[Stoves] Insulated pots -- retained heat cooking

[Tom Miles]

AGA http://www.aga-ranges.com/

 

Some energy requirements for baking (US):


 

Temperature
(degrees F)

Time

Energy Used

Cost


Electric oven

350

1 hr.

2.0 kWh

$0.20


Gas oven, electric ignition

350

1 hr.

0.112 therm
+0.35 kWh

$0.18


Gas oven, pilot

350

1 hr.

0.112 therm

$0.15


Electric oven, convection

325

45 min.

1.39 kWh

$0.14


Toaster oven

425

50 min.

0.95 kWh

$0.10


Crockpot

200

7 hours

0.70 kWh

$0.07


Microwave oven

High

15 minutes

0.36 kWh

$0.04


Assumes $0.10/kWh for electricity and $1.30/therm for gas

 

 

 

 

http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/cooking.html

 

-----Original Message-----
From: stoves-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:stoves-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Harmon Seaver
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 8:28 PM
To: Discussion of biomass cooking stoves
Subject: Re: [Stoves] Insulated pots -- retained heat cooking

 

Crispin Pemberton-Pigott wrote:

> Dear Edward

> 

>> It would seem a crock pot of such design

>> with embedded electrical element could

>> with potentially surprisingly low energy

>> rate of usage achieve boiling points and

>> automatically switch on or off as desired

>> and maintain temperatures as desired for

>> prolonged cooking effect.

> 

> Well that is a very good description of an efficient cooker.  An electric

> kettle, a coal stove for space heating and an electric frying pan with a

> cover on are all really efficient.  Water heaters are very good.

> 

> Something that is worth considering is how the electricity is produced.
If

> the efficiency of the power generation is 35% from coal, the transmission

> efficiency is 75%, and the distribution efficiency 90%, you can see that
the

> nest improvement is to use local heat sources for heat applications - like

> cooking.

> 

> I have been wondering about the total pollution from a really modern coal

> plant compared with the total pollution from a well made small stove - for

> cooking.

> 

> If you use an electric stove with an efficiency of 50%, only 12% of the

> coal's heat reaches the water in the pot.  No better than an open fire.
For

> space heating, a local fire is far better than an electric heater!
Perhaps

> it is 7 times more efficient.

> 

 

   But there is a bit more to desirable cooking than just straight

energy efficiency. The electric cooking range is an abomination for real

cooks. The gas range -- whether natural gas or propane -- is so very

much better (in terms of cooking good food) but neither can compare to

cooking on an old wood cookstove. And the difference is fairly simply

explained -- it's all a matter of heat control, of which the electric

stove has very little, the gas stove almost infinite, but confined to a

very small area, and the old wood range with its large top with

fantastically varied temperature ranges depending upon where you put the

pot or pan.

   And yes, I realize, that this may or may not apply to 3rd world

conditions, but it still needs consideration. An electric range fed by a

local nuke plant might well be cheap to operate, but (with the exception

of perhaps the later versions of the AGA cooking range) no real cook

would be happy with it. And how many can afford an AGA anyway? $10,000

for a stove? And, as we all have seen over and over, even cooks in the

3rd world will reject the "efficient" stove if it won't cook food the

way they like it.

   And both my wife and myself most heartily agree -- first off, the

stove must cook well -- we cook with a wood range because it cooks the

best, not because it is the cheapest to operate. And it's not the most

convenient, but the food comes out the best, given dry wood and a good

cook. Frankly, neither of us would use an electric stove even if it and

the power were free. Well, maybe an AGA, but ... even then, I'd very

quickly convert the AGA to gas, if possible.

 

 

-- 

Harmon Seaver

 

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