Eco Kitchen

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Safe Cooking Pots for Your Health and the Planet

November 17, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink by Jennifer | No comments

Perfluorooctanoic acid PFOA is a big bad used in many cooking pots. PFOA is a chemical used during the manufacturing process when making traditional non-stick pans; or their coating I should say. PFOA can cause harm to the environment and also cause harm to the people making these pots.

eco-friendly pots

Scanpan makes safer pots. With a still non-stick surface made with ceramic-titanium technology and these pots and pans require little to no fat for stick-free cooking. Plus pots and pans have a cooking surface that stands up to metal utensils and still allows for browning, searing and deglazing. All Scanpan cookware is oven safe to 500°F (ceramic coatings can take more heat safely than traditional non-stick coatings) and cleans up easily in the dishwasher.

Plus these pots and pans look great and have ergonomic hollow handles which are more lightweight and stay cooler while cooking along with see-through lids.

Available at Sur la table.

Save energy with a toaster oven

October 2, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Save Energy by Jennifer | 1 comment

Say the word toaster oven and most people think of those old burning hot machines sitting on top of grandma’s counter when they were a kid (or is that only me?). In any case, a new toaster oven is a great way to save energy in the kitchen.

Black & Decker Toaster Oven

The newer toaster oven models are not the machines of the past either. New toaster ovens have all sorts of settings, come in various sizes (some even fit whole pizzas!), and overall are more eco-friendly than oven cooking because they use less energy, have shorter preheating times, and keeps your home cooler in the summer than a traditional heat ridden oven. Newer toaster ovens even look better than the ones from years past so you won’t feel the need to cover it up when guests come over.

Note if you only want one other appliance – i.e. an energy saving microwave or a toaster oven check out Treehugger’s guide to which is the better and greener choice for your needs.

Save energy with a pressure cooker

September 13, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink, Furniture & Appliances by Jennifer | 2 comments

There are all sorts of ways to save energy in the kitchen – but cooking with a pressure cooker is one of the best. Using a pressure cooker is a green kitchen move that not only saves energy, but allows you to creatively use leftovers and minimize food waste, and bonus – you’ll save money.


5 Qt Pressure Cooker

Using a pressure cookers can cut up 60-70% of your energy costs, which isn’t bad when you consider that overall, cooking typically makes up about 10% of your home’s energy use. You can’t use a pressure cooker for every single dish you make but they’re totally appropriate for tons of food items such as rice and other grains, soup, potatoes, beans, pasta, meat, and more.

Basic pressure cookers range from 4-6 quart sizes and come in various materials – but stainless steel is your best green bet for safety and recyclable qualities. A pressure cooker works by trapping steam inside the sealed cooker which saves energy from escaping and maintains a faster heating temperature, which allows food to cook much faster than say in a traditional pot.

Pressure cookers also allow you to cook with less fat and oil and dishes retain more nutrients. Plus pressure cooking helps to retains and intensifies flavors and can even tenderize tough cuts of meat. When choosing a pressure cooker look for a heavy bottom stainless steel cooker with heat resistant handles and an easy to manage lid.

To find a pressure cooker visit:

Learn more about using a pressure cooker or find great pressure cooker recipes.

What’s in an eco-friendly pantry?

July 29, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink by Jennifer | No comments

Eco-friendly kitchen pantries have some common themes…

  • Bulk food items in reusable bulk bags and containers. Bulk food cuts down on packaging considerably and most eco grocers and co-ops have fab bulk sections with everything from spices to flour to cereal to dried fruit to pasta. In fact you can usually get natural peanut butter in bulk even at most decent co-ops.
  • Large size of stuff you use all the time. The larger the package the better the eco-deal. I.e. a huge jar of tomatoes for sauce vs. a tiny can.
  • Food items that are free from double and triple packaging. It’s totally unnecessary to buy a box of food that’s sitting in a tray, wrapped in plastic, then placed in a box.
  • No individually wrapped items. Fruit snacks, granola bars, seasoning, crackers for kids, and candy can all be found in bulk or in larger loose packaging.
  • Bottles and jars that come with safety caps that pop – much better than shrink wrapped caps.
  • Glass bottles of condiments and juice vs. plastic.
  • Local and organic food items. At least a decent bulk of your food items should be organic, bulk and in season.
  • Simple food items such as brown rice or plain noodles rice mixes and noodle mixes for instance.The former food items use more package than necessary and often contain lots of chemicals and preservatives.

What’s in your pantry – have you looked lately to see what you might be able to make greener?

Alternatives to Plastic Wrap, Wax Paper and Foil

June 4, 2009 in Eco Kitchen by Jennifer | No comments

We still use foil sometimes at my house, but we haven’t bought plastic wrap or wax paper in years. There are better, more eco-friendly options you can use to wrap with and cook with.

  • Cook directly on a pan instead of covering it with foil first. Rinse right away after cooking to cut down on the water needed to wash the pan.
  • Cover cooking food with a lid vs. foil.
  • Cover pie crusts with a Silicone Pie Crust Shield or a lightweight shield instead of foil.

  • Store food in eco-friendly food containers, reusable snack bags and food baggies, or reusable food wraps (as shown above).
  • If you must buy foil, buy 100% recycled foil. It’s not perfect but it takes less energy to make than traditional. Still make sure you use it more than once when possible and then recycle it when you’re done.
  • When rolling out sticky cookie dough, use a silicone cookie sheet vs. wax paper. In fact, a silicone sheet can be used for all the things you’d use wax paper for.

With the options above it’s possible to get all the non-reusable food wrapping items out of your home for good. What other alternatives can you think of?

Minimize food waste

April 6, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink by Jennifer | No comments

Minimizing food waste is important if you want to live a greener lifestyle. Why?

  • It creates a general awareness surrounding waste. People waste a lot of items in life and often that means more junk to toss and more resources used when you don’t need to. Minimizing food waste is an easy change to make.
  • It means money saved which means you can afford the organics you should be buying.
  • Minimizing food waste means less packaging bought – a good thing since so much of the current food packaging you see is layered and excessive. Even if you can recycle, it’s still kind of over the top.

HOW TO MINIMIZE YOUR FOOD & FOOD PACKAGING WASTE:

Use it up: for example, most leftovers can be used to make homemade ice pops (use sustainable reusable molds), used in soups, used in baked goods, and more. Think up new ways to use all your food up before it goes bad.

Only buy recyclables: if you can’t recycle the package, just say no. Buy in bulk using reusable bags and containers to minimize your waste further.

Share it or freeze it: if you get a great deal, but the amount of the deal is large, split it with another family or freeze the excess. Don’t forget to use sustainable food storage.

Compost it: you can make food that’s old do double duty with composting. Turn your old food into healthy soil.

Quit cooking for a crowd: if you know that your family (or just you) has a bad habit of cooking too much and then forgetting the leftovers, stop. Cook what you need, not more.

Give it away: if you cook for an event or a large family dinner, and can’t eat it all, donate it to an elderly neighbor, a shelter, or another organization.

Grow some food: growing your own is a great way to cut down on food waste because one, fresh grown food taste way better, thus enticing you to munch them down. Two, you’ve stopped the packaging and transport issues cold when you grow your own. Organic gardens are highly sustainable.

What other tips do you have for cutting down on food waste?

Eco Kitchen and Dining Tools

March 24, 2009 in Eco Kitchen by Jennifer | No comments

If you’re looking for smarter, green kitchenware and dining items, look no more. Here’s a nice line-up of some great eco kitchen and dining items that are beautiful, green, and of course handy for all your cooking and dining needs…

Plates With Purpose series: Lovely, handcrafted, recycled glass tableware that supports the environment and various non-profit and community programs. I love these plates! They’re so pretty. Plus you could mix and match the neat designs.
Read the rest of this entry »

Are Natural Wood Cutting Boards Safe?

March 10, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink by Jennifer | No comments

Many people don’t want to use plastic cutting boards due to the non eco-friendly quality of plastics overall. On the flip side, many people worry about wooden cutting boards because they’re afraid of germs staying on the board. So… which is safer? Wood or plastic? And which is a more eco-friendly choice?

Germs can actually stay on both plastic or wood – the catch is in how you clean your cutting board. Studies show that if you clean your wooden cutting board properly, you can even use it safely for meat.

How to be safe:

  1. Use two cutting boards – one for produce and one for meats.
  2. After use, wash in the hottest water possible and a basic natural soap (say like an eco-friendly dish soap). Dry with a clean towel.
  3. Never leave your board sitting around wet – dry it as well as you can as dampness aids in bacteria growth.

As for the eco-friendly qualities, wood is a better choice. Especially if you get a sustainable wooden cutting board – such as a board made from sustainably harvested bamboo. Plastics are made from non-renewable resources, so plastic cutting boards are never going to be a better choice. That said, another great option is snagging a Paperstone Cutting Board from Preserve. These cutting boards are made with 100% recycled Forest Stewardship Council certified Paperstone and feature a knife-friendly surface with non-porous, petroleum-free coating. Plus these boards look great (see below).

To learn more read; Green Cutting Board Know-How.

How Earth Friendly is Your Backyard Barbecue?

February 20, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink, Outdoor Living by Jennifer | No comments

With spring coming up fast, you may be thinking about grilling and backyard barbecue fun. But, how green is a barbecue? If you have one are you single handily killing the planet?

Eco-issues of barbecues – how to green your cookout:

According to CNN, “The carbon footprint of backyard grilling is not that significant compared to what people do in their everyday lives. Lights, TVs, cars, these are much more significant than grilling.” Which is good news. If you love barbecues, make sure you stay green in other areas to offset the issue.

You can green your grilling experience by grilling with gas or charcoal  – both better than gas or electric. Later we’ll look at some greener grill option.

Buy organic – organic meats for sure (there are tons o’ pesticides in conventional meats), get organic brew to drink, in season seafood, and organic veggies to grill too. Also think local. Locally bought food supports the economy and offsets long transport energy issues.

Use real plates, silverware, cups, and cloth napkins. Disposables are icky for the earth and frankly, don’t hold food as well. IF you must use disposables, use items made from easy to compost and biodegradable materials (corn starch and potato starch or 100% recycled for example.)

Don’t use toxins to fight bugs at your cookouts. DEET, the main component in most bug repellents is bad for your health and the earth. Use natural options.

Next up some other green barbecue tips to get you prepped for spring – from grills to organic recipes and more.

Cloth Napkin Pros – Green Home Reusable Cloth Napkins

February 19, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | No comments

This week we’re taking a look at cloth napkins. So far we’ve discussed basics of why you need to use cloth napkins, and looked at some places where you can get some for your home.

Now for some pros:

  • Cloth napkins feel better and work better than paper napkins.
  • Cloth napkins are very cost efficient. Even if you buy a super nice set, cloth napkins will still save you money over paper napkins.
  • Cloth napkins are much healthier for the earth than paper napkins or paper towels. Paper napkins not only create waste because they’re made with paper, but they also come in wasteful packaging, take gas to ship, and are extremely hard to recycle.
  • Cloth napkins last forever and serve other purposes. While paper napkins are a use and toss product, cloth napkins can be used to death, then switched over to cleaning rags. I still have good cloth napkins from over five years ago. My now scrappy and unusable napkins are used for dusting and cleaning. Pretty soon they’re going to biodegrade right at my house they’re used so much.
  • Cloth napkins are NOT that much more work. To keep them looking good throw them in a wash when you do a load of cold delicate items. If you don’t care if they lose a little color, toss them in with any load of laundry.
  • Cloth napkins, contrary to popular belief are still better for the environment than paper, even though it takes water and energy to wash them. Cloth napkins are so small – even if you have a big family, cloth napkins will only run you about one load of wash per week. If you wash on cold, hang dry, and use eco-friendly laundry soap, they just don’t add up to the same eco-badness as paper napkins.

Are you still using paper napkins?

Where in the heck can you find cloth napkins?

February 18, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | 3 comments

In the last post I had myself a little rant about how My family (and maybe your family) are killing trees in one fast swoop. I.E the cloth napkin vs. paper napkin rant. In any case, there are loads of cloth napkins on the market. AND they’re at all price ranges. There is no reason ever to use paper.

Where are all the cloth napkins…

  • Thrift stores.
  • Department stores.
  • Trendy eco-stores.
  • Antique sales.
  • Ask for them on your wedding (or other) registry.
  • Make some.

Some options… Read the rest of this entry »

Are Microwaves Eco-friendly?

February 11, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Save Energy by Jennifer | 1 comment

Microwaves can be eco-friendly; if you use them properly.

Eco-perks:

  • Cook faster than the oven or stove (in most cases). Thus saves energy.
  • Uses less energy overall than an oven or stove (if you’re cooking for the same amount of time).
  • Microwaves are recyclable.
  • Microwaves are not emitting toxic heat waves into your kitchen and home. Although, in the past, microwaves have been followed around by rumors of radiation attacks, this is no longer an issue. The FDA currently continually runs tests on microwave brands and also notes that as of right now, none on the market are a problem. I do always like a little grain of salt with my FDA, but overall new microwaves are safe. (see below).

Eco-cons:

  • If you microwave plastic containers bad chemicals can be released into your kitchen. You can avoid this by using good eco-friendly food containers vs. plastic.
  • Can zap nutrients if you cook food too long. This is not exactly an eco-problem, but if you pay for organic veggies, why zap them to death? Make sure you cook for short time periods.
  • Most people leave their microwaves plugged in because of the handy clock. Unplug your microwave when its not in use for maximum energy savings.
  • Older microwaves can be a hazard. Not only have older models been shown to leak radiation, but they’re not as energy efficient as newer models. It’s not worth the $5 you’ll save to buy an old one – just go new.

Home Stove and Oven Energy Savings

January 8, 2009 in Eco Kitchen by Jennifer | 1 comment

These pots above could use some lids to save energy!

If you’re looking to save energy at home, taking steps in the kitchen is smart, especially when it comes to your stove and oven use.

Some handy energy saving tips:

Keep it clean. Dirt and grime can interfere with proper cooking time and energy use. Clean inside your oven, the stove top reflector pans (or glass), and the fan regularly.

Quit peeking. Looking inside the oven won’t make that cake rise any faster. It will waste energy though each time you open the door. Use the light instead and look in the oven window.

Use pots and pans that fit the burner size. The worst energy waste here is a tiny pot on a big burner.

Consider an alternative. Both toaster ovens and microwaves use less energy than your oven. Can you use one of these options instead?

Turn it off early. You can easily turn your oven off about ten minutes early, and still have your food cook through. Just leave your dish inside the oven with the door closed for the last ten minutes. You can also do this with some stove top foods, like pasta. Allow the water to boil, but turn off the burner before your noodles are all the way cooked. Place a lid on the pot to keep heat inside.

Thaw before cooking. Thaw foods in the fridge before you cook them. Frozen foods take longer than thawed to cook.

Check your oven door seal. A broken or loose seal allows heat to escape. Dirt can also affect how your oven door seal works, so keep it clean as well.

Preheating is a waste. Most food items don’t really need to be put in a preheated oven. Some baked goods do, sure, but not stuff like frozen tator tots for the kiddos.

Green Food Storage Options

December 29, 2008 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink by Jennifer | No comments

This morning we looked at what kind of food storage is the best green choice. Now, as promised, I’ve rounded up some green food storage options for you.

To-Go Ware Food Tin
Read the rest of this entry »

Green Kitchen: Eco-Friendly Food Storage Containers

December 29, 2008 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink by Jennifer | 1 comment

This week we started looking at earth friendly kitchenware options. So far we talked about Eco-Friendly Pots and Pans and Eco-Friendly Basic Dishes. Today we’re going to take a peek at what makes a food container eco-friendly.

Food storage containers are fairly green in of themselves because they massively cut down on things like foil and plastic wrap use. Food storage containers; even super cheap, not so cool containers tend to last a long time. That said, there are some greener options than the traditional old school plastic containers most of us grew up with.

Of course you want to avoid containers made of PVC (3), polycarbonate (7), or polystyrene (6). It’s nice when you have a recyclable food container you know. Not to mention you don’t want chemicals leaching into your food. For example, plastic #7 has been shown to leach Bisphenol A (BPA), which in turn has been shown to disrupt hormones. Plastics made from petroleum and natural gas release their chemicals when overheated or melted; which can accidentally happen in a microwave. There are far better choices than plastic anyhow. If you do decide to go with some plastic containers, choose ones with the recycling symbols 1, 2, 4, or 5 and avoid heating them in the microwave (NEVER in the oven).

Best food storage options:

Glass and stainless steel are good food container choices. If you’re going to microwave an item make sure you use glass or lead-free microwave safe ceramic containers. If your glass container comes with a plastic lid, don’t microwave food with the lid on.

Later I’ll post some good green food container choices.

Green Kitchen: Eco-Friendly Dishes

December 27, 2008 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | 3 comments

This week we’re looking at green kitchen dishes and cookware. Yesterday we learned about Eco-Friendly Pots & Pans. Today we’ll look at basic dishes – plate, bowls, etc.

Avoid lead: Toxic lead in the human body is very dangerous, and especially so to small children and babies. The FDA does regulate things like lead and cadmium levels in dishes here in the U.S. but they don’t catch everything. To avoid lead dangers in your dishes do the following:

  • When you purchase new dishes, see if there’s a registration card offered and use it to sign up for safety notices.
  • Never store food in antique dishes.
  • Avoid imported ceramic dishes.
  • If you like to purchase dishes from thrift stores, or have old dishes around your house, then learn how to test your current dishes for lead.
  • Never store liquids in lead crystal glasses or bottles
  • Pregnant women, children, and babies should not drink from lead crystal bottles or cups.

Best safe and green dishes to choose:

  • Recycled glass dishes, plain old glass dishes, stoneware, and ceramic dishes made in the U.S.
  • Buy local.
  • Buy from handcrafters and companies who have eco-ethics.
  • Bamboo dishes.
  • Sustainable wood dishes with non-toxic finishes.
  • Stainless steel dishes – extra points for recycled.
  • If you MUST use disposable dishes, choose recycled and biodegradable disposable dishes.

Green Kitchen: Eco-Friendly Pots and Pans

December 26, 2008 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | 3 comments

This week we’re going to spend some time looking at better green cookware and dishes for your home. Overall, almost all dishes and cookware take a lot of time and energy to process, and many have toxic services. That said, there are some far better green choices when it comes to outfitting your kitchen and dining room.

Tips for greener pots and pans…

Avoid pots and pans made with perfluorochemical (PFCs): You’ll know PFCs as “nonstick.” PFCs is a collection of substances that among other things, keeps food from sticking to pots and pans. PFCs are used in everything from apparel to furniture to cosmetics, but we’re focusing on dishes today and in fact, PFCs may be worse in dishes than other applications because there are many health hazards of having PFCs in your body, and PFCs last forever both in our bodies and they won’t degrade in the environment. You don’t want to cook on and eat off this stuff.

Visit the Environmental Working Group to find out which cookware contains PFCs. Common brands containing PFCs (in specific pieces), include Farberware, Emerilware, Calphalon, All Clad, and more.

Better green pots and pans: The best choices of cookware include pieces made of recycled (or even not recycled) glass bake ware, cast iron, and stainless steel.

The worst pots and pans: Non-stick pots and pans such as anything with Teflon.

What if you already own non-stick cookware?: The best thing to do is upgrade to non-toxic cookware, however, if you hang on to your non-stick pieces, be sure that you don’t heat them to above 450 F and toss them if the non-stick coating starts to peel or shed off.

Later we’ll look at tips for greener flatware, dining dishes, and food containers plus see some green options you can purchase as well, so stay tuned.