Small Steps #20: Cover the Pot
Whether for oatmeal, tea, pasta, or eggs, we boil a lot of water in our kitchen. But how the water is boiled affects the amount of energy used— and the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. Covering the pot saves energy and reduces CO2 emissions.
As water heats, evaporation— the steam that rises from the heating pan— acts to cool the water even as the flame underneath acts to heat it. This is especially noticable in dry climates like ours, where it's difficult to get a large pot of water to boil if it isn't covered. But put the cover on, and evaporation is greatly reduced— and water boils much more quickly on the same flame.
It also helps to boil only what's needed. When we're fixing one cup of tea, we don't fill the tea kettle to capacity.
(What are the other 19 "small steps" we've taken? Search for "small steps" in the search box at left.)
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