Simmer or Nuke?

When it comes to left-over’s, you may wonder if it’s more energy efficient to simmer them on your stovetop or nuke them in the microwave.  According to the EPA, a microwave is more efficient for reheating food items than a stovetop because it uses 80 per cent less energy to warm up relatively small amounts.Although the microwave uses more electricity, it’s usually a short burst of energy.  At present utility rates, to reheat left-over’s on the stove would cost about three times as much as microwaving.  You can increase the efficiency of your stove by matching the size of the pan to the correct burner.  And cutting energy costs is always a good idea.  Although cooking only accounts for about three per cent of US greenhouse gas emissions from residences, per capita, we now consume six times as much electricity and twice as much natural gas as we did in 1950.