It may be time for you to give your whole kitchen a renovation and that means a chance to replace many of the appliances with newer more efficient versions. Of course, there is no point throwing away perfectly good equipment but if any of it has come to the end of its life or is no longer practical to use then you will want to replace it with eco-friendly versions.
You may not want to put a whole brand new kitchen in, just replace one or two appliances. In which case, the list below may help.
Page Contents
Why make your kitchen more eco-friendly?
Firstly, and most obviously, making changes can help the environment around you. It can also affect the long term health of you and your family if you reduce the number of chemicals you come into contact with. Lastly, there is the bonus that you will very likely save money over time. This is usually in the form of utility bills but sometimes it is because modern, environmentally friendly products last longer as you will see below. By fitting a modern fitted kitchen that is environmentally friendly you may even add value to your house.
1. Eco-friendly toasters
Source: pexels.com
When thinking of how you can modernize and upgrade the kitchen many changes can be made with small appliances. If you use a toaster regularly then it makes sense that you have an eco-friendly version. Luckily there are many options. On the market today are bamboo and wood versions with no moving parts, toasters that close the top when cooking to retain heat, cook quicker and save energy. If you want a normal style cooker then look for a long-lasting one with replaceable parts, also make sure the slots are not overly big and will waste energy.
2. Choose the right rice cooker
Another smallish appliance that has eco-friendly versions. Firstly, it is important to obtain the right cooker size for your family. The next thing you need is to make sure it has a stainless steel bowl or even clay. Do not choose a Teflon one for easy cleaning as it will contain harmful chemicals. One advantage of a rice cooker is that it can cook a lot more than just that. Surprisingly, you can cook quite a few dishes in this simple cooker.
3. Invest in an Instant Pot
Source: delish.com
Cooks need useful kitchen appliances and when talking about a small product that can cook many things this is one of the best considerations. These cookers are sealed when starting the cooking process meaning that all the heat is trapped inside. Although they cook at a higher temperature than other methods they deliver the food ready to eat so quickly that they save energy. It isn’t just the financial savings or the green credentials that make this an ideal appliance for a kitchen upgrade; they cook healthy meals too.
Instant Pots cook with steam so they deliver low fat, easy to digest food full of nutrients. Packed with features, affordable, and taking up little countertop space this might be the first item on your new kitchen shop list. To help there are many recipes and loads of advice online at sites like Corriecooks and that can help you get the most out of an Instant Pot.
4. Replace hobs with an induction cooker
Traditional hobs give out a lot of heat and continue doing so until turned off. A modern induction cooker can be programmed to turn itself off but more importantly, the rings will stop heating when the utensil or pan is removed from the surface. Induction hobs are twice as energy-efficient as gas versions and about 10% more than electric ones.
5. Change how you make your coffee
Source: unsplash.com
Millions of people have to have a cup of coffee in the morning to get going but modern coffee makers are not always very eco-friendly. Avoid those single-use pod machines and look for one that lets you brew your own coffee. A French press is ideal as they will last for ages, are affordable, do not use paper filters and you can put the coffee grounds in the garden.
6. Start composting
This is a simple change but one that isn’t always practical for everyone. If you live in a condo or apartment then you might be wondering what you would use the compost for. Many services will collect your compost from you, so putting in a compost bin is one simple way to be more eco-friendly.
7. Go on-demand with your water
Source: curosoplumbing.com
If you are fitting a whole new kitchen then you might want to consider how your water is delivered. Traditional water tanks take a long time to heat water and have to be refilled and then reheated again. New tankless on-demand versions only heat the water when it is needed, saving you between $40 and $110 a year depending on whether you use electricity or gas. They also last twice as long as traditional versions so you won’t have to think about installing a new one for a couple of decades.
8. Smarter faucets
It isn’t just how you heat your water that you should consider. What about the waste from the taps too? There is a whole range of options when it comes to faucets and taps now. There are low-pressure versions, filtered ones that deliver boiling water directly from the tap, self-closing taps so there is no waste, and even programmable ones. You could save money on your water bill and help save the planet; the average family wastes nearly 200 gallons a week according to the EPA..
9. Other areas to consider
Source: pexels.com
There are so many ways you can give yourself a kitchen upgrade and improve your green credentials that there isn’t room here to fit them all in. Two of the biggest appliances you would want to look at will be your washing machine and refrigerator/freezer.
Smart fridges are not environmentally friendly but they are necessary. Look to buy a smart fridge as these can pay for themselves if you keep them for their whole lifespan. There are also eco-friendly washing machines on the market that help you to cut detergent usage by 30%.
Summary
Not everyone has the budget to rip out all their appliances and replace them and if they are working it could be argued that would be a negative thing for the environment. Small changes can be made though by using eco-friendly products such as Instant Pots and toasters. Change the lighting to LED and save energy, use a composter, and when you do get rid of your electrical appliances then look at recycling them instead of just adding them to landfill.
