Right now, sustainability is an option, however, in the near future, it is bound to become a compulsion. Therefore, it is necessary that we adapt ourselves to eco-friendly ways of living life. In this one of the easiest things we can do is, we can go green in our kitchen. Apart from using the kitchen’s organic waste and following eco-friendly cooking methods, we should also make sure that we use only sustainable cooking tools. Borough Furnace’s Skilletron is one such range of such cooking tools. Therefore, opting for it is surely one eco-friendly decision.
Borough Furnace’s Skilletron
Borough Furnace, a two-person design and prototyping studio, has mastered the art of designing and producing eco-friendly cookware over the years. The creatives utilize cast iron and recycled materials to put forth their kitchen appliances, which they call Skilletron. Just recently, at the New York International Gift, the team was accredited for creating a 9.5″ frying skillet and a 11.5″ braising skillet utilizing a sustainable production process.
Entirely made from recycled steel dairy sand and 500 pounds of hand mixed sand and clay, the products help you to add some green to your kitchen.
Via: igreenspot
10 – More ways to go green with your kitchen
Adding Borough Furnace’s Skilletron to your kitchen is a great start. However, if you are truly eco-friendly, then it surely isn’t an end. Just a green meal doesn’t make you Eco-friendly. Probably the most ideal and the best way to make the kitchen Eco-friendly is by adopting energy efficient food preparation methods, sustainable equipment, zero toxic chemicals, and most importantly proper cleaning. Therefore, here are a few very simple suggestions to make your kitchen green.
1. Materials used:
Choice of an appropriate cooking material is very much necessary. Though it is not very cheap, its good to use stainless steel. Similarly, low quality wooden or plastic utensils are strictly prohibited because wood can rot and plastic melts in high flames.
2. Energy matters:
One should look for energy-efficient models like Skilletron or replace old appliances which are basically energy hogs. There is a permanent fight between gas and electric burners. Both have a few advantages, like controlling temperature is easier in gas, whereas electric stove is the more energy efficient. However, in the electric inductions, the coil material is very sensitive which gets energized very quickly and transfers electromagnetic energy, whereas gas stove takes much more time to transfer the heat and get cooled.
However, we can’t use all the metal cookware like cast iron, stainless steel, glass pots, etc on the induction oven. This is the main drawback of an electric stove. Another option is ceramic glass surface made of halogen elements which respond very sensitively to changing temperatures. However, the drawback with this material is that there is wastage of energy when the contact between the pan and hot glass surface is not good.
3. Right appliances:
Appropriate appliances like Skilletron increase the beauty of your kitchen and make it healthy. Meanwhile, it should be taken care of that they are easy to clean, consume less amount of water, do not contain hazardous chemicals or materials, and of course, their energy star rating is good. However, ater a certain time, we all need to change our old appliances as they consume lots of energy. As an example, after 10-12 years a refrigerator starts consuming almost 3 times of energy than when it was new. Maintenance of the appliances is very important for efficient utilization.
4. Energy efficient cooking:
Preheating should be done before roasting or baking. It is good to use a toaster oven for small dishes or microwave for reheating, which saves energy. We should also take care of the size of pots being used and the size of the burner of the stove. For example, a 6-inch pot used on an 8-inch burner wastes 40 percent of energy. Fitting lids of pots also reduces the energy wastage. Use of pressure cooker consumes very less energy.
5. Make it your own:
Making food yourself is preferable instead of pre-prepared frozen foods because you can make your meal fresh and reheat or freeze it without losing its taste or quality. You can use baking soda and vinegar for washing your dishes or several things in the kitchen. Seltzer siphon and carbonator could be used to fizz drinking water and a homemade syrup is the best thing to flavor it.
6. Buy good quality food
The quality of food you purchase must be checked like other equipment. It is advised to purchase foods like fruits, vegetables, etc from your local market or directly from the farmer. The food items coming from a long distance may taste good but may not always be nutritious and hygienic. Especially the organic food gets spoiled in a very short time. As an example, off-season foods coming from a very long distance are kept in preservatives, biocides, etc which spoil the quality of food.
7. Have a lot:
If you can consume the things you are purchasing, then whatever you will do – buy or cook – do it in a bulk. It will save your time, fewer visits to the store, more efficient use of appliances, and of course the financial savings. As an example, a bulk amount of towels purchased for cleaning cars can be used in the kitchen; you can prepare soups to serve for two or more meals in one go and enjoy your leisure time!
8. No wastage:
Mostly a kitchen produces the maximum amount of domestic waste. To prevent this, you need to inculcate some eco-friendly habits like using recyclable bags and carrying your own every time you visit the market to avoid waste generated through packaging. Do not cook excess food, which you cannot consume and have to throw away, recycle all the possible things like, bottles, bags, glass jars, etc. Uncooked organic waste can be used as compost in the local farms.
9. Keep it clean:
There are lots of cleaning products and varieties nowadays in the market. You can use market-based dishwashing liquids, biodegradable, non-toxic detergents, floor cleaners, etc to keep your kitchen clean. You can also make your own cleaning products like using baking soda, vinegar, etc.
10. Recycling and Remodeling:
Recycling and remodeling are the most important green tips for your kitchen. Starting from the floors to paneling, kitchen fittings or utensils – you need to choose them wisely such that they are recyclable.