Top 10 energy saving tips when baking

Here are our top ten energy saving tips when baking:
Bake multiple items at once – If you’re using the oven, try to bake several items at the same time. Using the heat for more than one recipe reduces energy wasted from preheating multiple times. 


Use the right-sized oven or appliance – Smaller ovens, or air fryers use less energy than a full-sized oven for small batches. Choosing the right appliance for the portion you’re baking saves energy. Check out our top tips for alternative cooking methods here - (Add in link when live) 


Preheat only when necessary – Some baked goods, like quick breads or muffins, can be placed in a cold oven and then baked as the oven heats, reducing energy use. For other recipes, preheating just before putting the food in can save electricity. Sometimes recipes call to put the oven on even when it is not necessary, so when preheating is required, make sure you pop it on only 5-10 minutes before your bakes are going into the oven. 


Keep the oven door closed – Every time the oven door is opened, heat escapes, and the oven has to work harder to regain the temperature. Use the window to check on your baking whenever possible to reduce the number of times you have to open it.


Batch mixing and preparation – Prepare doughs, batters, or mixes for multiple recipes at once. This reduces appliance use, like mixers and blenders, and streamlines your baking process. If you need to make a vanilla sponge and a chocolate sponge, simply make the mix together, take out what you need for the vanilla sponge, and add in cocoa powder and milk to the other sponge. This means one batch of mixing and preparation, and it can all go in the oven together. 


Cook with residual heat – Turn the oven off a few minutes before the baking time ends and let the residual heat finish cooking items like cookies, biscuits, and Brownies. Brownies cook better at the end with the residual heat and allows for a gooey centre and prevents over cooking.  


Use smaller pans when possible – Smaller or shallower pans need less energy to heat and also cook more food evenly, plus they take less water to wash up! 


Plan recipes that require similar temperatures – If you need to bake a number of items at once, then try to find recipes that need the same oven temperature so you can bake them at the same time avoids reheating or changing settings.


 Opt for no-bake recipes when possible – These recipes use a lot less energy, look for no-bake cookies, flapjacks or fridge cakes are delicious and completely eliminate the energy cost of an oven or air fryer.


Keeping a clean oven- When an oven is dirty it needs lots more energy to heat up as it also needs to heat up the dirt around it - keeping a clean oven helps heat to circulate quicker and is a great way to keep energy costs down.  

Small changes like using residual heat, baking multiple items together, or choosing the right appliance can add up to significant energy savings over time, making your baking more sustainable and environmentally friendly.