Induction Cooktop
Normally an electric burner works by using electricity to heat a burner which in turn heats your pot which finally heats your food. All the heat that is left over in the pot and the burner is wasted.
An induction cooktop works by using electrical induction to heat the pot directly. It uses less energy because it doesn't need to heat a burner. It only works with pots made out of magnetic materials like stainless steel or iron.
An entire stove with an induction cooktop can be expensive. One thing you can do to try it out is to just buy an individual burner. The Sunpentown Standalone is a cheaper option to try it out.
The bonus for induction cooktops is they are safer and easier to clean than electric or gas burners.
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Solar Cooker
A solar cooker is a surprisingly effective way to cook a meal. It works like a crockpot by trapping sunlight in a black box with a transparent cover. On a sunny day the temperature will get into the 250 degree range.
Show up early to a barbeque with a solar cooker. Set it up, kick back with a nice drink and wait for your friends to show up. They'll laugh at first, but will be amazed at how delicious the food is when complete.
You can make a solar cooker pretty easily out of boxes. You can also buy a solar cooker from the Solar Oven Society, and they will use the profits for a good cause. There is also a design for a cooker that works like a radar, focusing sunlight into a central location to create a grill. Haven't tried that one yet.
Sport Solar Oven (solarovens.org)
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Microwave
A microwave is a very energy efficient way to heat food. An electric heater heats the burner, the pot, and the food. An inductive heater heats the pot and the food. A microwave just heats the food, so there is very little waste.
Not a very sexy approach, but certainly an important way to save energy.
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