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How to Green Your Kitchen
Contributed by: by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 02.15.08 Link (30th June 2008)
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directly to the pan, leaving the cook-top itself relatively cool and using less than half the energy of standard coil elements.
One drawback is that induction-element cook-tops require the use of metal cookware such stainless steel, cast iron, or
enameled iron -- aluminum and glass pots won't work -- and since the technology is still relatively, they're generally only
found in higher-priced models.
The same goes for units with ceramic-glass surfaces, which use halogen elements as the heat source, making them the next
best choice from an efficiency standpoint. These deliver heat instantly and respond quickly to changes in temperature
settings. (They're also very easy to clean, which is a bonus). But they only work efficiently when there is good contact
between the pan and the hot glass surface; energy will go to waste if pan bottoms are even slightly rounded. Standard
electric coils -- those spiral types we're all used to seeing -- by the way, are at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to
energy efficiency. If you go for an electric stove, no matter which you choose, opt for the most efficiency-efficient model
possible, then purchase green power to support electricity from clean, renewable sources.
The stove you ultimately choose will probably depend on price and lifestyle, so the greenest choice you can make is really
to pick the option that you'll be able to live with for at least a decade or more, which will save on materials and resources
from a manufacturing standpoint.
3. First, Love Your Appliances