An author was forced by circumstance to cook with a hot plate for an extended period, and in the process, they made a surprising discovery about the appliance's benefits.
Cookbook author Maria Speck shared on her Facebook page two milestones of her year so far. One was the successful sale of her baking book focused on whole-grain flours; the other was the adoption of a hot plate, which opened up a new world of cooking for her.
She explained she used a hot plate for two months while waiting for her induction stove to arrive and discovered "it was the best thing ever for grain cooking."
"I always thought gas was superior," she continued. "But the simmer for grain cooking is unsurpassed, and the speed for any of my cooking is out of this world. In fact, the plates heat so fast that I almost burnt a lot of my first meals — it does take some getting used to. Most important right now: My kitchen does not heat up during summer cooking."
Speck will likely have more to rave about when she reports back on her induction stove top, as both that and a hot plate have an incredible range of benefits compared to traditional gas stoves.
Perhaps most enticing is the fact that induction stoves are three times more efficient than gas and can heat water to a boil 20-40% faster, per the U.S. Department of Energy, cutting cooking time and leading to lower energy bills. And you can further save money by exploring federal incentives to upgrade to electric kitchen appliances and other green upgrades for the home.
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Hot plates and induction stoves also don't release pollutants in the home, such as methane and other gases, making them a safer option, especially for homes with children and pets.
Efficiency and money-saving go even further if you opt to add solar panels to the mix, which can bring your energy costs down to or near $0. EnergySage provides a free service that makes it easy to compare quotes from vetted local installers and can potentially save you up to $10,000 on installation.
Combining solar and other home electrification with an upgraded HVAC system that utilizes a heat pump can also help you save an average of $400 a year on energy costs. To find the best solution for your home, LG can help find affordable options for heat pumps.
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