Cooking rice: save some energy

[BailOut]

I can't believe I never noticed this before but tonight I realized that different types of rice require different cooking times. For example, long grain brown rice takes 35-40 minutes to cook while basmati white rice only takes 20 minutes. In our case both are organic products so no pre-processing has taken place which might skew the cooking times.

Simmering a pot of liquid on a stove burner requires a large handful of energy, and halving the cooking time nearly halves that energy requirement.

One may think, "This won't make a big difference.", but it certainly does. The month we started cooking at home more and making enough to have leftovers for lunches and such our combined power bill went up by $40. Almost all of that was on the stove top as we baked little at that time.

Let's also remember that Natural Gas, like oil, is a finite resource so conservation is essential.

[warthog1984]

Also, as far as energy requirements go, microwave~NG. Electric stovetops=$$$.

[xcel]

Hi Brian:

___In the winter, could it not be said that the stove top also heats the home as a secondary benefit? A burning gas from the stovetop is heat released entirely into the kitchen vs. a gas furnace with its less than 100% efficiency?

___In the summer, the short cook time rice sounds like the exact ticket and yet another one of your own “thinking outside the box” moments!

___Good Luck

___Wayne

[ILAveo]

People like me who keep a pot of water going on their woodstove all winter don't notice much energy use difference from throwing a little rice in it. I'm guessing that the net winter power costs of cooking at home are quite small once you count the benefit of the "waste" heat. That's why I mainly brew beer in the winter.

[rweatherford]

So how does the cook time vary with the actual nutritional value of the rice? Does it take less time for rice with less calories? Could you get away with less amount of one type of rice to get the same nutritional value and lower the energy use to cook.

That might keep you busy while I eat a hamburger.

[xcel]

Hi Rex:

___After the GHG Cheeseburger emissions thread today, you suck

___Good Luck

___Wayne

[friedlbug]

Originally Posted by ILAveo

That's why I mainly brew beer in the winter

You brew indoors, too? I have one of the few gas stoves I've ever seen capable of 6 gal full boils.

[tarabell]

It's not just the input, but the benefit received that counts too. Don't discount which rice may provide the greater nutrition and satisfaction. The white rice may cook faster but just give you a short term glycemic boost where the brown rice may take longer to digest, have more nutrients and fiber, and you won't get hungry again as quick.

[JimboK]

I'm with Tarabell on this one. I normally give preference to whole grain foods, including rice, bread, and pasta. If it takes longer to cook, so be it.

Wayne's point about seasonal cooking seems valid, and I do try to reduce stove-top and oven cooking in the summer.

[msirach]

Don't forget to factor times meals are prepared at home versus previous month times meals were eaten at home. Dollars spent eating out per week/month compared to total spent at home for food/energy.