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The toasty kitchen that seemed so inviting when winter frosted the windows can quickly become a blast furnace in Waterloo Region’s summer. The good news is that many of the methods of keeping a kitchen cool in warm weather are also energy savers that benefit the environment too. Sometimes you really can get a double bonus.

Energy saving small appliances such as electric skillets, slo-cookers, and toaster ovens can be used to make entr�es rather than heating up your large stove or oven.

Microwave ovens and pressure cookers will cook food quickly, using a reduced amount of energy and conserving considerable time as well. Use them in place of your full-size oven.

Foods cook more quickly when they are cut into smaller pieces. Less cooking time translates to less energy use and a more comfortable kitchen.

Foods will cook in less time and more efficiently if you put lids on the pots and you choose the right burner size.

The kitchen will remain cooler if you preheat the oven only when the recipe calls for it.

Cooking an extra item in your oven simultaneously reduces the energy used when heating separately.

Opening the oven door unnecessarily can cause the cooking temperature to fall by 50F (25C) or more. It is better to look through the oven window.

Run the dishwasher only when you have a full load and let the contents air-dry without running the final heat cycle.