Kitchen Appliances

ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF RANGES
Some cooking surfaces are more energy efficient than others. Manufacturers report
that the induction and halogen cooking systems save time and energy and the solid disk and
glass-ceramic cooking systems use more energy and take longer to heat.
Most of the energy used in a typical oven is not absorbed by the food. It is absorbed by
the oven mass, lost through the walls, or through the vent. Therefore, a smaller oven with
better and more insulation, a tight oven door seal, strong door springs, and improved latches
will save energy. In addition, combination and convection ovens reduce cooking time and
usually operate at lower temperatures than conventional ovens.
In the early 1970s, the federal government decided that some appliances were about as
energy efficient as the industry could make them, so ranges and electric dryers were exempted
from energy-guide labeling. Today, however, there has been renewed discussion of requiring
energy-guide labels on ranges because of the new developments and technologies in the
industry.

QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT RANGES
1
What finishes are used on the cooking surface and the sides of the range? How durable
are the finishes?
2
What type of cooking element is on the range?
3
How does the cooking system compare to other systems in speed of heating, heat
retention, and energy use?
4
What are the extra features and what do they do?
5
What type of venting system is used or needed?
6
What type of cookware is needed?
7
How is the oven cleaned? Self-cleaning? Continuous-cleaning? Manual-cleaning?
8
What energy-conserving and quality features are found in the oven?
9
Does the range have a combination convection-conventional, microwave-
conventional, or microwave-convection oven?