Commitment to climate and the environment in the kitchen does not have to end with observing environmental standards when buying furniture, choosing economical electrical appliances, and switching to green electricity! Observe the following tips during cooking, baking, rinsing, cooling, ventilation, storage, waste sorting, and recycling, and make a holistic statement in favor of sustainable kitchens!
Energy-saving – refrigerator
Cool to save electricity? Many things you can do when selecting suitable cooling devices. Proper use in daily life can save more costs. The most efficient refrigerator and modern fridge-freezer combination will not help save energy if, for example, they are only sparsely loaded! A big refrigerator needs more energy than a small one. Choose a device whose size and volume suit your family size or storage habits. Additional functions, such as an integrated freezer or ice dispenser, consume extra power. With the built-in refrigerator, the conversion with a kitchen cabinet can cause heat to build up at the rear of the ventilation slots and heat the fridge. Results: Power consumption increased slightly. This is why professional installation is critical here!
Note: You will often read advice on energy efficiency in refrigerators, which strongly advises not to place refrigerators next to heat sources, such as radiators, stoves, ovens, or windows with direct sunlight. Therefore, you need more energy to constantly keep the chilled or frozen goods at the desired low temperature. However, for modern, high-quality, and perfectly insulated cooling devices, this warning is no longer up-to-date and negligible.
Experts from Parlun recommend that modern refrigerators with two independent refrigeration circuit freezers are becoming more and more efficient. Refrigerators and freezers can be opened independently and thawed separately if needed-saving energy!
When setting the cooling temperature, please do not overdo it! 7 °C is ideal in the fridge, and -18°C is sufficient in the freezer. Cooling down too deeply increases energy consumption unnecessarily.
When loading the fridge and the freezer areas, you can cleverly save electricity by using the temperature zones and fresh storage compartments properly. Never put warm or hot refrigerated goods into the device!
Fill your refrigerator as tightly as possible-empty space is energy consumers, and the appliance must work to cool the air!
It would help if you also avoided opening and closing doors too frequently. We recommend the following regular checks: check the temperature setting; check doors and seals for faults or leaks; Keep the ventilation grille clean to prevent heat accumulation; Timely thaw the freezer without frost-free or at regular intervals.
Energy-saving – dishwasher
Economical dishwashing is not only about water consumption but also about energy consumption when heating water. When running a modern and high-quality dishwasher with a good energy efficiency rating, you usually use less water and electricity than manual washing! But the proper use of the clean household helper has more significant saving potential in details! You can do it yourself:
When buying a dishwasher, please choose the right size and capacity that suits your family, number of people, and usage habits.
Expert Tips: Load as fully and densely as possible. If possible, avoid rinsing with the equipment half empty! Only run the dishwasher every two day whenever possible.
- If there are small amounts of items to be washed, it is usually more worthwhile to clean them manually.
- Soaking (do not pre-rinse under running water!) is advisable for heavily soiled cookware. Afterward, the dishwasher does not have to work hard, and the preparatory work is rewarded with a positive energy balance.
- Phosphates in dishwashing products reduce water hardness and bind dirt particles but are also responsible for increased algae growth and problems with water treatment. New, phosphate-free multi-labels that work with biodegradable substances are the environmentally friendly alternative of the future.
Do you know? Phosphates in many detergents were banned back in the 1980s-and the result was a significant improvement in water quality around the world!
Energy-saving – hob, oven, stove
Economical cooking depends to a great extent on the optimal cooking utensils!
Pots and pans should have a flat bottom for optimal contact with the cooking surface.
The size of the cookware should match that of the hotplate; a tiny spot on a large plate allows heat to escape unused on the sides; Conversely, heating up becomes a tedious and energy-consuming process.
Each pot has a proper lid, so it is essential to use it when cooking economically. Always work in closed pots and pans if possible!
Glass lids are ideal-You can keep an eye on your food while still benefiting from the efficiency of a proper, solid cover: you consume three times less energy when cooking with the lid closed!
If you are using an electric hob without induction, you can turn off the plate early and use the residual heat to continue cooking for a few minutes.
For decades, pressure cookers have been regarded as a miracle weapon for fast cooking-food cooks super fast under pressure and save up to 30% of energy!
Kettles can heat water quickly, microwaves can heat leftovers, and egg boilers can make breakfast eggs. These small appliances can make you reach your destination faster and more efficiently and improve the energy balance in the kitchen.
Is it necessary to preheat the oven? Energy-saving professionals are happy to give up the energy-consuming process-and. The baking effect is equally good.
Open the oven door only in case of emergency, and keep as much heat in the oven as possible.
Energy-saving – range hood
Is it circulating air or exhaust air? It is generally recommended to use a convection system with a convection cover to save energy. Because the extracted air is cleaned in the grease and activated carbon filter and then returned to the indoor air, there is no heat and energy loss. Unlike exhaust gas, warm indoor air is transported outdoors and cooking fumes, especially in winter. Therefore, it is better to use a circulating air system for passive or low-energy houses.
- New exhaust solutions and matching range hoods offer innovations such as optimized air ducts and more efficient, better-insulated wall boxes that significantly improve exhaust performance!
- The range hood should only run when necessary. After cooking, turn off the appliance as soon as possible!
- Depending on how much cooking is required and the amount of smog produced, it is sometimes preferable to ventilate the kitchen for a short period than to use the extractor hood.
- Regular replacement or cleaning of the filter improves the range hood’s performance – the environment and your wallet will be happy about the additional energy savings!
Optimal storage – for the sake of the environment
So-called dry storage cabinets can contribute to the optimal use of storage space.
It makes sense to store dry and pickled food and cans in a concentrated place rather than scattered across many cabinets.
When equipping the cabinet and removing the provisions, it is most convenient to work with drawers and pull-outs, as this way, the contents are transported to the outside, and you don’t have to dive into the shallows of the cabinet.
Interior pull-outs are a good idea for ideal storage space utilization. Whether in a tall cabinet or base cabinet – a kitchen cabinet with internal pull-outs guarantees convenient use and a well-organized area for lots of food.
- More about storage space planning and functionality in the kitchen cabinet
- More about the common cabinet types for kitchen planning
- More about Green-Line – the new generation of kitchen cabinets
Waste classification and recycling – please with a system
Intelligent warehousing and planned shopping can help generate less waste from the beginning. However, the leftovers produced subsequently are expected to be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner or, at best, recycled. No problem with these green tips for waste sorting and recycling!
Every ton of recycled plastic saves one ton of carbon dioxide compared to plastic made from petroleum!
Correct waste classification: an overview
High-quality recycled materials can only be obtained from strictly separated household waste. It is essential to separate waste at home and keep recyclable materials’ pollution ” to a minimum. Ideally, household waste management should consist of:
- Yellow bin, yellow sack, or recycling bin
- waste glass collection
- waste paper collection
- Bio-waste bin
- residual waste
Most municipalities provide public collection points for particular waste that contains problematic or hazardous substances!
Systematic waste classification: thanks to clever kitchen planning
Trash bins are more hidden in the kitchen, but a high-quality waste system can make the daily waste separation more convenient. A well-sorted waste collector has considered the most important groups of substances-residual waste, plastic, and organic waste-plus. You only need a collection container to recycle paper. If sorting is made easy for you, it has been proven that you like it!
The most commonly used variant in kitchen cabinet planning is the waste system in the base cabinet. They are usually integrated into cabinets under sinks or elsewhere under worktops. Built-in waste collectors are available in various sizes and sections and allow the rubbish to disappear behind the front with a pull-out. Systems without extensions are also available; The ingenious helper is hidden behind a door and is at best swung out or pulled out directly when opened. Anyway: Waste classifiers are both space-saving and cautious! The lid and sealing system also keep the odors under the roof.
The product line now includes different combinations of multifunctional solutions for all conceivable base cabinet types and dimensions. Modern built-in garbage systems use every centimeter of space, even in diagonal or corner cabinets, and give your kitchen environmental protection even more space!
