Amidst the Iran-Israel war, half of the world is under the LPG crisis. While there is an urge to shift to induction, there are some clever hacks that can help you save a lot on your gas bills without the need to shift to electric options. Scroll down to learn about the daily habits that you can practice to keep your gas bills at bay.
Also read | LPG crisis: Check city-wise cooking gas prices as supply concerns take over India
Pressure cooking
Pressure cookers are one of the most underrated cooking practices that save a lot of time and money. According to research by Science Direct, it reduces cooking time by 30-70%, especially for pulses, potatoes, and beans. It also enhances food safety and quality while also impacting technological properties and spoilage.
Pre-soaking
Pre-soaking ingredients like beans, pulses, and rice before cooking greatly reduces the cooking time and fuel consumption. According to the Institute of Food Science and Technology, longer germination times yielded superior results in terms of reductions in cooking time, tannin content, phytate:zinc and phytate:iron molar ratio.
Use an appropriate burner
Most often, we neglect the kind of burner we are using for cooking. Placing small vessels on a large burner wastes a lot of fuel. It’s recommended to either choose the right size of burner or pick the right vessel.
Lids on pots
Placing lids on cooking vessels is one of the best ways to prevent the wastage of fuel. Covering the vessels with lids while cooking retains heat, reduces evaporation, and ultimately saves cooking time.
Fine cuts
Chopping the vegetables finely greatly impacts the quality of cooking and saves fuel. Finely chopped ingredients help them cook faster and thus save fuel.
Using electrical appliances
While LPG is the primary source of cooking, employing electric gadgets for other purposes can save a lot of time and fuel. From boiling water to potatoes, and re-heating meals, using induction or other electrical appliances for miscellaneous purposes can save a lot of fuel.
Maintain the stove burner
The constant usage of the stove burner leads to deposition of dirt and minute particles, which significantly impacts the cooking process and also uses more gas than usual. Thus, it is important to keep cleaning every six months to ensure efficient combustion.
Residual heat
This residual heat method has been employed in Indian households for ages, but it came into notice after Vidya Balan highlighted the same in her movie Mission Mangal in one of the kitchen scenes. When the oil is heated enough, it’s advisable to switch off the flame and let the residual heat do the cooking. This way, one can save a lot of fuel.
