Eco-Friendly Kitchen Appliances

Although many of us want to do our part to help the environment, for those who live in apartments and cities there may be fewer ways to help our planet and reduce utility bills. One particular way to contribute could be to purchase eco-friendly kitchen appliances which run much more efficiently than the standard appliances-many of which we may have had in our kitchens for a very long time. Energy efficient kitchen appliances can reduce your future energy bills by up to fifty percent, and are also made from recycled and sustainable materials which give the planet less of a hit. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that many of the top eco-friendly kitchen appliances are affordable, easy to find, and stylish to boot.

Where Do I Start?

Although microwaves already use less energy than conventional ovens, you can cut that use even further with the iWavecube. The iWavecube is smaller, thus more energy efficient than its standard-sized counterparts. If you live alone or mostly use your microwave for reheating leftovers or cooking small meals, then the iWavecube could work well for you. In addition, the smaller size of this microwave can free up valuable countertop space in your kitchen. If you are really serious about saving energy, consider the hand-cranked blender by Lehman. This blender is strong enough to accomplish most all blending jobs with minimal effort on your part, and you can take it anywhere-even on a camping trip. Along the same lines is the Z-Star Manual Juicer by Tribest, with a hand crank which pushes the fruit and vegetables through the grinding plates. The Z-Star Manual juicer is made from heavy metal materials, and is solid enough to give you years and years of use. The Hourglass Coffee Maker from RT Sales makes cold coffee without the use of any electricity. You simply add coffee and water a few hours before you need the coffee, then heat it up quickly in the microwave, resulting in much less use of electricity. This is just the short list of the many, many eco-friendly appliances now on the market.

Saving the Planet One Appliance at a Time

Your kitchen should be appealing, functional and comfortable, but is it energy efficient as well. If you are not paying attention, your kitchen has the unfortunate potential of becoming the biggest energy hog room in your home. If you find you are becoming truly committed to green cooking, solar ovens can offer a fun alternative to conventional gas or electric ovens. Many foods are able to be safely and properly heated using only sunlight. You can either buy a ready-made solar oven, or actually build one on your own. While we all know it is a good idea to recycle, sometimes it just isn't convenient-after all, nobody wants to lug bulky bags full of aluminum cans out to the recycling bin, especially in the cold months. An aluminum can crusher can substantially reduce the space required for recycling aluminum, making it easier to accomplish. If you want to get real time information on your home's overall energy use, try the Owl electricity monitor-it will give you real-time information every time a light or appliance is turned on in your home as well as telling you overall how much electricity you use, how much it costs you and how much CO2 your home is emitting. For a totally fun item, consider a water-powered clock, which uses a combination of water and salt to display the time!!

Every single change you make in your choice of kitchen appliances, contributes to saving our planet, even if it is in a small way. Just remember-all those small choices add up to big changes.