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Tips for saving money in the kitchen

24 de February, 2025

Did you know that, as well as saving money when you buy food for your meals, you can also cut costs by adjusting the way you cook?

We all know that supermarket shopping accounts for a generous slice of a family’s monthly budget, but what doesn’t always occur to us is that the way we prepare our meals, as well as the appliances we use, also weigh on the bill. And a lot!

That’s why it’s important to rethink the way you cook, not only by adopting new cooking methods, but also by using kitchen equipment that uses less energy. Find out how!

Microwave: your best ally

Most people use it to defrost food or heat up meals, but this piece of equipment, which is present in almost every Portuguese kitchen, is extremely useful, economical and versatile.

Not only can it be used to cook any food, but it is also more energy efficient than a stove or oven, as it requires only two thirds of the energy that these appliances consume. So much so that, according to data released by the Instituto de Diversificación y Ahorro de Energía (IDAE), if you choose to cook in a microwave instead of an electric oven, you can reduce your energy consumption by 70%.

In fact, although some people say that cooking or heating food in the microwave can contaminate the food, several studies have proven that there is no basis for this possibility. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that, as long as they are used properly and respect safety standards, there is no problem in using microwaves to cook or heat food.

How to save money when cooking

When using the stove:

  • Use pans that are the right size for the amount of food you are going to cook;
  • The size of the burner/heating plate must take into account the size of the pan. If you use a pan with a diameter of 15cm on a burner that is suitable for a pan with a diameter of 20cm, you will waste up to 40% of the energy;
  • Cover the pans while cooking;
  • To cook more quickly and reduce energy consumption by up to 75%, use a pressure cooker instead of a traditional saucepan to make soups, stews, pulses (dried but previously soaked) and other dishes that require more cooking time.

When using the oven:

  • Avoid opening the oven while cooking. Every time you open it, you lose around 20% of the heat and cause additional energy consumption to return to the initial temperature;
  • Use glass and ceramic containers as they are more efficient. You can lower the oven temperature by around 25ºC and cook food just as quickly;
  • If the oven is electric, turn it off 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time so that the temperature is maintained.

More tips for saving money in the kitchen:

  • Use the kettle to boil water;
  • Defrost food in the fridge before cooking. That way you can halve the cooking time;
  • Cut food into small pieces to cook it more quickly;
  • Whenever possible, cook more than one food at the same time and in the same pan;
  • For the sake of energy efficiency, and also to preserve nutritional value, don’t overcook food;
  • Avoid preparing individual meals. Instead, increase the amount of food you make and store it in the fridge or freezer for future meals. You’ll save time and money;
  • Check the temperature of the fridge and keep it between 3°C and 5°C. Temperatures below these values increase energy consumption unnecessarily.
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