said when using the hob turn it off 5 mins before the end of the cooking time same in the oven. To make rice (white) we learnt to bring the pan to to the boil let it boil for a min and then turn off the hob leave the lid on and leave it on the hob 20 mins later cooked rice.

Yours

Calley