Cheapest/most efficient way to cook

Alisonpennypincher

I know i may be stating the obvious, but bringing the pan to boil and then turning off & covering also works really well with rice. I use long grain rice and it seems to cook it well making it fluffier.

Stupidly, I have never thought to try it with pasta!

bigfatpig

If I'm cooking tea in the oven and we are having jacket potatoes, I chuck them in the microwave for a few minutes first so only need oven on for as long as other food, not an extra half an hour for the tatties. That way you still get lovely crispy skins, esp if you brush them with a touch of oil.

vgstar44

I love cooking with my slow cooker as its cheap and safe to leave on all day.

Absolutley loathe washing it tho as its so big!!

savingqueen

Some good tips here. I already often do the pasta/veg thing, boil then turn off gas and leave to cook. Didn't think to do with rice so will try next time. Don't think I have any to add - except I often dry washing in front of the oven when its on.

I realised the other day that there is no need to leave the oven plugged in - its gas but need electric for ignition and the clock. Well we have a kitchen clock so no need for that so I turn switch off til the oven is being used. Too faffy to try and light oven with a lighter/matches but easy with the hob which is what I've been doing.

My question is.... is it cheaper do you think to light the hob with a proper gas lighter (not sure what they are called, plastic devices that you click), a match or to use the cooker's electric lignition? Probably such a negligible difference....but got me thinking!

maman

Just as an amusing aside: I watched a cookery programme on tv Monday evening and the presenter said she had a delicious way to do mash. She baked the potatoes in the oven (1.5hrs?), then scooped out the flesh and ate that as mash:eek: Might have been cheaper to go to a restaurant!:rotfl:

Living_proof

I have a (donated) top of the range double oven but when I replaced my combi-microwave this year I stopped using the big oven and grill and have relied on the oven in the Panasonic. It has been great, the oven heats up really quickly and is ideal for one or two people. If I were doing a roast dinner for four or more I would probably use the big fan oven, but that's once in a blue moon now.

I also use a slow cooker very regularly and although it sometimes misses the caramelised tastes associated with slow cooking in an oven, the benefit is that you can leave it and forget it.

An electric steamer is used daily and saves all the wear and tear on the joints in my hands as I don't have anything heavy to lift around. I have quite a dinky one now as my son had the monster to take to uni. Certainly if you have a family I would go in for a powerful one.

Bread is always made in the breadmaker and I wouldn't be without one. I have two identical MR's both bought for £5 at car boot sales. That way if one packs up I can switch to the back-up. Eventually I will treat myself to a Panny but for now I am happy with what I have. I don't think I have room for anything else, and don't have the necessity either.

VeggieCatLady

I'm going to try the pasta thing tonight! Funnily enough my OH and I were talking about this last night. He wanted to cook baked potatoes for 10mins in the microwave then 10mins in the oven. We have an energy monitor so I made a point of comparing the power used by both and the microwave used about a third compared to oven, but the grill was less than the oven. We comprised in the end and used the microwave for 10mins and the grill for about 5 :-)

Patchwork_Quilt

I favour loading the oven up, so we will have a casserole with jacket potatoes and a crumble so that nothing is boiling on the hob.

You can also bake rice in the oven. Put a couple of cups of rice in an ovenproof dish with a teaspoon of veggie stock powder. Stir in enough boiling water to cover the rice by about a centimetre and swirl in a little vegetable oil. Put the lid on and put in the oven until all the water is absorbed.

bigfatpig

Patchwork_Quilt wrote: »

I favour loading the oven up, so we will have a casserole with jacket potatoes and a crumble so that nothing is boiling on the hob.

You can also bake rice in the oven. Put a couple of cups of rice in an ovenproof dish with a teaspoon of veggie stock powder. Stir in enough boiling water to cover the rice by about a centimetre and swirl in a little vegetable oil. Put the lid on and put in the oven until all the water is absorbed.

Never thought of doing rice in oven. Will try this. I always try and fill oven up so this is another way of doing that, can then have for lunch next day with some salad or veggies