Smart Meter and Cheapest cooking method

purpleivy

I have often wondered which, out of the many methods available to me is the cheapest way of cooking something.

My neighbour pointed out to me years ago that she didn't put on her oven if she could cook something on the hob, as it's cheaper if it's the only thing you are doing.

I am getting new meters in a couple of weeks and Smart Meter to go alongside. I'm looking forward to being able to work out the most economical ways of doing things and deciding if some of them aren't worthwhile!

I've got a gas hob, Instant Pot (so slow cooking and pressure cooking available) a regular electric oven and a microwave combi. Also available a 'George Foreman' type grill ( I hate using a normal grill or frying pan for stuff like sausages) and steamer.

I wonder which would be the cheapest way of cooking say, a bolognese or casserole type dish?

Has anyone worked out the different costs of cooking things?

suki1964

A good old fashioned slow cooker costs about the same as a lightbulb to run, don't know about an Instant Pot

A full sized oven is expensive to run, if only using it for one item. I only use mine at Christmas now, I usually use the top oven for the Sunday roast, a bit of juggling and I get everything in somehow

Mid week meals I try to just use the hob. I slow cook on the hob as well usually as I cant be doing with too many dishes to wash

What you need to do is look at the cost of the gas and electric per KW and then look at your appliances and work out the cost per hour.

So say if electric is 20p per KW and your oven is 2 KW, then thats 40p and if your microwave is just 1KW then that would be cheaper.

ariarnia

suki1964 wrote: »

What you need to do is look at the cost of the gas and electric per KW and then look at your appliances and work out the cost per hour.

So say if electric is 20p per KW and your oven is 2 KW, then thats 40p and if your microwave is just 1KW then that would be cheaper.

And the average usage time per portion/meal.

The microwave might be 3KW but if you only use it for 30 minutes to bake a potato vs an hour in the oven then total 'energy cost' is 1.5kw for the microwave but 2kw for the oven.

Also factoring in that you might be cooking one meals worth in the microwave but could have a full oven to feed you for the week (which you then may have to reheat in the microwave).

Slow cooker will be interesting given it's normally on 8-12 hours vs maybe 20 minutes for the instant pot.

[Deleted User]

I use my SC plus the microwave plus my remoska and only use my big oven for baking stuff,then I make sure all of the shelves are topped up so nothing goes to waste. Using my SC to cook a rice pud is to me more economical than using the big oven for several hours on low.

I batch cook a good few meals at a time for my freezer, and then whizz them in the m'wave to reheat. But if I am baking say a cake then I will also use the other shelves for cooking either rock cakes or biscuits and the slowly cooling of the oven is usually more than enough for crisping up meringues. Nothing gets wasted if possibly in my house not even oven heat :):) especially with the price of electricity

JackieO xx

purpleivy

No skin on the rice pud though Jackie!

Doveling

Have you heard of Wonderbags?
Think there is a thread about them on here HTH

purpleivy

Doveling wrote: »

Have you heard of Wonderbags?
Think there is a thread about them on here HTH

That was Mortgage free in three's thing, wasn't it?

I don't want to go buying more 'stuff' just wondering out of my selection of kit, which is the best !

[Deleted User]

purpleivy wrote: »

No skin on the rice pud though Jackie!

If it saves me cash on my electric bill I can live with that :):)

Stoke

I do a lot of cooking in my air fryer, and was surprised to learn that apparently it's not the most efficient way of cooking. My Air fryer runs at 1400W, so uses about 0.7KWh for half an hours use.

http://www.hotairfrying.com/a-hot-air-fryer-is-not-necessarily-an-energy-saver/

So completely inefficient. Shame it does too much good food

CapricornLass

i think there's also an element of how comfortable you are with a particular method/gadget. I would be scared to death of a pressure cooker and wouldn't use one, no matter how money saving it would be. And I would use a slow cooker over slow cooking on the hob, because there is much less risk of me letting things burn through getting too dry - definitely not money-saving!

ariarnia

CapricornLass wrote: »

i think there's also an element of how comfortable you are with a particular method/gadget. I would be scared to death of a pressure cooker and wouldn't use one, no matter how money saving it would be. And I would use a slow cooker over slow cooking on the hob, because there is much less risk of me letting things burn through getting too dry - definitely not money-saving!

I remember my nan's pressure cooker (with that wobble stop and the sound of imminent explosion).

I hated pressure cookers.

Still stove top pressure cookers and deep fat fryers both terrify me. I can't be near the cooker when someone's using one.

But... I got an instant pot (from the MIL, who knows I hate pressure cookers and who may well hate me).

It's amazing!

All electric so it turns itself on and off. No risk of boiling dry and a safety trip thing if the pressure gets too high. Plus no wobble to make that horrible death rattle!

Use it at least once a week now.

Ribs are amazing, beef stew fantastic in 20 minutes and it makes chicken so tender *drools*...