I have an electric stove, and want to cut back on my energy usage...?

Question

so I went out and bought 2 pallets of bulk charcoal to cook-out every night this summer (weather permitting). Since I am going to save electricity, the power plant will burn less and save the planet from global warming. Shouldn't everyone with an electric stove be doing this?

Answer 1

Honestly, I would stick with the electric stove. Just use it smarter.

Here are some tips

- When preheating the oven, be prepared to put the food in as soon as the buzzer/beep indicates that it has reached the proper temperature. Many people go do something else and do not put the food in for quite a long time wasting minutes and hours of electricity. Kinda like someone leaving all the lights on when they aren't home.

- On a related note, don't leave the oven on when you are finished.

- utilize lids to keep food standing warm instead of keeping the heat on low as your family keeps going back for another serving of that stir fry.

- you don't have to have expensive pots and pans, but go for the best quality you can afford (and some better quality don't have to have a famous name). They heat more evenly, making for less "throw it out and do it over" . Some may even hold heat better so you can turn the stove off and the food will keep warm for a time. (and it helps the environemnt to have a few good pans you use for years, versus buying cheap ones and burning holes in them and tossing them every year or two)

- Better meal planning. If you are making a main dish - what side dishes, extra portions, or meals you can make as "planned overs" can you cook at the same temperature and put on the other rack? Or toss in closer to the end of the bake time.

- Take advantage of your oven's cool down phase after cooking. Can you keep bread warm? Warm butter for your popcorn?

- Buy a counter top rotisserie oven - its sort of like a glorified toaster oven - for reheating items (as some choose not to microwave for safety/health) and to avoid firing up the oven for smaller portions. You can even bake cookies in it. Ditto use your wok more often. I know its electricity still but it uses Much Much less

- and try out raw foods - not all veggies are at their best cooked.

Maybe using these will conserve a little electricity.

Answer 2

Unfortunately not quite so simple - producing the charcoal in the first place created greenhouse gas emissions and reduced the biomass, burning the charcoal will produce further GHG emissions. It will all add up to considerably more than the GHG emissions needed to generate the electricity to power your stove.

Whilst you're cooking-out you could plant a tree - this will more than offset the carbon emissions from the charcoal. Some trees are better than others (some can actually contribute to global warming) - check out which are the best ones or buy an offsetting tree - lots of companies provide this service, choose one that will plant a tree in the Tropics as this is the most effective area for planting.

Answer 3

Maybe you should just stick to the stove:

Charcoal Grilling May Pose Cancer Risks
According to the American Cancer Society, PAHs form when fat from meat drips onto the charcoal. They then rise with the smoke and can get deposited on the food. They can also form directly on the food as it is charred. The hotter the temperature and the longer the meat cooks, the more HCAs are formed.

Studies have also shown increased risk of colorectal, pancreatic and breast cancers associated with high intakes of well done, fried or barbequed meats.

Cooking on Charcoal Grills Adds to Air Pollution
According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Air Quality, Texans who like to say that they “live and breathe barbecue” may be doing just that to the detriment of their health. A 2003 study by scientists from Rice University found that microscopic bits of polyunsaturated fatty acids released into the atmosphere from cooking meat on backyard barbecues were helping to pollute the air in Houston. The city at times registers air quality levels that rank it one of the more polluted U.S. urban areas, though emissions from barbecues are certainly dwarfed by those generated by motor vehicles and industry.

Both briquettes and lump charcoal create air pollution. Lump charcoal, made from charred wood to add flavor, also contributes to DEFORESTATION and adds to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Charcoal briquettes do have the benefit of being made partly from sawdust (a good use of waste wood), but popular brands may also contain coal dust, starch, sodium nitrate, limestone and borax.

In Canada, charcoal is now a restricted product under the Hazardous Products Act. According to the Canadian Department of Justice, charcoal briquettes in bags that are advertised, imported or sold in Canada must display a label warning of the potential hazards of the product. No such requirements presently exist in the United State

Answer 4

Maybe you should just stick to the stove:

Charcoal Grilling May Pose Cancer Risks
According to the American Cancer Society, PAHs form when fat from meat drips onto the charcoal. They then rise with the smoke and can get deposited on the food. They can also form directly on the food as it is charred. The hotter the temperature and the longer the meat cooks, the more HCAs are formed.

Studies have also shown increased risk of colorectal, pancreatic and breast cancers associated with high intakes of well done, fried or barbequed meats.

Cooking on Charcoal Grills Adds to Air Pollution
According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Air Quality, Texans who like to say that they “live and breathe barbecue” may be doing just that to the detriment of their health. A 2003 study by scientists from Rice University found that microscopic bits of polyunsaturated fatty acids released into the atmosphere from cooking meat on backyard barbecues were helping to pollute the air in Houston. The city at times registers air quality levels that rank it one of the more polluted U.S. urban areas, though emissions from barbecues are certainly dwarfed by those generated by motor vehicles and industry.

Both briquettes and lump charcoal create air pollution. Lump charcoal, made from charred wood to add flavor, also contributes to DEFORESTATION and adds to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Charcoal briquettes do have the benefit of being made partly from sawdust (a good use of waste wood), but popular brands may also contain coal dust, starch, sodium nitrate, limestone and borax.

In Canada, charcoal is now a restricted product under the Hazardous Products Act. According to the Canadian Department of Justice, charcoal briquettes in bags that are advertised, imported or sold in Canada must display a label warning of the potential hazards of the product. No such requirements presently exist in the United States.

Answer 5

Uh...not if it means everyone will be burning charcoal...that adds to air pollution as well. Today, there are areas of the country that are using wind power to generate electricity.

Answer 6

Anything that heats with electricity is a big money pit. to figure the cost for other items, look at the information plate that is on almost every appliance and tool. it should tell you the watts it draws or the amps it draws. watts is volts x amps. your houshold electric is somewhere around 115 volts. when the plate says your item, lets say a heater draws 1500 watts, that is per hour. a kilowatt is 1000 watts and your Power company probably charges about 10cents per kilowatt hour. so that 1500 watt heater would take 1 1/2 kilowatts per hour or 15 cents.per hour

Answer 7

Charcoal is not all that great for the environment OR for you~I agree with the answerer who said to plant a few trees while you're at it.

Answer 8

Most everyone BBQ's during the summer because their stoves are heating up the house anyway. It's such a great idea. I know I'll be doing that a lot.

Answer 9

The power plant will burn less, but you'll burn more. I don't know if you come out ahead.

Answer 10

Why don't you visit another category for awhile and push their buttons? We are trying to actually make a difference here & you are obviously trying to provoke people.

BTW, this is against the TOS.