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(UK) Could ditching the oven this winter help bring your energy bill down? How the much-maligned microwave cooks food at a fraction of the price
FOR MAILONLINE ^ | 28 August 2022 | By CHRIS MATTHEWS

Posted on 08/29/2022 7:24:26 AM PDT by dennisw

Could ditching the oven this winter help bring your energy bill down? How the much-maligned microwave cooks food at a fraction of the price - with a jacket potato costing 24p less to bake

Research has suggested it is far cheaper to cook essential food in microwaves

Microwaving a jacket potato costs 24p less than baking it in a traditional oven

Cooking your food in a microwave could be a way to save on energy bills as the cost of living crisis soars in Britain's colder months.

UK energy customers are set for a tight few months, if not longer, as price caps rise.

Ofgem confirmed on Friday that there will be an 80 per cent rise in the price cap - sending the average household's yearly bill from £1,971 to £3,549 from October 1st, with further adjustments on December 31st.

Research has suggested that it is far cheaper to cook essential food in microwaves than traditionally in an oven.

Research by energy supplier Utilita found that using a microwave only costs £30 a year, while an electric cooker costs £316 for the same time period.

Meanwhile, uSwitch said it would cost you roughly 27p to cook a baked potato in the oven but just 3p in the microwave.

Microwaving broccoli costs 1p as opposed to 6p on a hob and poaching an egg is a third of the price.

Even Michelin-starred celebrity chef Tom Brown has revealed he sometimes opts to use the microwave to cook certain dishes.

'There's a lot of food that is great when done in the microwave,' Brown told The Times.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Food
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1 posted on 08/29/2022 7:24:26 AM PDT by dennisw
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To: dennisw

In my opinion, microwave ovens are only good for warming stuff up. They do not “cook” anything satisfactorily.


2 posted on 08/29/2022 7:25:50 AM PDT by fwdude (Racism is not dead, but it is on life support - kept alive by politicians….” — Thomas Sowell)
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To: fwdude

I agree. These people can kiss my butt.


3 posted on 08/29/2022 7:26:34 AM PDT by rlmorel (Nolnah's Razor: Never attribute to incompetence that which is adequately explained by malice.)
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To: rlmorel

The winter is exactly when I WANT more excess heat in the kitchen. Especially when you have old, single-paned windows like I do.


4 posted on 08/29/2022 7:28:07 AM PDT by fwdude (Racism is not dead, but it is on life support - kept alive by politicians….” — Thomas Sowell)
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To: dennisw

Jacket potato = baked potato ..... Brits seem to be huge fans of these. The comments at Daily Mail are worth reading.

Many say to microwave the jacket potato. Then crisp it up in the over for the last ten minutes. Giving it a crispy skin. Like a regular old baked potato.

Energy bills are through the roof in the UK. This is why this article was published.


5 posted on 08/29/2022 7:28:10 AM PDT by dennisw
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To: dennisw

Does this analysis take into account that the heat from the oven goes to also warm the house? Same thing like incandescent bulbs .


6 posted on 08/29/2022 7:28:37 AM PDT by nascarnation (Let's Go Brandon!)
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To: dennisw
Microwaving a jacket potato costs 24p less...

I'm gonna stick with covered with foil, and submerged in hot coals for an hour.

7 posted on 08/29/2022 7:29:00 AM PDT by C210N (Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.)
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To: dennisw
Energy bills are through the roof in the UK.

That's kind of their problem and shouldn't affect me.

8 posted on 08/29/2022 7:29:41 AM PDT by fwdude (Racism is not dead, but it is on life support - kept alive by politicians….” — Thomas Sowell)
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To: fwdude

Damn, this does piss me off. When I cook something in an oven, I do it for a purpose, to make a tasty roast with a crusty exterior, not to “save damned energy to reduce my carbon footprint”.

I don’t turn on the oven to melt butter. I don’t turn on the oven to heat a cup of water.

This makes me want to stick a un-dismantled microwave oven into their nether regions.


9 posted on 08/29/2022 7:30:28 AM PDT by rlmorel (Nolnah's Razor: Never attribute to incompetence that which is adequately explained by malice.)
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To: dennisw

Microwave is much cheaper, especially if you’re warming up the cricket patties which the government is going to mandate.


10 posted on 08/29/2022 7:31:17 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (They intend to murder us. Prep if you want to live and live like you are prepping for eternal life)
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To: fwdude

I dunno o- been coo,ing poached eggs in one, 1 minute and around 20 seconds, in bowl of water. I don’t taste any difference. It’s about the only thing though I’ve tried cooking in one, mostly use it just to warm up food.


11 posted on 08/29/2022 7:31:34 AM PDT by Bob434 (question)
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To: fwdude

“In my opinion, microwave ovens are only good for warming stuff up. They do not “cook” anything satisfactorily.”

Corn on the cob comes out well. Plus, since some of its moisture gets driven out, the flavor gets concentrated. You boil corn on the cob and you lose flavor into the water. Why steaming it is better. Dittos for lobster.


12 posted on 08/29/2022 7:31:43 AM PDT by dennisw
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To: fwdude

Exactly. You want to save money and cook your roast in a microwave (if you can even afford a roast because it is mean to slaughter a cow, and bad for the environment to boot) than be my damned guest.

What a bunch of jackasses.

Here is an idea-how about making energy more affordable?


13 posted on 08/29/2022 7:32:16 AM PDT by rlmorel (Nolnah's Razor: Never attribute to incompetence that which is adequately explained by malice.)
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To: rlmorel
I guess they never tried warming up that essential bread in the microwave.

Microwaves, even the ones with rotating platters, never cook evenly. Everything comes out at least a bit sketchy.

14 posted on 08/29/2022 7:34:39 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear (This is not a tagline.)
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To: dennisw

Of course. I use the microwave exclusively now when making corn on the cob, and it is superlative for that. Very nice.

I wet it down, roll it in saran wrap, and microwave for two minutes.

But I don’t do it in the oven. I use a microwave for what it is good for, and it is a great thing. But it is NO replacement for an oven.


15 posted on 08/29/2022 7:34:49 AM PDT by rlmorel (Nolnah's Razor: Never attribute to incompetence that which is adequately explained by malice.)
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To: dennisw

Spam..Spam..Spam...Spam...Spam!!!


16 posted on 08/29/2022 7:34:54 AM PDT by Don Corleone (leave the gun, take the canolis)
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To: fwdude

Agree. For those of us who love to cook & bake; an oven is a must.


17 posted on 08/29/2022 7:36:19 AM PDT by leaning conservative (snow coming, school cancelled, yayyyyyyyyy!!!!!!)
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To: who_would_fardels_bear

I use the microwave to rejuvenate bread that is a little past its date. About 10 sec. Not enough to make it very warm, but it changes the texture and makes it more palatable.


18 posted on 08/29/2022 7:36:31 AM PDT by rlmorel (Nolnah's Razor: Never attribute to incompetence that which is adequately explained by malice.)
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To: fwdude

“In my opinion, microwave ovens are only good for warming stuff up. They do not “cook” anything satisfactorily.”

100% correct ... great for thawing out too, though that’s a form of “warming up” ...


19 posted on 08/29/2022 7:37:02 AM PDT by catnipman (In a post-covid world, ALL "science" is now political science: stolen elections have consequences)
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To: Don Corleone

LOL. I was mouthing just that line over the weekend...:)

“Wonderful Spaaaaaaaam!”


20 posted on 08/29/2022 7:37:15 AM PDT by rlmorel (Nolnah's Razor: Never attribute to incompetence that which is adequately explained by malice.)
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