Cooking with energy use in mind

Dear Jim: I want to be as efficient as possible in my kitchen. With our busy schedules, it is difficult to get everyone together. Does it make energy sense to cook a large meal in the oven and use a warming drawer? – Cindy D.

Dear Cindy: Today’s family lifestyles and dining patterns are very different from when I grew up in the 1950s. If I was not home within a few minutes after my Mom called out the window to have dinner with the family, I was in big trouble. Now, with busier and more diverse schedules, it can be difficult to prepare foods and serve them in an energy-efficient manner.

The most efficient method to prepare dinner is a large meal, enough for the entire family, in the oven. It takes about as much energy to bake one potato in the oven as it does to bake six potatoes. The same is true of frozen prepared dishes. The heating element in an electric oven can easily use more than 2,000 watts.

A microwave oven can cook smaller quantities of food using less energy than a conventional oven, but some of the large models use almost 1,300 watts of electricity. A microwave oven does not develop residual heat to keep foods safely warm for long periods. Any extras for a late dinner have to be refrigerated and later reheated, consuming even more energy.

Using a warming drawer is an efficient alternative to the microwave oven when your family members eat dinner at different times. Warming drawers use between 450 and 600 watts of electricity to keep entire dinners warm. Most foods must be kept above about 140 degrees to be sure they do not spoil. They plug into a standard 120-volt electric outlet.

Warming drawers are typically available in widths of 27 and 30 inches to match the standard widths of kitchen cabinets and other appliances. A 30-inch warming drawer can hold up to six full-size dinner plates of food.

When closed, they look similar to just another drawer under the countertop. The controls are hidden behind the front cover, so it must be opened to access them. Some stainless steel models give the kitchen a more contemporary and professional appearance. The warming drawer can also be mounted directly under the oven for convenience and less heat loss.

The better models have built-in moisture controls. Most foods taste “just cooked” when kept warm at the moist setting. Other foods, such as baked potatoes and fried food, are better when stored at the crisp setting.

The food holding temperature settings usually range from about 100 to 210 degrees with four set points. If you bake yeast doughs, select a warming drawer with a low setting to use to proof the dough. For food safety, always preheat the drawer before placing food in it. Most models preheat in about 20 to 40 minutes. Miele models use a small convection fan to preheat in only 10 minutes.

The following companies offer warming drawers: Dacor, 800-793-0093, www.dacor.com; General Electric, 800-626-2000, www.geappliances.com; Jenn-Air, 800-688-1100, www.jennair; Miele, 800-843-7231, www.mieleusa.com; and Thermador, 800-656-9226, www.thermador.com.

Dear Jim: We currently have an in-ground swimming pool adjacent to the rear house wall. We are considering building a room addition over it to make it an indoor pool. How do we avoid having excess humidity problem? – Paul R.

Dear Paul: Excess humidity is going to be somewhat of a problem at times no matter what you do. Having adequate ventilation and keeping the pool water as cool as possible will reduce the humidity level in that room. In order to keep the humidity from penetrating the wall and wall insulation, seal the current outside wall by the pool. If there is an indoor vapor barrier inside the wall, it would help to puncture it so moisture is not trapped.

Send inquiries to James Dulley, Bangor Daily News, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.