The Five Steps You Can Take Toward a Greener Kitchen

When we think about going green at home, our mind naturally wanders toward the kitchen.

And why not? After all, your kitchen arguably represents the most important room in your house. This is especially true considering that it’s often one of the first places potential buyers want to see, combined with the fact that it’s where we spend a good chunk of our time through cooking and cleaning.

Going green represents an investment in your home: likewise, there are so many potential environmental improvements to make in the kitchen, it’s almost overwhelming to figure out where to get started. Take a step back and think about the changes you can make in the kitchen to go green over time versus all at once.

The following improvements vary in size and scope; however, each one is essentially for a more environmentally friendly living space.

Start with the Stove

Energy efficiently and your stove go hand-in-hand. The great debate buying a gas range stove versus electric is a fierce one; however, the fact remains that any modern model will be more efficient than something from the 1970’s.

Considering that gas stoves allow for more control over cooking temperature, they’re preferable for ease for their ease of use. On the flip side, electric stoves are generally pricier but obviously you don’t have to worry about nitrogen dioxide emissions in such models.

Either way, an upgrade of either type of stove is preferable to an outdated model. Additionally, a new stove will ultimately make your home more attractive to buyers when it’s time to sell.

High Efficiency Appliances

The hype surrounding high efficiency appliances is impossible to deny. From refrigerators to microwaves and beyond, it’s tempting to want to deck out our kitchen to high efficiency models. Instead of going for a full revamp of your appliances for the sake of a cheaper power bill, consider buying a new piece every few months to transform your kitchen over time.

Stainless Steel vs. Non-Stick Surfaces

To avoid Teflon and any potentially hazardous chemicals in your kitchen, perhaps it’s time to invest in some stainless steel cookware. Such cookware is cost effective and will stand the test of time versus non-stick surfaces which tend to degrade over the years.

Change Up Your Cuisine

Conventional wisdom tells us that greener eating in the kitchen requires splashing tons of cash at Whole Foods on organic items. That being said, the term “organic”  often used as a marketing tool and only USDA-certified foods can truly boast the label. Likewise, you can give yourself peace of mind simply by buying raw, non-processed foods (such as fruits and vegetables) rather than blowing out your budget at a specialty supermarket.

Greener Cleaning

We naturally want to avoid contaminants in our food; unfortunately, many modhomern cleaning products contain harmful chemicals that should most definitely be kept away from our mouths. There are plenty of  homemade cleaning solutions you can make with household items which can both keep money in your pocket and make your cleaning efforts much greener.

Giving your kitchen a makeover in pursuit of a green home takes time. Consider which investments matter most and make sense for your budget and simply start there.