Save Money – Turn Off The Oven

The other day I came upon an energy conservation tip that I had not heard before: turn off the oven a few minutes before the full cooking time has elapsed, using the time it takes to cool down the oven to complete the cooking cycle.

It makes sense. Just because I turn off the oven does not mean that it stops cooking or becomes cold immediately. In fact, with the higher insulation characteristics of many ‘newer’ ovens, they stay not only warm, but hot for several minutes after being turned off.

As an added benefit I have been told by those that would know better than I, that food cooks better if it is allowed to more gently go from the heat of the oven to the relative cold of the kitchen. Supposedly, this ‘rest period’ is particularly important for poultry and beef…or so I am told…

Now, turning the oven off five minutes early is not going to slash your energy bills in half, but if done consistently and habitually, it will result in at least a slight savings.